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Matt Hancock is facing allegations he had an affair with his close aide Gina Coladangelo, a friend from university. The health secretary was pictured embracing the 43-year-old consultant at the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) London headquarters last month, as reported by The Sun.Mr Hancock led the government response to the pandemic and on multiple occasions has urged the British public to abide by strict lockdown rules.Last year he said he was left “speechless” after government adviser Professor Neil Ferguson allowed his lover Antonia Staats to visit his home, in breach of social distancing rules at the time.Supporting Professor Ferguson’s resignation, Mr Hancock added that “social distancing rules are very important and people should follow them.”The Independent has looked at what Covid rules were in place during the ‘hug’.What were the regulations at the time of Mr Hancock’s ‘embrace’?The images, which appear to be captured from CCTV footage, were taken on 6 May from the headquarters of the DHSC.At the time they were taken, the country was in the middle of Step 2 of Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap which meant that non-essential shops were open, but hospitality businesses were still closed.Social distancing was still strictly enforced and the regulations stated that you could not socialise indoors with anyone not in your household or support bubble. The ban on hugging people was not lifted until Step 3 of the roadmap on 17 May.The advice for workplaces at the time encouraged people to work from home if they were able. If you did have to go into work then workplaces had a responsibility to ensure that they were compliant with government stipulations, this included social distancing.The guidance provided by the government for offices said: “You should maintain social distancing in the workplace wherever possible.”The rules at the time suggest Mr Hancock was in breach of Covid regulations set by his own government after appearing to hug and kiss Gina Coladangelo. More

Health secretary Matt Hancock has been accused of hypocrisy after details of an alleged affair with a departmental adviser emerged on Friday.The Sun published photos from 6 May showing Mr Hancock in a “steamy clinch” with aide Gina Coladangelo. The pair were spotted embracing on several occasions during the pandemic, sources told the newspaper.Many on social media recalled Mr Hancock’s harsh criticism of Professor Neil Ferguson after the government adviser was found to have broken lockdown rules by arranging visits from his lover last year. In May 2020, the health secretary claimed to have been left “speechless” by Prof Ferguson’s “extraordinary” behaviour, and said it had been right for him to resign as a government Sage adviser.Although Scotland Yard decided not to prosecute Prof Ferguson, Mr Hancock had said he would back the police if they wanted to take action over the matter.“It’s extraordinary. I don’t understand,” the minister told Sky News on Prof Ferguson’s lockdown trysts. He added: “I think the social distancing rules are very important and people should follow them.”Former minister for Europe Denis MacShane said: “Hancock’s hypocrisy in urging police investigate Prof Neil Ferguson’s affair will come back to haunt.”Political commentator Ian Dunt said Mr Hancock faced questions over the “straight up hypocrisy” of offering Covid guidance about telling others to avoid close physical contact with others.The pictures of Mr Hancock embracing his aide were taken with social distancing in place at workplaces – and two weeks before the ban on hugging between people from different households was lifted.Cabinet minister Grant Shapps was asked on LBC whether Mr Hancock may have broken social distancing rules at his department. “I’m quite sure that whatever the rules are at the time were followed,” he said.Host Nick Ferrari replied: “Wow – if those are the rules, I want to work where you work.”The health secretary is also facing questions about his appointment of aide Ms Coladangelo to a £15,000-a-year advisory role – since there was no public record of the appointment.Grant Shapps says Matt Hancock’s alleged affair is ‘personal issue’Labour is now demanding an investigation in the minister’s alleged office affair to find out if any “rules have been broken”.A spokesperson said: “The government needs to be open and transparent about whether there are any conflicts of interests or rules that have been broken.”Asked if Mr Hancock’s job was now in doubt, Mr Shapps also told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There has for a long time been a complete difference between what people do in their job … and what they do in their personal lives.”Mr Shapps also suggested Ms Coladangelo’s appointment had been “rigorous”, telling Sky News: “In terms of rules, anyone who has been appointed has to go through an incredibly rigorous process in government.” More

