Health Secretary Matt Hancock CANCELS visit to vaccine centre after he is caught in steamy clinch with his closest aide, 43, on CCTV - INSIDE the Department of Health
- Matt Hancock, 42, is accused of having an affair with lobbyist Gina Coladangelo, wife of Oliver Bonas founder
- The Sun reports Health Secretary caught kissing mother-of-three in Whitehall in corridor on May 6, 2021
- Newspaper claims their relationship was the talk of Department of Health, where kissing happened last month
- Health Secretary Hancock has been married for 15 years to wife Martha and the couple have three children
- Mrs Hancock left the family home wearing her wedding ring, but looked sad as she declined to comment
- Mr Hancock, who is yet to comment, has cancelled an event in his West Suffolk constituency this morning Matt Hancock ran for cover and cancelled a public appearance today as he fought for his job after CCTV emerged showing him kissing his most senior aide intensely in the corridor outside his Whitehall office.
The Health Secretary, 42, has been caught on camera in a passionate clinch with his hand rubbing the back and bottom of millionaire lobbyist Gina Coladangelo, 43, who was brought in as a taxpayer-funded advisor in March last year.
The incident is alleged to have taken place in the corridor outside his office at the Department for Health's headquarters in central London at around 3pm on May 6 this year - the day of the UK local elections and a week after his first coronavirus jab. The kiss was also 13 days before the Government relaxed safety rules including giving permission for the public to hug.
Mr Hancock is said to have checked the corridor is clear before closing the door, leaning on it to stop it opening before launching into their passionate embrace. The Sun claims they have been having an affair that has been the talk of the department - but it is not known if they remain in a relationship that was a secret until today.
Mr Hancock has been married for 15 years to wife Martha, 44, and the couple have three children together. Mrs Hancock looked sad and upset as she left the couple's home in north London this morning but didn't speak to reporters about her husband's alleged infidelity.
Her husband was nowhere to be seen, however, she was still wearing her wedding ring. They were last seen together in public at the England vs Scotland Euro 2020 match at Wembley a week ago.
Communications director and lobbyist Mrs Coladangelo is a mother-of-three, whose husband Oliver Tress is the founder of clothing shop Oliver Bonas. The shutters were closed at their £4.5million South London home this morning. She has been working as an advisor for Mr Hancock with one source saying: 'Before Matt does anything big, he'll speak to Gina'. Mrs Coladangelo is friends with Matt Hancock's wife on Facebook and they have spent time together socially.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for the Health Secretary. A friend of Mr Hancock's reportedly told The Sun they had 'no comment' on the matter, but that 'no rules' had been breached.
But a Whitehall whistleblower who leaked the footage and reportedly no longer works for the department, told the newspaper it was 'shocking that Mr Hancock was having an affair in the middle of a pandemic with an adviser and friend he used public money to hire'.
The alleged affair piles even more pressure on Mr Hancock, who was already reportedly battling for his job over his handling of the pandemic Dominic Cummings released WhatsApp messages from the PM that showed Mr Johnson branded him 'f***ing useless'.
Aside from the serious allegations of an affair, there will also be questions to answer about kissing someone outside his bubble during the pandemic and whether this breaches any of the Covid rules he has helped create.
Mr Hancock, who is yet to comment, has cancelled an event in his West Suffolk constituency this morning where he would have faced questions over the affair and whether he can keep his job. He also deleted an Instagram post from last night where he said he 'works with some brilliant women'.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said today it was an 'entirely personal' matter for his cabinet colleague. He told LBC radio: 'I have seen the photo but, as ever with private matters, I always try to avoid commenting on other people's personal lives and I think I'll stick with that tradition here.'
Asked whether the Health Secretary should have been 'ignoring social distancing', Mr Shapps replied: 'I'm quite sure that whatever the rules were at the time were followed. You'll recall that there was a point at which social distancing rules were changed but, as I say, I don't want to comment on somebody else's private life - that is for them.'
