Boris Johnson tells Matt Hancock ‘you should be proud of what you’ve achieved’ after calling him ‘useless’ in text
BORIS Johnson told Matt Hancock that he "should be proud of what he's achieved" - despite slamming him as "useless' in a text.
The disgraced Health Secretary quit his role on Saturday, a day after apologising for breaching social distancing rules as he had an affair with a senior aide.
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In a resignation letter to the PM, Mr Hancock said the government "owed it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down".
In reply, Mr Johnson said he was sorry to receive his resignation.
He added that he should "leave office very proud of what you have achieved not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us".
A Downing Street source said: "Boris accepted the resignation reluctantly. This was very much Matt’s decision."
His praise comes days after he branded Mr Hancock "totally f***ing hopeless" in bombshell WhatsApps released by ex No10 aide Dominic Cummings.
It comes as...
- Matt Hancock announced he was resigning almost 48 hours after his affair with his aide was exposed
- The Health Secretary told his wife he was leaving her as the affair was revealed
- Gina Coladangelo has left her position on the Department of Health board after the affair with Hancock
- Read Matt Hancock's resignation letter in full
- Sajid Javid will be the new Health Secretary
Mr Cummings published an expletive-ridden 7,000-word blogpost stuffed with explosive screenshots of texts with the PM.
A former ally of Boris Johnson, he shared his private comments with the PM during the height of the Covid crisis.
Mr Johnson branded Matt Hancock "totally f***ing hopeless" and wanted to replace him with Michael Gove, according to the bombshell WhatsApp messages.
Mr Cummings published a series of screenshots purportedly showing exchanges between himself and the Prime Minister to combat what he said are "lies" from No 10.
He was aiming to expose his former boss's apparent frustration with the health secretary.
Mr Cummings described the Cabinet Office as a "total s***show" during the coronavirus pandemic.
The PM's official spokesman chose not to dispute their legitimacy.
On April 27, 2020, Mr Johnson apparently messaged the No10 chief to slam PPE provision as a 'disaster'.
And the PM was put under pressure after the embarrassing video showing Mr Hancock kissing Gina Coladangelo and groping her bum was revealed.
Shocking images showed Mr Hancock, who is married with kids, and senior aide Gina Coladangelo - also married with children - passionately kissing in an office at the Department of Health.
Matt Hancock's statement in full
"I am writing to resign as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We have worked so hard as a country to fight the pandemic. The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis.
I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need to be with my children at this time.
We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaching the guidance.
The NHS is the best gift a nation has ever given itself, and the dedication and courage of the NHS staff and the ceaseless work of the officials in the Department is something we should all be proud of.
We didn't get every decision right but I know people understand how hard it is to deal with the unknown, making the difficult trade-offs between freedom, prosperity and health that we have faced.
I am so proud that Britain avoided the catastrophe of an overwhelmed NHS and that through foresight and brilliant science we have led the world in the vaccination effort, so we stand on the brink of a return to normality.
The reforms we have started in the health system will ensure it continues to provide even better care for people in years to come.
We are building a better NHS which makes smarter use of technology and data, forming a new UK Health Security Agency, delivering positive changes to mental health care and will fix the problems in social care once and for all.
Many times I stood at the podium in Downing Street and thanked the team - my own team, the NHS, the volunteers, the Armed Services, our pharmacists, GPs, the pharmaceutical industry and the whole British publish who have made such sacrifices to help others. Those thanks are heartfelt and sincere so I must resign.
It has been the honour of my life to serve in your Cabinet as Secretary of State and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved.
I will of course continue to support you in whatever way I can from the back benches, and I would like to thank you for your unwavering support, your leadership and your optimism, particularly as we worked together to overcome this awful disease."
The Sun exclusively revealed that the closed circuit television images were taken on May 6, 2021.
This was 11 days before Covid lockdown rules were eased to allow hugs and other physical contact with people outside ones own household.
Mr Hancock's letter of resignation said that it had been the "honour of my life" to serve as Health Secretary.
Minutes after his announcement, it was reported that Coladangelo "is leaving her position on the board of the department of health", tweeted Tim Shipman, political editor of the Sunday Times.
Mr Hancock's letter to Mr Johnson also says: "I am writing to resign as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We have worked so hard as a country to fight the pandemic.
"The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis.
"I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this.
"I also need to be with my children at this time."
Beth Rigby, the political editor at Sky News, tweeted tonight about being "told that Hancock has left his wife for Gina Coladangelo.
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"Friends of the former Health Secretary say his relationship with Gina is 'recent but serious'."
She didn't reveal her source.