Matt Hancock being probed by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog over claim ex-health secretary ‘attempted to influence decision’ over breach of MPs’ rules
- West Suffolk MP allegedly tried to sway decision of Standards Commissioner
Former health secretary Matt Hancock is being probed by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog for potentially breaking MPs’ rules.
The ex-Cabinet minister is under investigation for allegedly trying to influence a decision by Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
The West Suffolk MP is among three MPs to have been placed under investigation by Mr Greenberg this week, to add to his two existing cases.
According to details posted on the Commissioner’s website, Mr Hancock is being probed over ‘lobbying the Commissioner in a manner calculated or intended to influence his consideration of whether a breach of the code of conduct has occurred’.
A source close to Mr Hancock suggested the matter was a ‘big misunderstanding’ and said it related to ‘evidence that Matt was uniquely placed to give’.
Matt Hancock i s under investigation for allegedly trying to influence a decision by Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The ex-health secretary, who appeared on TV’s I’m A Celebrity last year, is among three MPs to have been placed under investigation by Mr Greenberg this week
The investigation into Mr Hancock was revealed alongside two other new probes into fellow backbenchers Scott Benton and Henry Smith.
Mr Benton, who was last week caught up in a new Commons lobbying scandal, is being investigated by the Commissioner over the use of his parliamentary email address.
And Mr Smith is being investigated over the use of stationery ‘provided from the public purse’.
The Commissioner had already been investigating Chris Pincher, the Tory MP suspended last year over groping allegations, and Steve Brine, the Conservative former minister facing lobbying claims.
Mr Brine has been urged to step down as chair of the Commons health committee following allegations he breached lobbying rules during the Covid crisis.
A leaked WhatsApp message revealed how Mr Brine – a former health minister – attempted to convince the NHS to hire 50 anaesthetists through a recruitment firm paying him £1,600 a month.
Mr Brine served as a health minister between 2017 and 2019, which coincided with Mr Hancock’s time in charge of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Scott Benton last week had the Conservative whip removed after he was caught on camera saying he was prepared to leak market sensitive information to a bogus investment fund
Mr Hancock has sat as an independent MP in the Commons since November after being stripped of the Tory whip over his lucrative appearance on TV’s I’m A Celebrity show, which saw him paid £320,000.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was angered that Mr Hancock went absent from Parliament for a number of weeks in order to appear on the reality show.
In response to the Commissioner’s investigation, a spokesperson for the former health secretary said: ‘Mr Hancock is shocked and surprised by the investigation.
‘Far from lobbying the Commissioner, Matt wrote to Mr Greenberg in good faith to offer some additional evidence that he thought was not only pertinent but helpful for an inquiry the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is currently conducting.
‘It’s clearly a misunderstanding and Matt looks forward to fully engaging with the Commissioner to clear this up.’
Last week, Mr Benton had the Conservative whip removed after he was caught on camera saying he was prepared to leak market sensitive information to a bogus investment fund.
He also offered to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors, who were actually newspaper reporters posing as business representatives, in exchange for payment.
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