Voters in Gibraltar have endorsed legislative changes that will ease the British territory’s current ban on abortion.Supporters of the changes cheered and clapped when an official read out the referendum result at Gibraltar university after midnight Thursday.The ‘yes’ vote captured a majority of 62%. Officials said 12,343 votes were cast, a turnout of 53%.Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo who heads the government, said the legislation will come into force within 28 days.Abortion is currently illegal in Gibraltar unless it is needed to save the mother’s life, and is punishable by up to life in prison. It is one of Europe’s most restrictive laws on pregnancy termination.The referendum, postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held to ask voters whether they agreed with a 2019 decision by parliament to allow exemptions on health grounds to the abortion law.The legislation, now approved, will allow pregnancies to be terminated up to the 12th week if doctors deem the pregnant woman’s physical or mental health to be at risk or if there is risk of fatal fetal abnormality.Gibraltar is a speck of British land on Spain’s southern tip. Many locals live and work across the border. In Spain, abortion is allowed upon request up to the 14th week of pregnancy.Most political parties backed the ‘yes’ vote. The leaders of the two parties in Gibraltar’s governing coalition, the Socialist Labour Party and the Liberal Party, joined with the Together Gibraltar party in urging voters to back the change. The leader of the main opposition Social Democrats fought the proposed alterations.Some 80% of Gibraltarians are Catholic, and the Bishop of Gibraltar spoke out against the proposed changes. The Gibraltar Pro-Life Movement argued that the legal change amounts to introducing abortion on demand, because the mental health proviso can be misused.Campaigners for the “Gibraltar for Yes” group said women should have the right to decide about terminating their pregnancy in Gibraltar’s public health care system. More

The woman Matt Hancock allegedly had an affair with is a millionaire mother-of-three who is the marketing and communications director at independent high street retailer Oliver Bonas.Gina Coladangelo was reportedly caught on camera kissing the beleaguered health secretary in pictures published by The Sun early on Friday morning.The 43-year-old, who was previously a director at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon, met Mr Hancock at Oxford University where they became close friends over a shared passion for student radio.She studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) and reportedly continued to be close friends with Mr Hancock after completing her studies in 1998, the same year as Mr Hancock.Ms Coladangelo was handed a role as non-executive director at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) in September last year.The role, which scrutinises decisions made by the department, will net the public affairs consultant £15,000 of taxpayer money, as reported by The Sunday Times. There is no public record of the appointment but it is listed on her LinkedIn page.She was also appointed by Mr Hancock to be an unpaid adviser on a six-month contract in March, leading to accusations of “chumocracy” in November after she was pictured leaving meetings at No10 with the health secretary.Ms Coladangelo also reportedly had access to a parliamentary pass since April, giving her unfettered access to the Palace of Westminster and is also bound by the Official Secrets Act.According to the biography of the 43-year-old on Gov.UK, she “has over 20 years’ experience in communications and marketing, with a particular focus on healthcare, retail and the environment.”It adds: “Her experience in healthcare communications is wide-ranging, providing strategic counsel and communications support for NHS trusts, healthcare agencies, professional bodies, patient groups and charities.”She is currently a governor at BeyondAutism, an education charity, and was previously a trustee at the Willow Charity, which works with seriously ill adults.Ms Coladangelo is married to the founder of Oliver Bonas, Oliver Tress, and they have three children together. More

The health secretary Matt Hancock has been accused of cheating on his wife with a close friend and lobbyist who is a taxpayer-funded adviser to his department.He was allegedly caught on camera kissing Gina Coladangelo, according to The Sun, which published photographs of what it called a “steamy clinch”.The security camera pictures were taken on 6 May but the pair have been seen together on other occasions, the newspaper said.Mr Hancock, 42, has been married for 15 years to Martha, and the pair have three children. Ms Coladangelo, 43, is also married with three children.The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) was not immediately available to comment on the report.Ms Coladangelo, who met Mr Hancock when both were attending Oxford University, was a director at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon, which promises clients help to “navigate and influence complex legislation”.In November it emerged she was given a role as non-executive director at the DHSC, earning at least £15,000 a year and having scrutiny over its running, but there was no public record of the appointment.She is also communications director at fashion and homeware shop Oliver Bonas, which was founded by her husband.In June 2020, the store featured on a government blog hailing its efforts to reopen after the first lockdown. More

