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AIBU?

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Original poster

Matt Hancock affair

999 replies

TheoMeo · 25/06/2021 06:51

AIBU to be utterly peed off that another one of our Ministers - rather than devoting his time and effort to getting the country out of this mess - is busy carrying on with an aide (which he appointed at great expense to the tax payer) - aaaaaaag.
www.thesun.co.uk/

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Backhills · 25/06/2021 08:15

Oh I don't dispute he's supported the government message in public (which is his job) but we don't know what he's been arguing in private. He's obviously upset someone.

Douchebaggette · 25/06/2021 08:16

He has a personal life too and is allowed time outside of working hours. What he does in those hours and with who is none of my concern.

But the photos are from inside Whitehall aren't they? How is that on his own time and outside working hours?

And she is a professional lobbyist that he appointed to a government position, isn't she? That doesn't just make her some random woman he's been having an affair with? That makes her part of a pattern of behaviour we have seen over and over again in which this government give money and access to personal friends and acqaintances - seemingly at a level far greater than we have ever seen before.

The when and the who ARE the very critical parts of this story, Because they are the bits that indicate this is not a personal affair conducted in his own time - this is an affair conducted in working hours with someone he has paid for with government money. I would expect anyone who did the same thing in their job to be sacked for it.

thepeopleversuswork · 25/06/2021 08:16

How he is performing in his job, on the other hand, is a completely separate matter.

Well up to a point. But this isn't something you can totally separate from his job.

The fact someone is capable of an affair shows they are capable of willfully misleading people who trust them, whether the electorate or their family. I wouldn't say everyone who's had an affair deserves to be hung out to dry. But I do think its a legitimate area for the media to follow. And in this case, when the woman appears to have been promoted on cronyism against a background where this has happened repeatedly in government its very damaging.

Tombero · 25/06/2021 08:16

Isn’t a Tory sex scandal and a mysterious leak the surest sign yet that things are beginning to return to normal?

Cam77 · 25/06/2021 08:17

The Party really needs a new name. Conservative Party?
How about the Selloff and Screw Party?

GappyValley · 25/06/2021 08:18

@Backhills

Oh I don't dispute he's supported the government message in public (which is his job) but we don't know what he's been arguing in private. He's obviously upset someone.
So you think ‘not Toeing the line’ meant being a sycophantic mouthpiece 99% of the time and then having the occasional ‘but are you we are doing the right thing?’ chat with the PM? Confused
Frazzled2207 · 25/06/2021 08:18

@DingleyDel

It’s shocking that’s he’s that stupid and I really feel for his wife. How did the Sun get cctv footage (that’s what it looks like and they mention it’s a video) inside the department of health? Some decent money changing hands there. What I think is a sackable offence is the fact he’s using taxpayer money to pay the woman he’s shagging. Surely that’s some kind of misconduct? He won’t be sacked of course because his boss has done exactly the same thing!
Boris did pretty much the same with Jennifer Arcuri didn’t do him any harm did it?

All of those saying he will be sacked etc. They’re almost all useless. Look at Gavin Williamson! He’s a disgrace. Once upon a time if an MP was a naughty boy/girl he’d either resign or be sacked immediately. These are different times. They’ll just glaze over it, keep him away from the media for a while, and carry on.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/06/2021 08:18

[quote Cam77]@gaspode
Labour being off their game isn't "making" you vote Tory.[/quote]
I don't vote Tory. Never have, never will. But clearly an awful lot of people who used to vote Labour have now shifted to the Tories, given recent election results.

(I vote for the least worst candidate in every election. Lord Buckethead in the London Mayoral election, Green candidates in other elections if they seem like decent people. It's all pointless anyway as I live in one of the few solidly Labour areas left.)

Original poster
TheoMeo · 25/06/2021 08:18

Matt Hancock 'speechless' at Prof Neil Ferguson and says it's a matter for police

Matt Hancock has said he was left "speechless" by a leading professor who quit after he broke lockdown to meet his lover.
The Health Secretary said it is a "matter for police" whether any action should be taken against Prof Neil Ferguson after his dramatic departure from scientific advisory group SAGE.

