Fine to describe Matt Hancock as a failed health secretary and cheating husband, press watchdog rules

It is okay to describe Matt Hancock as a failed health secretary and cheating husband who broke the lockdown rules he wrote, the press watchdog has ruled.

Hancock had complained to IPSO over a series of articles criticising his “shameful record of blunders”, which he said were “inaccurate and misleading”.

But the watchdog ruled the Mirror newspaper had not breached its guidelines on accuracy, and the articles can stand.

One of the articles Mr Hancock complained about discussed his appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, saying he was “a failed health secretary and cheating husband”.

It went on to claim Mr Hancock “broke the lockdown rules he wrote, doubled down on the lies he told, helped enrich his mates via the infamous VIP PPE lane, and couldn’t resist monetising the infamy he acquired as a result of his ineptitude at managing the pandemic”.

Another article highlighted Mr Hancock’s “blunders” while health secretary from July 2018 to June 2021. It said he “broke the ministerial code by failing to declare he held shares in a family firm that won an NHS contract”.

One said that Mr Hancock “presided over PPE contracts being handed out to acquaintances of ministers and officials, including his ex-pub landlord”.

And another included the former Trades Union Congress general secretary Frances O’Grady’s verdict on Mr Hancock. She said: “Matt Hancock might have gone into the jungle seeking forgiveness, but some of us won’t forget […] We won’t forget who those contracts went to. It’s disgusting.”

Mr Hancock said the articles were inaccurate and misleading because he did not “decide, price or sign off government Covid contracts”.

And he said an article headlined “shameful record of blunders” omitted key information, rendering it unbalanced.

He asked for the Mirror to publish written corrections and issue an apology, but IPSO ruled against Mr Hancock. A friend of Mr Hancock said: “IPSO found no evidence backing up the misleading claims made by the Mirror, but concluded it was ok for them to print anyway. Go figure.”

Mr Hancock resigned as health secretary the day after video footage emerged of him kissing aide Gina Coladangelo in his ministerial office, in a breach of coronavirus restrictions.

Soon after, he separated from his wife of 15 years, with whom he shares three children, and has been in a relationship with Ms Coladangelo since.

He had the Conservative whip suspended for appearing on I’m a Celebrity and has been sitting as an independent MP since. Mr Hancock is standing down at the next general election.