In a statement, Hancock said he violated the distancing rules in this case and apologized “because I’ve disappointed people.” He also asks for privacy for his family and says he wants to keep working to get the country out of the pandemic.
Coladangelo has not yet responded to the revelation of the affair. The two would have known each other since the beginning of this century, when they both studied at Oxford.
By the book?
Opposition Labor Party wants to know from the Johnson government whether the appointment of Coladangelo went according to the book. Hancock does not elaborate on this in his statement. A spokesperson for his department said all procedures were followed when she was appointed.
Coladangelo has been employed by Public Health since September as a so-called non-executive director. The advisory function includes according to the BBC about fifteen to twenty working days a year, for which she is paid 15,000 pounds (17,500 euros).
Hancock’s position has been weakened lately. That is mainly at the hands of the former top adviser to Prime Minister Johnson, Dominic Cummings. He published last week apps from Johnson in which he calls Hancock damn hopeless. Johnson later said that Hancock still has full confidence.
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