As Matt Hancock fought to keep his job, it also emerged:
- Furious travel bosses today insisted the government's changes to the green list don't go far enough - and accused ministers of kicking 'double jab' rules 'down the road - and that dozens more countries with low infection rates should have been added;
- Covid outbreaks appear to now be slowing in EVERY region except the South East, official data shows as map reveals where cases are rising quickest;
- Boris Johnson is determined to scrap the one-metre rule on July 19 even if other Covid measures have to stay in place, Cabinet sources said;
- The 'world-beating' Test and Trace system missed nearly 100,000 positive cases during the winter, a damning report reveals today.
The Health Secretary, 42, has been seen having a passionate clinch with millionaire lobbyist Gina Coladangelo (pictured here with Matt Hancock outside Downing Street in May), according to The Sun
Martha Hancock looked sad and upset as she left the couple's north London home this morning after claims that her husband has been having a secret affair. She didn't comment
Mr Hancock has been married for 15 years to wife Martha, with whom he has three children
Mrs Coladangelo (pictured here with husband Oliver Tress - the founder of the Oliver Bonas clothing chain), who is a director and shareholder at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon
Matt Hancock smiles and laughs at his alleged lover as they leave the BBC after appearing on the Marr show in JuneThe Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said he would not be commenting on an 'entirely personal' matter after pictures were published allegedly depicting his married Cabinet colleague Matt Hancock in an embrace with his closest aide.
Mr Shapps told Sky News that former lobbyist Gina Coladangelo – who the Health Secretary met at university – would have gone through an 'incredibly rigorous' process to get the job.
Asked about the rules around appointing friends to Government positions, Mr Shapps said: 'First of all, I think the actual issue is entirely personal for Matt Hancock.
'In terms of rules, anyone who has been appointed has to go through an incredibly rigorous process in Government, so whatever the rules are, the rules will have to be followed.
'There are no short cuts to that, as anyone who has had anything to do with the appointments system in the Civil Service knows.
'There are very strict rules in place.'
Labour said the Government needs to answer whether the Health Secretary had broken any rules or there had been 'conflicts of interest' in the appointment of his closest adviser.
It follows reports that Matt Hancock has been having a relationship with a senior aide whom he first met when they were at Oxford University.
An Opposition party spokesman said: 'Ministers, like everyone, are entitled to a private life.
'However, when taxpayers' money is involved or jobs are being offered to close friends who are in a personal relationship with a minister, then that needs to be looked into.
'The Government needs to be open and transparent about whether there are any conflicts of interests or rules that have been broken.'
It comes after photographs appearing to show Mr Hancock kissing Mrs Coladangelo were published in the paper.
In the pictures, which appear to be from CCTV footage, Mr Hancock also appears to have his hand on the woman's backside.
Meanwhile, a source told the Sun that it was 'shocking that Mr Hancock was having an affair in the middle of a pandemic'.
According to paper, the incident took place around 3pm on May 6, on the day of the local elections.
But the whistleblower told the Sun that they have been caught having 'regular clinches together'.
The source told the paper: 'It has also shocked people because he put her in such an important, publicly-funded role and this is what they get up to in office hours when everyone else is working hard.'
Mrs Coladangelo, who is a director and shareholder at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon, was appointed to the Department of Health as an unpaid adviser in March last year.
Mrs Coladangelo was appointed as a non-executive director at the department in September, meaning she is a member of the board.
She can claim up to £15,000 in taxpayers' money in the role, though there is no public record of her appointment.
Mrs Coladangelo has had a parliamentary pass, which gives her access to Westminster, since April.
The reports of the alleged affair come just weeks after Hancock was pictured enjoying lunch out with wife Martha - the granddaughter of Frederick Millar, 1st Baron Inchyra - in London.
The pair were seen waiting for a taxi after eating at Exmouth market in the capital.
