Over the past few months, Matt Hancock has been seeking forgiveness for his rule-breaking affair during the pandemic. And the former-health-secretary-turned-reality-TV-star has been pursuing redemption in some strange places. He’s been buried six feet underground with snakes; covered in slime, frogs and spiders; and dared to ask the harshest audience these days – the public – to ‘please forgive me’ in a sit-down interview with the Daily Mail ahead of the release of his new book.
Hancock is not asking, but begging, to be forgiven. And today’s news is certainly his most serious plea to date. Writing to the Prime Minister (and TikToking), Hancock has announced he will be standing down at the next election to discover ‘a whole new world of possibilities.’
Cynics have pointed out that the timing missed Monday’s deadline for standing, perhaps to conveniently time up with the release of his book. I suspect something slightly more gut-wrenching has occurred.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in