Matt Hancock’s CCTV snog with Gina Coladangelo against his office door came 24 hours after a storm where he was accused of sexism in the Commons and at a time when he still lectured Britons about sticking to social distancing rules.
The Health Secretary kept a low profile around the time he was passionately kissing Gina Coladangelo, 43, on the afternoon of May 6 when no other aides were around, MailOnline can reveal.
But despite breaching social distancing guidance with the office romance, he went on TV days later to warn the country to stick to the rules to slow the spread of the Indian ‘Delta’ variant.
He gave the warning during an appearance on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, where his lover was supporting him at Broadcasting House as an advisor funded by the taxpayer. They were photographed together leaving the interview clutching cups of coffee.
Mr Hancock only appeared in public four times in the fortnight where he and married Mrs Coladangelo were caught on CCTV in a passionate embrace.
Here we look at some of his public remarks at the time when he was conducting the illicit affair.
April 8: Hancock warns young people Covid ‘can ruin your life’
Matt Hancock warned people under the age of 30 that refusing a coronavirus vaccine because of blood clot fears could ‘ruin your life’ due to the risk of catching the disease and developing ‘debilitating’ long Covid.
The Health Secretary launched a media blitz to reassure the public over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine as he insisted the nation’s vaccination drive remains on course to offer all UK adults a jab by the end of July.
He added: ‘Covid is a horrible disease and long Covid affects people in their 20s, just as much it seems as any other age group and can have debilitating side effects that essentially ruin your life.’
April 28: ‘This is no time for complacency’
Mr Hancock revealed Britain had bought another 60million doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine as part of plans to launch a booster jab rollout this autumn.
Fronting a press conference he said ministers hope the extra supplies — which will take No10’s total order to 100million — will start to be delivered from September through to early 2022 so everyone in the country can be offered a third vaccine.
He added: ‘We have a clear route out of this crisis but this is no time for complacency, it’s a time for caution so we can keep the virus under control while we take the steps back to normal life.’
April 30: Goes for a pint in his last public appearance before the kiss
His last public appearance before the May 6 clinch was on April 30, while on the local election trail for the Tories.
He went for a pint in a pub garden in Middlesbrough, as he campaigned inside the ‘Red Wall’ ahead of the Hartlepool by-election, which the Tories won.
May 5: Criticised for telling a female Labour MP to ‘watch her tone’
The day before the clinch the Health Secretary was castigated for telling a female Labour MP to ‘watch her tone’ after she grilled him on the government’s coronavirus testing strategy in the House of Commons.
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