Earlier this year, the father-of-three, who has two son and a daughter, was seen playing rugby in the park with his boys.
The affair claims come just a day after the Queen expressed her sympathy for the under fire Health Secretary, referring to him as 'poor man'.
The Monarch, 96, made the comment as she welcomed Boris Johnson back to Buckingham Palace for her first in-person weekly audience with the Prime Minister since March last year.
The monarch told Mr Johnson it was 'very nice to see you again' and the premier replied: 'Lovely to see you again. It has been 15 months…'
The Queen then said: 'Has it really? It is most extraordinary, isn't it? I have just been talking to your Secretary of State for Health, poor man, he came to the privy council. He is full of…'
Mr Johnson interrupted and suggested 'full of beans' as the Queen then continued: 'He thinks that things are getting better.'
Mr Johnson replied: 'Well, they are…'
The expression of sympathy from the monarch comes after Mr Hancock found himself at the centre of a political firestorm after Dominic Cummings published text messages from the PM in which Mr Johnson referred to the Cabinet minister as 'totally f****** hopeless'.
Gina Coladangelo and her husband Oliver Tress live in this property in South West London
Mrs Hancock wore sunglasses as she left home for work this morning hours after her husband's alleged affair emerged
Gina Coladangelo (Left) with Health secretary Matt Hancock at BBC Broadcasting House in central London where the Health Secretary appeared on The Andrew Marr show in early June
Last night, Mr Hancock, prior to the publication the alleged affair, posted an Instagram story appealing for more women to 'get involved in politics'. It was deleted this morning
Then-London Mayor Boris Johnson meets Oliver Tress while visiting an Oliver Bonas store in November 2015
The Health Secretary dismissed the significance of the bombshell messages from Mr Johnson.
Mr Hancock said the communications, sent during the height of the coronavirus crisis last year, represented 'ancient history'.
He said that 'at times of stress people say all sorts of things in private' but 'what matters most is how well you work together'.
The Cabinet Minister also said he is not embarrassed by Mr Johnson's apparent assessment of his performance.
Mr Cummings, the PM's former chief aide, stepped up his war with Number 10 last week when he published a number of messages sent to him by Mr Johnson.
In one exchange from March 27 last year, Mr Cummings criticised the Health Secretary over the failure to ramp up testing, with Mr Johnson replying: 'Totally f****** hopeless.'
Another from the same day saw Mr Cummings complain that the Department of Health had been turning down ventilators because 'the price has been marked up'. Mr Johnson said: 'It's Hancock. He has been hopeless.'
On April 27, Mr Johnson apparently messaged Mr Cummings to say that PPE procurement was a 'disaster', suggesting that responsibility should be taken away from the Health Secretary.
'I can't think of anything except taking Hancock off and putting Gove on,' the PM said.
Mr Hancock was asked last week, during an interview with the BBC Breakfast programme, how he felt about the PM describing him as 'hopeless'.
He said: 'Honestly? It feels like ancient history, right? The vaccine programme is a huge success.
'At times of stress people say all sorts of things in private. What matters is how well you work together.
'You are referring to comments apparently from the Prime Minister. I work with the Prime Minister every single day.
'We work very strongly together, firstly to protect life and secondly to get the country out of this. That is what matters.'
Told that it must be embarrassing for him to know Mr Johnson had said such things, Mr Hancock replied: 'No, it isn't really because of all the things we have delivered together.'
'We are here talking about the success of the vaccine programme, right? That is something that I very much led from the department, working with the Prime Minister.
Matt Hancock and wife Martha spotted out in London earlier this month. The couple had lunch in Exmouth market in the city of LondonHe has been a massive supporter of it throughout. Of course we have had obstacles and we have had people that we have had to deal with on the way.
'But what I can tell you is that the delivery of that programme has been absolutely fantastic.'
Mr Johnson said last week that he has 'complete confidence' in Mr Hancock and 'all of the Government who have been dealing with Covid-19 during the pandemic'.
