The appointment by the health secretary of a close personal friend as an assistant would have followed an “incredibly rigorous” process, a minister said.
Questions about Matt Hancock’s appointment of former lobbyist Gina Coladangelo surfaced after footage from The Sun newspaper appeared to show the health secretary, who is married, kissing the assistant in his office.
The Sunday Times reported last year that Mr Hancock did not say he appointed Ms Coladangelo as his assistant and then gave her a role on the board of directors of the Department of Health. She is listed on the ministry’s website as a non-executive director.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said he would not comment on something that is “entirely personal”.
But he added: “In terms of the rules, anyone appointed has to go through an incredibly rigorous process in government. Whatever the rules, the rules will have to be followed.”
Pressed again to find out if the rules had been followed with regard to the appointment, Mr Shapps replied: “I think it’s a bit of a red herring in this case. I think it really is a story. personal, so I have no intention of commenting on anyone’s personal life. “
He added that the Secretary of Health “has worked very hard to roll out this vaccination program”.
Ms Coladangelo’s LinkedIn profile shows that she has been working in the department since September 2020 and was at the University of Oxford at the same time as the Secretary of Health.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs said: “This appointment was made in the usual way and followed the correct procedure.”
The photo also raised questions about whether Mr Hancock broke government foreclosure laws.
At the time the photo was reportedly taken on May 6, hugging anyone outside of your home or bubble was prohibited.
Human rights lawyer Adam Wagner, who …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-25 07:04:00
