MATT Hancock has explained why he is resigning in a video posted on his Twitter account.

Images and video showed Hancock in an embrace with aide Gina Coladangelo last month, and the Health Secretary was facing increasing pressure to quit over the breaking of social-distancing rules.

In the video Hancock said: “I understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made, you have made.

"And those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that’s why I’ve got to resign."

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He went on: “I want to thank people for their incredible sacrifices and what they’ve done. Everybody working in the NHS, across social care, everyone involved in the vaccine programme and frankly everybody in this country who has risen to the challenges that we’ve seen over this past 18 months.”

"I'm very proud of what we've done to protect the NHS at the peak. I look forward to supporting the Government and the Prime Minister from the backbenches in recovering from the pandemic."