‘We fell in love’.
This isn’t a gushing teenager, but former Health Secretary Matt Hancock – attempting to reboot his career, following his dramatic fall from grace last May when he was caught on a CCTV camera in the office snogging aide Gina Coladangelo.
A day later, Hancock resigned- but only because he broke the ‘guidelines’- not ‘the law’.
You might think Matt should keep a dignified silence after such a catastrophic example of double standards, far from it.
He has chosen to give us his ‘truth’ in a podcast – for TWO WHOLE HOURS.
Has this bloke no shame?
A podcast is the modern way of legitimising this messy break-up of two long marriages, involving six children, which left former partners devastated and exposed to public scrutiny.
Matt Hancock was caught on a CCTV camera in the office snogging aide Gina Coladangelo
A cosy chat and a ‘sincere’ apology’?
He chose to tell all (or at least his version of it) to Stephen Bartlett, a hot young businessman with millions of young followers.
Wearing clean jeans and smart trainers instead of your ministerial suit. A polo neck sweater and a nervous smirk.
Instead of keeping a dignified silence, waiting for wounds to heal and the fuss to die down, after less than a year out of office Hancock has decided to jump back into the spotlight.
Clearly, he had decided it was time for a rebrand, a career re-launch, a ‘no-holds-barred’ chat with a bloke who is far more successful than he could dream of.
Someone I could never imagine being dumb enough to grope a member of staff and reach for a kiss in the office.
Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has chosen to give us his ‘truth’ in a podcast
Stephen Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO is downloaded by millions of fans. He’s smart, focused and dissects his subjects forensically.
Poor Matt wasn’t up to the task. In his previous role as Government Minister during the Covid catastrophe he was more used to standing at a lectern issuing government guidelines and statistics, snottily putting down any reporters who dared to question his methods, or his grasp of reality.
Now, it was Matt’s turn to squirm when Stephen asked about ‘casual sex’- after all, in his role as Health Secretary he had asked the public not to indulge in sex with people outside their household or bubble at the peak of the pandemic… so why was he any different?
That’s when we got the love bombshell: ‘I haven’t had casual sex with anybody, I fell in love’.
Tell that to all the people who couldn’t visit their aged relatives, who couldn’t hug their mums in care homes, who couldn’t go to funerals.
Once again, a politician offers us a clear example of why so many of them are two-faced s***s.
Matt Hancock spoke to Stephen Bartlett, a hot young businessman with millions of followers
This smirking performance, with Hancock telling it ‘his way’ was a masterclass in self-justification using the modern ‘me-first, my-journey’ language of self-discovery.
As television channels, social media and newspapers are full of images of Ukrainian men kissing goodbye to the partners and small children through the glass of train windows, with tears running down their cheeks, Matt Hancock is taking the first steps on his own journey into the unknown.
It’s called GIZZA JOB.
Please note he does not criticise his former employer, another man who is regularly economical with the truth and expert in non-apology apologies, Boris Johnson. Matt is ‘sorry’ but he fell in love. That’s so Boris. Sorry but not sorry about those Downing Street parties where he just happened to be present because they took place in his own home, in his family garden. Matt’s attempt as a rebrand has already hit the buffers with the Queen of daytime telly, Lorraine Kelly, trashing his new persona as ‘Pound Shop Milk Tray Man’ and social media is awash with memes mocking Matt’s attempts to set the record straight.
Russell Brand once said ‘people in power make rules they don’t abide by…we are governed by people who exempt themselves from authority whilst imposing it’.
How true.
Martha Hancock, wife of Matt Hancock, leaves her home at the height of the scandal last June
Matt Hancock is just the latest politician caught with his pants down whilst in high office, but few have had the sheer gall to try to rebrand themselves so shamelessly.
In 1997, when Foreign Secretary Robin Cook discovered his affair with his secretary Gaynor Regan was about to be made public, he told Margaret, his wife of 28 years in the VIP lounge at Heathrow just before they were about to go on holiday.
Margaret refused to sign up to a statement saying she and her husband were ‘separating’, forcing Cook to change it to ‘I am leaving my wife’. She later claimed her husband had six affairs during their marriage. Cook remained in post until 2001 and went on to marry Gaynor.
In 2006, it was revealed that Tony Blair’s Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had enjoyed a two-year affair with his secretary Tracey Temple, which started at the office Xmas party in 2002. Prezza remained in post until 2007- and for all his bluster and blather, was hugely embarrassed and humiliated. He told the press ‘I have fully discussed this with Pauline (his popular and supportive wife), who is devastated’. But would he have ever owned up to the affair if someone had not split the beans?
Somehow, powerful men usually manage to keep their jobs even though they might stray from their line of Duty and the job they are well paid to execute.
Can you imagine the scenario if the sexes were swapped, if (God forbid) Liz Truss was caught in flagrante in the Foreign Office in between posing for war-like photos in fur hats and power blouses? Of course not. Women must fight so hard to get to the very top in politics they are too knackered to consider a bit of nookie on the side. That’s why the TV series the Bodyguard- starring Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary bonking her dishy personal security officer (Richard Madden) in a swanky hotel was so entertaining- was pure fantasy.
Matt says he resigned because he ‘took responsibility’ for breaking social-distancing rules. Does he expect a medal for his ‘brave’ choice?
Hancock’s rebrand is in the hands of his new partner, media expert Gina Coladangelo. Could she be responsible for the ‘action man’ pictures which popped up recently showing her new man taking an unscheduled dip in the freezing waters of the Serpentine, despite not being a member of the swimming club? A chance to flaunt his six-pack in wet shorts, which led some feeble females to comment online ‘I might consider it’.
Sadly, a buff physique and new qualifications in ’emotional intelligence’ devised by your lover come too late to salvage the career of hapless Hancock. For every second-rate man, there are two under-promoted women in modern politics.
He doesn’t deserve a second chance.
His wife and his children don’t need his moment of emotional incontinence dredged up again and tagged ‘true love’ so their school-friends and work colleagues can snigger. Neither does Gina’s family.
They want to get on with their lives.
And so do we – without Milk Tray Matt, thanks very much.
