U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has led the country's response to the coronavirus, resigned on Saturday, every day after apologising for breaching social distancing rules with an aide with whom he was allegedly having an affair.
Mr. Hancock had been under growing pressure since the tabloid Sun newspaper published images showing him and senior aide Gina Coladangelo kissing in an office at the Department of Health. The Sun said the electric circuit television images were taken May 6 — 11 days before lockdown rules were eased to permit hugs and other physical contact with people outside one’s own household.
In a resignation letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Mr. Hancock said the govt. owed it “to folks that have sacrificed such a lot during this pandemic to be honest once we have allow them to down.”
“And those folks who make these rules have gotten to stay by them and that’s why I’ve need to resign," he wrote.
Sajid Javid, who was the U.K. Treasury chief earlier in Mr. Johnson's government before resigning in February 2020, will replace Mr. Hancock as health secretary. Mr. Javid was also cabinet minister in then Prime Minister Theresa May's government.
Mr. Johnson said he was sorry to receive Mr. Hancock’s resignation which he “should quit very happy with what you've got achieved — not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before COVID-19 struck us."
Mr. Johnson had earlier expressed confidence in Mr. Hancock despite widespread calls to fireside him.
Jonathan Ashworth, health spokesman for the opposition Labour, said “it is correct that Matt Hancock has resigned. But why didn’t Boris Johnson have the center to sack him and why did he say the matter was closed?”
Pressure from own party
Some lawmakers from the governing Conservatives had also called on Mr. Hancock to quit because he wasn’t practicing what he has been preaching during the pandemic.
Mr. Hancock, 42, is that the latest during a string of British officials to be accused of breaching restrictions they imposed on the remainder of the population to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
