Cummings allegations: Nick Ferrari questions minister over fate of Matt Hancock

27 May 2021, 10:01

Nick Ferrari grills Jenrick over the fate of Matt Hancock

Nick Ferrari questions Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick over the fate of Health Secretary Matt Hancock, after the damning allegations made against him by Dominic Cummings.

Former chief adviser Mr Cummings appeared before ministers to give evidence regarding the Government's early handling of the pandemic and made multiple explosive claims.

He told the panel that Matt Hancock is guilty of “criminal, disgraceful behaviour” that cost lives, including allegedly lying about care home Covid tests, and said he should have been sacked.

Cummings said: "Like in much of the Government system, there were many brilliant people at relatively junior and middle levels who were terribly let down by senior leadership.

"I think the Secretary of State for Health should've been fired for at least 15, 20 things, including lying to everybody on multiple occasions in meeting after meeting in the Cabinet room and publicly."

Nick Ferrari, reflecting on these statements, asked Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick: "He can't stay in post, can he? He lied about the policy in care homes."

"The Health Secretary has already refuted those allegations," Mr Jenrick responded, "he's going to come before Parliament later today to answer for himself."

Read more: Boris Johnson 'unfit for the job' as Prime Minister, Cummings says

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Nick questioned whether Mr Jenrick had full confidence in Matt Hancock, to which he replied: "I know Matt Hancock well, I've worked with him, he's worked unbelievably hard over the course of the last year and he's going to come before Parliament on two occasions to answer these questions himself.

"I'm sure he'll be putting forward a robust defence of those allegations.

"The Department of Health worked incredibly hard, as of course did the NHS, and many things like the vaccine programme are demonstrably very successful."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will also be holding a press conference in response to Dominic Cummings, which you can watch live on Global Player, on the LBC website, on Twitter and on Facebook.

Read more: Hancock to face MPs after Cummings' claim he should have been sacked