The former health minister has been stripped of the Tory whip after signing up to join the star-studded cast in the Australian jungle. Mr Hancock was an additional surprise name added to the shortlist, whose prominent role in the hit ITV show has yet to be officially confirmed. The MP was pictured touching down at Brisbane Airport on Tuesday. Traveling to the Australian jungle will mean he will be away from Parliament – and issues affecting his West Suffolk constituents – for up to three weeks. However, writing to the Sun on Tuesday evening, Mr Hancock defended his decision after a day of criticism and said he would use his appearance to promote his work on dyslexia. Mr Hancock said he would be allowed to speak to his constituency staff while in the jungle if urgent matters arose and would conduct surgery with his constituents once his time on the show was up. ITV News political correspondent Carl Dinnen reports on the reaction to the former health secretary’s move from Westminster to the jungle He said the chance to go into the jungle was a “great opportunity” and would allow him to “talk directly to people who aren’t always interested in politics”. “It’s clear as day that politicians like me need to go where the people are – especially those who are politically disengaged. We need to wake up and embrace popular culture,” he wrote. Mr Hancock also revealed that he will make a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk at the end of his performance and will declare the amount he receives from the performance in Parliament. But campaigners for families who lost their lives in the Covid pandemic accused him of trying to “cash in on his terrible legacy”. Ian Houlder, a Conservative councilor on West Suffolk Council, said Mr Hancock had “no shame”. “Everyone knows what he did during the Covid pandemic and he seems to want to constantly rehabilitate himself to the public,” Hulder said. “He’s got skin as thick as a rhinoceros, honestly.” Transport Minister Mark Harper told ITV News he did not support Mr Hancock’s decision. He said: “The Prime Minister’s whip – and this is a job I’ve done before – has made it clear that being away from Parliament when he sits down to do this celebrity program is not something a Conservative should do MP and for that he got the whip from Mr. Hancock. “And I fully support that decision.” Meanwhile, Mr Hancock faces questions about whether he broke rules on seeking leave for jobs taken within two years of leaving office. Mr Hancock did not seek advice from the Advisory Board for Business Dating (Acoba) before agreeing to the appearance, the PA news agency understands. Lord Pickles, the Tory chairman of the anti-corruption organisation, which advises on post-ministerial jobs, is expected to write to Mr Hancock seeking clarification. Under the rules, Mr Hancock will have to seek permission from Acoba for any new employment or appointments he undertakes until next June. A spokesman for Mr Hancock said the instructions were “followed in good faith”, adding: “Acoba’s website clearly states that it does not regard media appearances as appointment or employment.” However, the website only says that “one-off” activities do not apply, as any “long-term agreement” requires a request to Acoba. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch defended Mr Hancock and said “we have to let Matt be Matt” as she “wished him the best”. “I’m sure she feels there are very good reasons she can do this which will help West Suffolk,” she told ITV News. Pressing on the reaction of bereaved families to Covid, Ms Badenoch said: “I think it is wrong to get into what bereaved families may or may not be saying, given the fact of the pandemic, we all know there will be an investigation.” He said Mr Hancock had worked “very hard” as health secretary and believed “people will remember him because” he supported the NHS during the pandemic and delivered the Covid vaccine. Andy Drummond, vice-chairman of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said earlier: “I can’t wait for him to eat a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me. You can report me on that.” The sentiment was somewhat echoed by Stanley Johnson – the father of former prime minister Boris Johnson who took part in the 17th series of the ITV show – who told Hancock not to “miss his chance to eat the bull’s testicle”. Passing on wisdom to the latest politician to enter the jungle, Mr Johnson – who endured 18 days on his own – told ITV News: “Put your hand up quickly – Ant or Dec, I’ve never been able to tell them apart – they’re coming and… you have to to raise your hand, because if you don’t, you miss the chance to eat a bull’s testicle for example.” “Go ahead, it’s honestly just food, it has calories and it’s totally edible,” he added. But Tory MP Tim Lawton was less impressed and said Hancock was a “total femme fatale”. “I am completely disappointed and disgusted that he has put himself and his so-called celebrity career ahead of serving his constituents,” he told Times Radio. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said it was “unlikely” that Rishi Sunak would attend the programme. “The Prime Minister believes that at a difficult time for the country MPs should be working hard for their constituents whether they are in Parliament or in their constituency,” the spokesman said. The response in Westminster was swift following the news that West Suffolk MP Mr Hancock would take part in the ITV show, which starts on Sunday. Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have reviewed the situation and believe this is a matter of sufficient seriousness to warrant a suspension of the whip with immediate effect.” Mr Hancock was forced to resign as health secretary in June 2021 after he broke Covid social distancing rules by having an affair in his cabinet with aide Gina Colandangelo. Matt Hancock resigned from the government after having an affair with his assistant Gina Colangelo, while mixing in the house was prohibited. Mr Hancock was among Mr Sunak’s supporters who welcomed the new leader to Conservative HQ last week. However, he was passed over for a ministerial post under the new prime minister. He was also reportedly considering a run to become chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, but dropped out of the race on Monday. An ally of Mr Hancock said “there are many ways to become an MP” and television was “a powerful tool to get our message out to the younger generations”. “Whether he is in camp for one day or three weeks, there are very few places where people will be able to see a politician as he really is,” they said. “Where better to show the human side of those making these decisions than with the most-watched program on television? “Politicians like Matt need to go where the people are – especially those who are politically disengaged.” Matt Hancock, along with other members of the Conservative Party, wait outside party headquarters for the arrival of Rishi Sunak Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Hancock said he turned down the offer to run twice this summer because of the political chaos at Westminster, but since Mr Sunak became prime minister, the former health secretary believes “the government is stable”. However, his decision to enter the jungle drew criticism from political opponents, union leaders and campaigners. Lobby Akinnola, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign, said: “Matt Hancock is not a ‘celebrity’, he is the former health secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world from Covid- 19 while flouting its own lockdown rules. “The fact that he is trying to profit from his terrible legacy, rather than showing any humility or seeking to reflect on the horrific consequences of his time in government, says everything about the kind of man he is.” Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “It speaks volumes that Matt Hancock would rather be holed up in a remote jungle eating kangaroo testicles than spend a little longer on the Tory benches at Westminster as Rishi Sunak’s government reel from a crisis in another”. Shadow health secretary Andrew Gwynne said: “To be fair to Matt Hancock, I’d sooner eat a wallaby’s anus than be a Tory MP too.” The House of Commons is in recess from November 10 to 14, but celebrities could spend up to three weeks in the jungle – meaning Mr Hancock would miss out on important business in the Commons, including the Autumn Statement on 17 November, if he remains in the competition. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior civil servants, said: “Oh, to have a job where you can decide for yourself to take a month off, give up your job and your responsibilities, get paid and face minimal consequences. “I’m sure he will be an inspiration to other public servants.”
