British health minister resigns after breaking social distance

Matt Hancock (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Minister of Health in United kingdomMatt Hancock, resigned after he was caught not adhering to state social distancing guidelines. In a letter to the Prime Minister Boris JohnsonThe former secretary says the government “owes it to the people who have sacrificed so much during the pandemic to be honest”.

Hancock admitted breaching social separation guidelines after The Sun newspaper published pictures of him kissing an assistant, and the former secretary said he had “disappointed people” and expressed his regret over the situation. In the text sent to the prime minister, he said, “The last thing he wants is for his private life to be a distraction that takes the country out of crisis.”

“I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic and would be grateful to keep my family private on this personal matter,” Hancock, 42, who is married and father of three, said in a statement to the BBC.

In the photos, the secretary is shown embracing Gina Coladangelo, who he himself nominated for the position and is also married. Since the story was published, the Labor Party has been pressing the country’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, to fire Hancock, saying the situation was “unsustainable”.

The British government has not set any legal requirements on social separation in work environments, but recommends that citizens maintain a distance of at least two meters from each other, or one meter with risk mitigation measures.

According to The Sun, the photos were taken inside Britain’s Department of Health in early May 2021, when England was in the second phase of pandemic restrictions, with internal meetings for business purposes only being allowed when “absolutely necessary”.

In May last year, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson resigned from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group (Sage) after violating lockdown rules when a woman he was involved with was seen visiting his home. At the time, Hancock claimed Ferguson’s actions were “ridiculous” and that social distancing rules were “for everyone” and “fatally dangerous”.