Hmm

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/lockdown-prof-neil-ferguson-made-21981163

OP posts:
Morley19 · 25/06/2021 08:18

no sympathy at all for him.

Utter disgrace. The HEALTH secretary preaching to us about what we all should and shouldn't be doing. The hypocrisy and arrogance of these people astounds me

He has to go, his position is untenable.

His poor poor wife (and husband of the woman)

Frazzled2207 · 25/06/2021 08:20

Imagine being his wife and just finding out this morning.
If you’re on here Mrs Hancock, I really hope this is not the way you found out and all of Mumsnet is behind you.

wowhie · 25/06/2021 08:21

Seriously move on, really nothing to see here. It happens all day every day.

Er except why she got the job in the first place or who leaked the footage.

GappyValley · 25/06/2021 08:21

@Frazzled2207

Imagine being his wife and just finding out this morning. If you’re on here Mrs Hancock, I really hope this is not the way you found out and all of Mumsnet is behind you.
She will have had a call yesterday from the sun warning her they were going to run the story

Still a horrific way to find out though

RosesAndHellebores · 25/06/2021 08:22

They can't sack him over Covid due to the success of the vaccination programme so they've found another hook to hang their hat on.

I think it's rather interesting that an anti Europe person like Boris lives his life as though he were a continental politician.

Original poster
TheoMeo · 25/06/2021 08:22

The hypocrisy and arrogance of these people astounds me

But why are they getting away with it - I don't mean the affairs but for example DC trying to get the Chancellor to give Gov money to what turned out to be a dodgy company he'd invested vast sums in.
Matt Hancock investing 20% of the value of the company his sister owned which, lo and behold, got a Covid contract.
Unaccountable funds on PPE.

OP posts:
Ipanemama · 25/06/2021 08:22

Matt Hancock broke ministerial code wrt his sister’s firm.

Gave billions of taxpayers money to unqualified mates, bloke who owned the local.

Had an affair with a colleague who he hired during work hours in Whitehall.

And still some people defend him… Confused

Nothingyet · 25/06/2021 08:23

We all only have one life, and it is short. He fancied her, and presumably she fancied him. End of.

EsmaCannonball · 25/06/2021 08:24

You have to wonder how the Sun got hold of CCTV footage from inside a government department and if the person responsible could face prosecution. (And if not, why not?)

I don't like what Hancock has done but it's no worse than anything Johnson has done, and certainly no worse than that whole murky Jennifer Arcuri affair. Johnson should go too.

Faevern · 25/06/2021 08:25

It’s about integrity, of which he has none.

Groping your mistress in the corridors at work while preaching social distancing and while families can’t even hold the hand of their dying wife, husband, father, mother or visit their elderly relatives because you fucked up the care home discharges takes a whole new level of arrogance.

I expect his wife will accept that this was a silly folly because he was unbelievably stressed and forgive him.

I doubt employing his mistress or giving his friend work via WhatsApp will have repercussions either.

wowhie · 25/06/2021 08:25

Oh FFS, does your sex life completely stop when you're dealing with shit at work

Nope not mine but I'm not having an affair, they are consuming, secret, deceptive etc.

sadperson16 · 25/06/2021 08:25

@Whichjab, I would worry myself sick about not being able to do a job, even volunteering!
They exist in a different orbit.

Pyewackect · 25/06/2021 08:25

Don’t you just smell Dominic Cummings behind this ?.

Gladimnotcampinginthisweather · 25/06/2021 08:25

'Are there any Tory MPs who haven't had affairs?'
Gove?

SuperstoreFan · 25/06/2021 08:25

@Nothingyet

We all only have one life, and it is short. He fancied her, and presumably she fancied him. End of.
The Tory bots have been unleashed.
anon12345678901 · 25/06/2021 08:27

@GappyValley

He has a personal life too and is allowed time outside of working hours. What he does in those hours and with who is none of my concern.

But you are aware that he was conducting the affair during working hours, in his ministerial office as evidenced by actual CCTV footage?!

Tbf didn't see the timings on it. It's not great but I can bet there's members of every party behaving like this, only not getting caught. If he's been doing it in work time and not break time, then he needs to be reprimanded. But him having an affair in general, that's life, people do.
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