Meanwhile, last night, Mr Hancock, prior to the publication of the Sun exclusive, posted an Instagram story appealing for more women to 'get involved in politics'.
In the post, Mr Hancock says he works 'alongside some brilliant women'.
The post adds: 'If you're a woman who wants to get involved in politics swipe up.'
Swiping up takes a person to a link to the Conservative Party page, calling for 'more Conservative women at every level of the Party and Government'.
Oxford-educated Hancock first became involved in politics working as a Tory campaigner in Guildford, before becoming an economic advisor to then shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.
He was elected as an MP for West Suffolk in 2010 and has held several ministerial jobs, including his most recent and high profile role as Health Secretary, a position he was given in 2018 under then Prime Minister Theresa May.
The Hancocks: Privately-educated health secretary who finds 'work-life balance a challenge' and his wife who descends from a Baron and a newspaper tycoon
Mr Hancock has posted pictures of him and his wife on Instagram, including this one in 2017 as they attended the Brit Awards
Matt Hancock was born in Chester where he went to the exclusive private school the King's School.
He did his A-levels in maths, physics, computing and economics before doing computing at West Cheshire College.
Like numerous Conservative MPs before him, he studied PPE at Exeter College, Oxford - where he graduated with a first.
It was at the elite university that he realised he had dyslexia, which he only opened up about in recent years.
He later did an MPhil in economics at Christ's College, Cambridge, before turning to politics in 1999 when he joined the Tories.
But before becoming an MP, Mr Hancock trained as a jockey. He won a race in his constituency town of Newmarket in 2012.
Mr Hancock married Martha (maiden name Miller) in 2006.
The osteopath is the granddaughter of Frederick Millar, 1st Baron Inchyra - a British diplomat and Ambassador to West Germany.
She is also the great granddaughter of the 1st Viscount Camrose, a Welsh newspaper publisher.
The couple have three children - a daughter and two sons - and they live in Little Thurlow, west Suffolk, in the constituency the MP represents.
They do not let their children have social media, but Mr Hancock has been seen playing rugby with the boys in London parks during the pandemic.
When their third child was born in 2013, Mr Hancock was not about to get two weeks of paternity leave immediately.
But he later took a two-month break, including the MPs' extended summer recess.
He said at the time: 'I am taking paternity leave myself. It's important to form a strong bond with your children.'
The Hancocks have kept their family life private, with Mrs Hancock rarely pictured by her husband's side.
In an interview with the FT, Mr Hancock revealed he spends the week in London and weekend in Newmarket.
He told the newspaper his 'work-life balance is a challenge', adding: 'I pay a lot of attention to timetabling.
'Both my professional and social and family time gets booked up a long way in advance and then you have to be strict about it.'
Matt Hancock's humiliated wife of 15 years breaks cover wearing her wedding ring: Notting Hill osteopath, 44, is mother to their three children after meeting the future Health Secretary at Oxford
Matt Hancock's osteopath wife Martha was photographed leaving home this morning while wearing her wedding ring as her husband was at the centre of a cheating scandal.
Mrs Hancock, 44, got into a car outside their house in North London as claims emerged of an alleged affair between the Health Secretary and his closest aide.
Pictures appeared to show Mr Hancock and lobbyist Gina Coladangelo, who was brought in as a taxpayer-funded advisor in March, kissing outside his office.
Mr Hancock met his future wife Martha Hoyer Millar while they were both students at Oxford University in the early 2000s, and they now have three children together.
Now Martha Hancock, they married in 2006 and live with their daughter and two sons in London and Little Thurlow, West Suffolk, the constituency he represents.
Matt Hancock's wife Martha Hancock is photographed leaving home in London this morning
Mrs Hancock, an osteopath, got into a car outside their property in North London this morning
They are rarely seen in public together, but were photographed at Wembley Stadium in a corporate area for the England v Scotland match at Euro 2020 last Friday.
