THE Scottish Tories have been noticeably quiet about Health Secretary Matt Hancock being caught on film kissing his close aid Gina Coladangelo in breach of coronavirus guidelines.
A video of Hancock in an embrace with Coladangelo was published last night by the Sun newspaper, sparking further calls for his departure. The Tory minister is friends with Coladangelo from their time at university together, and she was appointed to the Department of Health and Social Care last year.
Hancock and Coladangelo are both separately married, with three children each.
The SNP have said there are “very serious questions” for Hancock and the incident cannot “simply be brushed under the carpet”.
READ MORE: Matt Hancock video: Commentator mocked for suggesting clip is 'doctored'
“Boris Johnson risks jeopardising the vital public health measures in place the longer he desperately clings on to his shamed Health Secretary – just like he did with Dominic Cummings,” deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald said.
A snap poll by Savanta ComRes, released hours after photographs of the pair kissing in Hancock’s ministerial office surfaced, found 58% of UK adults feel he should resign, compared to 25% who say he should not.
And this morning Tory MP for North Norfolk, Duncan Baker, called on Hancock to resign, saying people in public office should act “with the appropriate morals and ethics that come with that role”.
Throughout the row Douglas Ross’s Scottish Tories have kept tight-lipped – but there are several instances which suggest they really should be speaking up.
- Catherine Calderwood
During the first weeks of the initial lockdown in 2020, former chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood visited her second home in Fife – prompting public outrage.
At the time, Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw was among those most vocal in calling on the public health leader to resign. “Dr Calderwood’s position is very difficult, untenable even, given the damage this has caused public trust,” he said. “There cannot be one rule for the bosses and another one for everyone else.”
- Neil Ferguson
Matt Hancock himself said he would back any police action against Neil Ferguson, the senior government scientist who helped shape the UK Government’s coronavirus response.
Hancock was left “speechless” as the government adviser broke lockdown rules to visit his lover.
“I think the social distancing rules are very important and people should follow them,” Hancock said at the time.
Can the Scottish Tories really stay silent after Hancock himself breached his own Covid guidelines, but spoke so critically of another person doing so?
Douglas Ross’s Dominic Cummings intervention
Last year, prior to becoming Scottish Tory leader, Ross was a junior minister in the Scotland Office. He became the first member of government to resign over the Cummings Barnard Castle scandal.
After public outrage grew as Cummings drove to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown, Ross stepped down and said he couldn’t tell his constituents “they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the Government was right”.
Since Ross took such decisive action over that coronavirus guideline breaching scandal, will he be resigning from his current position over this one? We doubt it.
- Nicola Sturgeon’s mask incident
In December, the First Minister apologised after being photographed at a pub following a funeral without wearing a mask.
Nicola Sturgeon said while attending the wake she “briefly” took her mask off, and admitted her mistake. “I’m kicking myself, and I’m sorry,” she told the Scottish Parliament.
But the Scottish Tories were absolutely furious over the incident.
“The First Minister should know better,” they said in a Twitter statement. “By forgetting the rules and failing to set a proper example, she’s undermining essential public health messaging.
“There cannot be one rule for Nicola Sturgeon and another for everyone else,” they wrote on Twitter.”
On Hancock so far? Not a peep.
- John Swinney’s campaigning breach
Deputy first minister breached Covid-19 rules during the election campaign when five people met up to put out leaflets. Under the rules at the time a maximum of four people from two households were permitted to meet up for campaigning.
Nicola Sturgeon said Swinney, and Graeme Dey who was campaigning with, were “in the wrong” and had “rightly apologised”.
Murdo Fraser was quick to criticise the ministers over the incident. “This is very embarrassing for John Swinney, who, as deputy first minister, should be very aware of the various Covid restrictions,” he said.
Should Matt Hancock know about the restrictions as Health Secretary? Murdo has not been so quick to share his opinion there.
The Metropolitan Police will not investigate Hancock over any alleged breaches of Covid regulations.
A statement from the force said the Met was “aware of the distribution of images alleged to have been obtained within an official Government premises”.
It added: “No criminal investigation has been launched. At this time this remains a matter for the relevant Government department.”
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