England’s test and trace system is still failing to curb Covid effectively, as money is wasted on idle staff, tests are not returned and self-isolation rules are broken, a watchdog is warning.The much-criticised organisation has far to go “to achieve its objectives”, the National Audit Office says, with only limited progress made since its last scathing report before Christmas.The conclusion comes despite ministers throwing money at the system, which has a startling budget of £37bn, although almost £9bn had been underspent by April, the NAO reveals.Its report highlights multiple failings, including:* “Low or variable” public compliance, as only a minority of infected people request a test and many others fail to self-isolate as required. However, no targets for improvement exist;* Contract tracers working as little as 11 per cent of the time, in February, which means the organisation is “still paying for capacity it does not use”;* Vital results data still not being shared with local authorities, which “makes it difficult for them to deal with localised outbreaks”;* Just 14 per cent of 691 million lateral-flow tests sent out by the end of May were registered, with test and trace in the dark about whether the rest were used; and* An increase in contracts handed out without competition – to £2.6bn in the first quarter of 2021, compared with £1.1bn last spring – despite a policy to cut the use of emergency regulations.The NAO also warns of the danger of performance slipping further, with the “distraction” of test and trace becoming part of the new UK Health Security Agency by October 2021.It calls on the Department of Health and Social Care to “set out plans by October 2021 for improving the overall test and trace process”.And it hints this must include higher payments for missing work – a persistent criticism of the system – to “best support citizens to come forward for tests and comply with self-isolation requirements”.The report says test and trace did hit targets for reaching people testing positive and for identifying their contacts, but “performance slipped a little below both targets during April”.Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “Some pressing challenges need to be tackled if it is to achieve its objectives and deliver value for taxpayers, including understanding how many lateral flow devices are actually being used and increasing public compliance with testing and self-isolation.”And Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Account Committee, which shadows the NAO, warned the system “is still plagued by the same issues as at the start of the year”.It must “get to grips with some fundamental parts of the process, such as its timeliness in reaching contacts for all the tests it provides, people coming forward for tests when they have symptoms, and compliance with self-isolation”, the Labour MP said.The NAO points out that test and trace is “responsible for driving up public compliance”, with the Sage advisory group warning at least 80 per cent of identified contacts need to be self-isolating.But surveys pointed to compliance “ranging from 43 per cent to 62 per cent” – and the organisation has set no target.NHS Test and Trace has been hugely controversial from the start, with ministers ridiculed for calling it “world beating”. Its head, Dido Harding, stepped down last month – but is now set to bid to run the NHS. More

Schools in England are to lose out to the tune of £90m due to changes to pupil premium funding for the most disadvantaged children, it has been revealed.Labour branded the move “totally unacceptable”, warning it will hit support for children who have had the greatest difficulties learning from home during lockdown.The cut comes as a result of a change – first revealed in The Independent – in the date for calculating how many children are eligible for the premium payments, worth £1,345 a head for primaries and £955 in secondaries for pupils receiving free school meals.The cutoff was quietly switched from January 2021 to October 2020, with schools complaining they were told too late to encourage parents to register their children for the scheme.New details released by the Department for Education show that there will be 67,189 fewer eligible pupils in primary schools as a result, cutting funding through the scheme by £92,445,582. While secondary schools will benefit by £2,589,472 due to having 4,973 more recipients, the overall loss to schools will be £89,856,109.The DFE said that the reductions did not result in an overall cut to pupil premium payments, which will rise by £60m to more than £2.5bn, with the majority of schools receiving increased allocations.But Labour’s shadow education secretary Kate Green said: “The government has finally admitted that schools are going to lose out on funding because of their ill-thought through changes to pupil premium.“Far from having ‘no direct impact’ schools are set to lose £90 million, hitting support for the children who’ve struggled most to learn from home.“The government has treated children as an afterthought throughout the last year, is severely underfunding children’s recovery, and is stripping away support from the kids who need it most. This is utterly unacceptable.”And Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Daisy Cooper described the move as “shameful penny-pinching”.“The Tories talk about the importance of levelling up in our education system, but the reality is they have cut vital funding which gives support to the poorest pupils,” “said Ms Cooper.“The government must reverse this disgraceful, short-sighted move and backdate payments to schools for the money they have missed out on.”A DFE spokesperson said: “Using the October census for pupil premium allocation means schools will now know their full budget earlier in the year, helping them to plan ahead. Any pupil who became eligible after the October census will attract funding in the following financial year.“We are committed to ensuring all children have access to good quality education, no matter their background.” More

