DM Monitoring
LONDON: British Health Secretary Matt Hancock apologised on Friday for breaching social distancing guidelines after pictures appeared of him embracing his top aide, and the prime minister said he believed the matter was now closed.
“I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances,” Hancock said. “I have let people down and am very sorry. I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter.”
A spokesman for Boris Johnson said the prime minister had accepted Hancock’s apology and had full confidence in him. “He considers the matter closed,” he said. “This matter is definitely not closed, despite the government’s attempts to cover it up,” a spokesperson said.
“Matt Hancock appears to have been caught breaking the laws he created while having a secret relationship with an aide he appointed to a taxpayer-funded job.” Hancock, 42, has been at the centre of the government’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, often appearing on television to tell the public to follow strict rules and to defend his department against criticism of its response to the crisis.
