Boris Johnson has three times refused to say whether he sacked Matt Hancock after CCTV footage emerged of the former health secretary flouting Covid rules in his Whitehall office.
Under repeated questioning at the Commons Liaison Committee, the prime minister was pressed on the issue — after No 10 originally declared the matter “closed” 24 hours before Mr Hancock offered his resignation.
Quizzed three times by Labour MP Chris Bryant, Mr Johnson repeated his comments made last month after it emerged through leaked footage that Mr Hancock had embraced his aide Gina Coladangelo in his office.
“On your question about Mr Hancock, the former health secretary, let me just go back to what I said many, many times, and I think I said on the floor of the House of Commons,” the prime minister said.
“Which was that we all read about the story concerning Mr Hancock and the CCTV and so forth on I think the Friday, and we had a new health secretary on the Saturday.
He added: “Considering that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, and it’s quite a thing to move your health secretary, Mr Bryant, I think that was quite fast-going if I may say so and that’s all I have to say on that matter.”
Opposition MPs had seized on the apparent decision by the prime minister to stand by his beleaguered health secretary when the story first emerged, as evidence of his poor judgement amid growing anger.
The prime minister’s spokesperson had told reporters that No 10 “considers the matter closed” and accepted the apology issued by Mr Hancock.
However, the following day, as Tory MPs began to publicly call for the health secretary to quit, Mr Hancock announced his decision to quit, reiterating his apology for breaching the guidance, adding he he owed it to the public “to be honest when we have let them down as I have done”.
Labour previously branded Mr Johnson’s comments on the circumstances regarding Mr Hancock’s resignation as an attempt “to rewrite history because he didn’t have the guts” to sack him.