Boris Johnson ‘not ruling out’ trip abroad this summerA collapse in British exports to the Irish Republic since Brexit has handed Dublin an extraordinary trade surplus with London, according to new figures.The Irish government says new trading red tape explains the plunge in the value of goods sales – 47.6 per cent in the first quarter of this year – compared with the start of 2020. It suggests companies in the Republic have switched from buying products directly from EU countries, rather than from across the Irish Sea. It comes as the mobile network EE announced it would join O2 in bringing back roaming charges for new customers who use their phones in Europe. It forms part of plans to change how customers are treated on the continent post-Brexit.Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said “radical changes” need to be made to the Northern Ireland Protocol. “That’s what’s necessary,” he told reporters today, after the EU’s ambassador to the UK said the bloc was “turning regulations upside down to try and find a solution to” the so-called “sausage war” between Britain and Brussels.Show latest update

1624546114Scottish Greens demand leaders call out SNP for ‘transphobic’ pastHundreds of Scottish Green members have written to their co-leaders to ask why their party should agree to formal co-operation with the SNP, which they claim has “little to no respect for trans people”.An open letter from 155 members to Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater calls on them to challenge the SNP over its record on trans issues. With the Scottish Greens about to engage in talks on formalising a working arrangement with the SNP at Holyrood, members are also urging the leadership to demand the government repeals the Prostitution Act of 2007 that criminalised the sale of sex in public.Warning there is a “growing transphobia problem” in Scotland, the letter continues: “It is believed to this date that the SNP has not held a single member to account for transphobia despite multiple members breaking code of conduct.Talks between Holyrood’s two pro-independence parties are due to take place over the summer recess, but Scottish Green rules require any pact to be approved by members.Sam Hancock24 June 2021 15:481624545334Queen will travel to Scotland for traditional ‘Holyrood week’The monarch will carry out engagements celebrating Scottish community, innovation and history between 28 June and 1 July, Buckingham Palace announced today.She will stay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in Scotland, as she always does during this visit. The Queen will be joined by her grandson the Duke of Cambridge for engagements on Monday, and then by her daughter the Princess Royal for engagements on Wednesday and Thursday, the palace said, adding she will visit Edinburgh, the capital, Glasgow and Stirling. Many wondered if the trip would go ahead due to coronavirus, after it was cancelled last year, but as restrictions ease in both England and Scotland it seems the head of the Royal Family is determined to get back to normal. In line with government guidelines, though, events hosting thousands of people such as the garden party at Holyroodhouse will not take place.Sam Hancock24 June 2021 15:351624544734Govt calls experts’ warning on lack of climate action ‘wildly off the mark’An analysis from the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee released on Thursday warned that progress on tackling emissions in key areas such as farming had been “woeful” and that not enough had been done to protect Britons from worsening climate impacts.But it seems the government doesn’t agree… with its own advisers who issued the caution. Lord Deben, the Conservative peer who chairs the CCC, said the government’s recent climate commitments were “very good” – but warned not enough was being done to turn promises into action.“There’s no doubt at all that the follow on from agreeing to net zero by 2050 has been, in policy terms, really very good, and sets a major example. The trouble is – the action,” he told a press briefing. “The delivery has just not been there.”Our climate correspondent Daisy Dunne has the full report:Sam Hancock24 June 2021 15:251624544134EE’s decision to reintroduce roaming ‘disappointing,’ says expertA mobiles expert has said it will be interesting to see if Vodafone and Three follow in the footsteps of rivals EE and O2 to reintroduce roaming charges to customers visiting Europe.Ernest Doku, from Uswitch.com, told PA the move was “hugely disappointing” especially “for consumers to see the situation change so quickly”.“If you’re an existing EE customer, these charges won’t affect you yet, but make sure you check the small print if you’re due an upgrade in the coming months,” she advised.