Simon Stevens
(Picture: Sky News/Screengrab)The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, has given a rather awkward – albeit telling – response when asked during an interview if he believed if Matt Hancock is “hopeless”.
In a video shared on Twitter by Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates, Stevens gives an awkward and silent response when asked about the health secretary’s competence in his job.
“I mean, that is a political question,” Stevens finally says, after about 10 seconds of awkwardly smiling at the camera in silence. One of his aides is heard off camera pointing out that they didn’t agree to the question and says “we’re not really going to answer that”, before the interview is swiftly wrapped up.
NEW #matthancock
— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) June 17, 2021
(And I REALLY suggest you pause and watch this)
In a pool interview Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, reacts to the question ‘Do you believe the Health Secretary hopeless’
🤔🥶😱🔥🤯👁 pic.twitter.com/33rCHkEaw8
This comes just days after Boris Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings leaked several WhatsApp messages between the pair at the start of the pandemic in the UK in March 2020. In one exchange between the two Johnson called Hancock “totally f**king hopeless” for his handling of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Cummings has since retweeted this clip, adding that Stevens would remember the meetings when “Hancock tried to throw him under bus [sic] in Cabinet room over PPE running out.”
S Stevens remembers v well the mtng, as PM recovered in Chequers, when Hancock tried to throw him under bus in Cabinet room over PPE running out, then the CHX... And he knows the Cabinet Secretary told No10: Hancock's claims are false, he's not telling the truth in these mtngs https://t.co/ONYOEkFhTs
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) June 17, 2021
Others agreed that Stevens’ silence spoke volumes.
This from NHS chief Simon Stevens on @MattHancock. Watch his reaction when asked ‘do you believe Matt Hancock is hopeless & do you have confidence in health secretary’ pic.twitter.com/RPONJgcMjU
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) June 17, 2021
The reaction of NHS chief Simon Stevens when @BethRigby asks if Matt Hancock is hopeless.
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 17, 2021
I think we can safely say he agrees with me. pic.twitter.com/8N954UhIrE
Simon Stevens: "Do you believe @MattHancock is hopeless?." A reaction that says it all. @BorisJohnson 🧐 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/pBFWHl0IJo
— The Churchill Project (@WinstonCProject) June 17, 2021
Earlier today Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, was asked if he believes Matt Hancock is useless. Aside from the obvious, “we didn’t agree to this question” (a press officer, not Stevens) is never a wise way to go... pic.twitter.com/XiM3dYG01e
— Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) June 17, 2021
Seems like Simon Stevens practicing what parents across the country teach: if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all https://t.co/2uMZJb7kRM
— Layla Moran 🔶 (@LaylaMoran) June 17, 2021
We all want to see Simon Stevens whats app messages now https://t.co/EQjzPHKKTN
— Justin Madders MP (@justinmadders) June 17, 2021
This is what Sir Simon Stevens, Head of NHS England, said when asked whether he thought Matt Hancock was hopeless.
— NHS Million 💙 (@NHSMillion) June 17, 2021
*Spoiler* he smirks and refuses to deny it.
How on earth has Hancock been left in charge during a pandemic?pic.twitter.com/11SGfL8nKx
Matt Hancock has since insisted that he is “not hopeless” (see below).
But this response from Stevens is unlikely to quash those beliefs amongst the public – even though he didn’t actually say anything.
