Matt Hancock case: Boris Johnson suggests he has taken decisive action on scandal – although he initially said case was ‘closed’ UK News

Boris Johnson has suggested he has decided Matt Hancock could no longer be Secretary of Health after admitting to breaking the coronavirus rules.

Speaking on Monday, the Prime Minister said Mr. Hancock’s actions undermined the government’s public safety message, so he chose to bring in a new health secretary on Saturday – a day after the revelations were first reported.

When asked if the situation goes against the message of ‘all in the same boat’, Mr Johnson said: ‘I read the story on Friday and we have a new secretary in the office. health station on Saturday and I think that’s about the right pace to proceed in the event of a pandemic. “

However, when the case came to light on Friday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson told reporters Mr Johnson had accepted Mr Hancock’s apology and considered the case ‘closed’.

Mr Hancock then resigned his post on Saturday night in a letter, saying: “We owe it to the people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we let them down.”

He was replaced by former Chancellor Sajid Javid.

After receiving Mr Hancock’s resignation later, the Prime Minister said he was “very sorry” to see the former health secretary step down.

The prime minister also said the government was working on “a return to life roughly before COVID” on July 19, when the restrictions in England are expected to be further lifted.

And when asked about Labor demands for an investigation into allegations Mr Hancock and Health Minister Lord Bethell used their personal accounts for government business, Mr Johnson declined to say he had done the same himself before.

Speaking on a campaign visit to Batley and Spen, the Prime Minister said: “I am not commenting on the way I conduct government business.

“But I can tell you that in this government we are focusing on the priorities of the people.”

Deputy Leader of the Labor Party Angela Rayner has called for the recovery of all emails relating to a public inquiry into the …