“When it comes to travelling, don’t leave it till the last minute to check the roaming charges for your destination, and always use hotel and cafe wifi when on holiday where possible.”Sam Hancock24 June 2021 15:151624543501George Osborne takes new job at the British Museum Former chancellor George Osborne has been appointed as the next chairman of the British Museum. Museum director Hartwig Fischer said Mr Osborne “knows the museum well and values the trust the museum enjoys around the world”.Others took a less favourable view, with shadow heritage minister Alex Sobel reminding people that former MP had been “the architect of devastating cuts to funding arts and culture” between 2010 and 2016. “He has enough jobs already, he doesn’t need another,” Mr Sobel added. Rory Sullivan24 June 2021 15:051624542481Labour accuses the government of ‘decimating’ the justice systemShadow justice secretary David Lammy has hit out at the government over the large backlog of cases in the country’s Crown Courts. New statistics reveal that a fifth of Crown Court cases have been outstanding for more than 12 months, while the average waiting time for cases to be heard has increased by 43 per cent from the previous year. Mr Lammy said: “The Conservatives are forcing victims of rape, domestic abuse and violent assault to wait months and years for justice if they get it at all.“This is the direct result of the government’s decade of court closures, combined with its incompetent response to the pandemic.“Yesterday the prime minister apologised to rape victims. Now he must take urgent action to restore the justice system after his party has decimated it.”Rory Sullivan24 June 2021 14:481624541295Fears for European holidays deepen as Macron backs Merkel on ‘co-ordinated’ Covid measures Those hoping to go on a European holiday this summer will be worried by what Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have been saying. The French president backed the German chancellor’s call for the bloc to introduce a “co-ordinated approach” on travel restrictions from areas with large outbreaks of coronavirus variants. Mr Macron told reporters: “We must all be vigilant because the much-talked-about Delta variant is coming, which spreads much more rapidly than the other variants and affects people who are not vaccinated or who only have had one dose.”Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the details: Rory Sullivan24 June 2021 14:281624540201Video: PM responds to Russia’s ‘barefaced lies’ accusationYesterday, Russia said it fired warning shots at a British vessel for allegedly entering its waters off Crimea. However, the Ministry of Defence refuted this version of events, denying that shots had been fired in the direction of HMS Destroyer by a Russian patrol boat. On a visit to New Normandy Barracks in Aldershot on Thursday, the prime minister was asked why Moscow had accused the UK of telling “barefaced lies” about the incident. To which, Boris Johnson replied: “Well, they’re the bear. Those are not… that’s not my information and my understanding is that the carrier strike group proceeded in a way that you’d expect through international waters and in accordance with the law.” Boris Johnson responds to Russia’s ‘barefaced lies’ jibe: ‘They’re the bear’Rory Sullivan24 June 2021 14:101624539019Scottish Greens urge Holyrood to abandon use of Amazon services The Scottish government has been asked to stop using the services of web giant Amazon, after reports surfaced that its Fife-based warehouse destroys unsold items.Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater pushed MSPs to end a deal for “web services”, which last year cost Holyrood millions. She also urged Nicola Sturgeon during FMQs to enshrine circular economy principles in law to curb the waste said to take place at the warehouse.“(Amazon) is a company that has refused to pay the living wage, uses zero-hour contracts and keeps its workers in such a state of desperation that some of them are reduced to sleeping in tents,” she said, before asking Ms Sturgeon “when her government will stop giving Amazon money”. Ms Sturgeon said the government ensures fair work conditions are attached to any grants given by Scottish Enterprise – Holyrood’s commercial wing – but added she was willing to look into Ms Slater’s specific grants.Sam Hancock24 June 2021 13:501624538119Rees-Mogg defends govt spending Covid cash on union pollingCommons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said today it was “completely proper and justifiable” of the government to use Covid-allocated cash to fund polling on attitudes to the union.He was defending the government’s spending, arguing the polling helped inform a communications strategy linked to messages about staying at home and wearing face masks during the pandemic.The Herald Scotland newspaper had reported a request to poll attitudes to the union was submitted as part of a Covid-19 contract given to Public First, prompting the SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford to call for a “full public inquiry” during PMQ’s on Wednesday. Downing Street since said “every responsible government” would conduct research to understand the public’s views on issues around the pandemic.“We recognise that health is a devolved matter but there are elements where there is a UK government response required,” the PM’s spokesman told reporters.Sam Hancock24 June 2021 13:35 More