MATT Hancock was seeking more “brilliant women” to join his team via an Instagram post this morning, hours after pictures emerged of he and office aide Gina Coladangelo in a “steamy clinch”.
The Health Secretary’s official Instagram account had posted the story encouraging more women to come and work with him about 21 hours ago.
Stories on the platform are live for 24 hours, and the post could still be viewed until approximately 8.45am – despite The Sun putting out the photographs last night.
READ MORE: Matt Hancock accused of cheating on his wife with close aide Gina Coladangelo
As political commentators starting discussing the social media post, it was noticed that it had been deleted.
The post read: “I work alongside some brilliant women.
“If you’re a woman who wants to get involved in politics swipe up.”
The awkward Instagram story suggests that Hancock was not aware the news was going to come out.
The Tory minister has been accused of cheating on his wife with Coladangelo, a taxpayer-funded adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, and a close friend of his.
Security camera pictures captured on May 6 showed the pair appearing to share a kiss – and according to The Sun, they have been seen together in other locations.
Hancock, 42, has been married to wife Martha for 15 years. The couple have three children together. Coladangelo is also married with three children.
Coladangelo was appointed to Hancock’s department as an unpaid adviser on a six-month contract in March 2020.
The appointment sparked a row over “chumocracy” late last year when it came out that she had attended confidential meetings with the minister and visited Number 10.
The adviser, who Hancock is said to have met at university, was later appointed as a non-executive director at the department.
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