Mrs Hancock works as an osteopath and is believed to practice at a clinic in Notting Hill, West London.
Mrs Hancock married Mr Hancock in 2006
She is the granddaughter of Frederick Millar, 1st Baron Inchyra - a British diplomat and Ambassador to West Germany.
Mrs Hancock is also the great granddaughter of the 1st Viscount Camrose, a Welsh newspaper publisher.
Her father, Alastair Millar, was Secretary of The Pilgrim Trust between 1980 and 1996.
The trust is responsible for supplying grants, predominately to preservation projects for historically significant buildings or artifacts.
Nowadays, around £2million is divvied out by the trust each year.
The Hancocks do not let their children have social media, but Mr Hancock has been seen playing rugby with the boys in London parks during the pandemic.
When their third child was born in 2013, Mr Hancock did not get two weeks of paternity leave immediately.
But he later took a two-month break, including the MPs' extended summer recess.
He said at the time: 'I am taking paternity leave myself. It's important to form a strong bond with your children.'
Mr and Mrs Hancock are rarely seen in public together, but were photographed at Wembley Stadium in a corporate area for the England v Scotland match at Euro 2020 last Friday
The Hancocks have kept their family life private, with Mrs Hancock pictured by her husband's side on only a few occasions such as music awards events.
These included the NME Awards at Brixton Academy in South London in 2018 and the Brit Awards at The O2 one year earlier.
In an interview with the Financial Times in 2014, Mr Hancock revealed he spends the week in London and weekend in Newmarket.
He told the newspaper his 'work-life balance is a challenge', adding: 'I pay a lot of attention to timetabling.
Mr Hancock and his wife Martha attend the NME Awards at Brixton Academy, London, in 2018
'Both my professional and social and family time gets booked up a long way in advance and then you have to be strict about it.'
Mr Hancock was born in Chester where he went to the exclusive private school the King's School.
He did his A-levels in maths, physics, computing and economics before doing computing at West Cheshire College.
Like numerous Conservative MPs before him, he studied PPE at Exeter College, Oxford - where he graduated with a first.
Mr and Mrs Hancock attend a summer drinks reception at Milbank Tower in June 2019
It was at the elite university that he realised he had dyslexia, which he only opened up about in recent years.
He later did an MPhil in economics at Christ's College, Cambridge, before turning to politics in 1999 when he joined the Tories.
But before becoming an MP, Mr Hancock trained as a jockey. He won a race in his constituency town of Newmarket in 2012.
It comes as Mr Hancock is today at the centre of a cheating scandal after claims emerged of an alleged affair with his closest aide after pictures appeared to show them kissing passionately outside his office.
Mr and Mrs Hancock are seen in 2010 when he was Conservative candidate for West Suffolk
The Health Secretary, 42, was caught on camera in a passionate clinch with millionaire lobbyist Gina Coladangelo.
The incident is alleged to have taken place in the corridor outside his office at the Department for Health's headquarters in central London at around 3pm on May 6.
Communications director and lobbyist Mrs Coladangelo is a mother-of-three, whose husband Oliver Tress is the founder of clothing shop Oliver Bonas.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for the Health Secretary.
Mr Hancock and his wife at the Brit Awards in London in 2017, in a picture posed on Instagram
A friend of Mr Hancock's reportedly told The Sun they had 'no comment' on the matter, but that 'no rules' had been breached.
But a Whitehall whistleblower told the newspaper it was 'shocking that Mr Hancock was having an affair in the middle of a pandemic with an adviser and friend he used public money to hire'.
The alleged affair piles even more pressure on Mr Hancock, who was already reportedly battling for his job over his handling of the pandemic Dominic Cummings released WhatsApp messages from the PM that showed Mr Johnson branded him 'f***ing useless'.
Matt Hancock's glamorous mother-of-three 'lover' Gina Coladangelo, 43, is married to the millionaire behind Oliver Bonas and boasts a string of celebrity friends
The woman Matt Hancock has been allegedly having an affair with is a millionaire communications director of fashion firm Oliver Bonas, which was the brainchild of her husband.
Gina Coladangelo works for the company her spouse Oliver Tress founded - while also being Mr Hancock's closest aide. The mother of three, 43, is a major shareholder - as well as director - of the lobbying firm Luther Pendragon.
Mrs Coladangelo, who lives with her husband and their three children in South West London, appointment to the Department of Health in March 2020 by Mr Hancock sparked uproar due to her outside interests.
Mr Hancock and Mrs Coladangelo, who it was revealed last night have allegedly been having an affair, first met at Oxford University while working on student radio together.
She studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) at Oxford between 1995 and 1998, the same as Mr Hancock.
Despite them knowing each other and apparently maintaining their friendship, Mr Hancock married Martha Millar in 2006, with whom he now has three children.
Mrs Coladangelo has been spotted leaving Downing Street with the Health Secretary on a number of occasions. A source told the Sunday Times last year: 'Before Matt does anything big, he'll speak to Gina. She knows everything.'
But her new role was not made public despite her getting access to £15,000 from the taxpayer.
Gina Coladangelo works for the company her husband Oliver Tress (pictured together in 2014) founded - while also being Mr Hancock's closest aide
Ms Coladangelo, left, with TV presenter Jenni Falconer, right
Mrs Coladangelo shows off the role on her LinkedIn page and has to 'oversee and monitor performance'
She was an unpaid adviser for Mr Hancock but claims of 'chumocracy' emerged in November when it was revealed she was attending confidential meetings.
Mrs Coladangelo was made a non-executive director at the Department for Health in September. She shows off the role on her LinkedIn page and has to 'oversee and monitor performance'.
She says: 'I have over twenty years' experience in business management and marketing and communications, with a focus on retail, healthcare, the third sector and energy.
'Marketing expertise across media relations, consumer campaigns, social media, digital strategy, strategic collaborations, internal communications, issues management and public affairs.'
But her new role was not made public despite her getting access to £15,000 from the taxpayer.
Gina Coladangelo works for the company her husband Oliver Tress (pictured together several years ago) founded - while also being Mr Hancock's closest aid
Matt Hancock with his aide Gina Coladangelo leaving the BBC studios after appearing on The Andrew Marr Show earlier this month
While working as Head of Marketing at Oliver Bonas, Mrs Coladangelo contributed to a post on International Women's Day.
She wrote: 'You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. Decide what you want and don't want – and stick to it. It is up to you to live a life you love.'
Mrs Coladangelo has access to the Houses of Parliament due to gaining a pass in April and is also said to be bound by the Official Secrets Act.
The pass reportedly has her husband's surname on it, but she does not use it for her work. House of Lords peer Lord Bethell sponsored her for the pass.
While working as Head of Marketing at Oliver Bonas, Mrs Coladangelo (pictured right) contributed to a post on International Women's Day
Away from work, Mrs Coladangelo has three children - Talia, Bruno and Layla. In 2012 she told the Daily Mail how she had returned to work while being a mother.
She paid for a live-in nanny at their home in south-west London and worked flexible hours.
Mrs Coladangelo said: 'I don't worry about my children being closer to their nanny, because I spend as much time as I can with them.
'I would never dream of telling other mothers what to do with their lives. Every woman has to make her own choice.
'But I feel very fortunate in my education and believe those years shouldn't be wasted. I want to work to give something back.'
Her husband Oliver gave an interview to the Financial Times in November 2015 and spoke about their house. He said: 'Our indulgence was moving to a bigger home in Wandsworth in September. We barely had a garden in Clapham, but the new house has a bigger garden and more space downstairs.
'We might be able to build an extension. The mortgage will still be pretty considerable, as retail businesses are not necessarily throwing up a lot of cash. I am not a tycoon.'
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