A plan by Matt Hancock has been branded an ‘absolute disgrace.’
In leaked Whatsapp messages it appears that Hancock contemplated withholding funding for a learning disability centre.
It would have been an attempt to pressure an MP not to rebel against Covid restrictions.
Senior Tory Sir Jake Berry described the disclosure as an “absolute disgrace”, suggested Mr Hancock had been “drunk on power.”
Warning
The former health secretary and an aide spoke about warning Bury North MP James Daly that a new centre for disabled children and adults would be “off the table” if he voted against the government, according to the Telegraph.
He described the disclosure as an “absolute disgrace.”
Denied
However Matt Hancock’s team said “what’s being accused here never happened” as they disputed the “entirely partial account” of the huge number of Whatsapp messages.
Mr Nixon said they need to “dangle our top asks” over some of the newest MPs who entered Parliament in 2019 through Boris Johnson’s general election victory.
Nixon suggested, for example, “James wants his Learning Disability Hub in Bury – whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that’ll be off the table if he rebels”.
“These guys’ re-election hinges on us in a lot of instances, and we know what they want. We should seriously consider using it IMO,” he wrote. Matt Hancock’s response was “yes 100%”.
1.
This was Jolyon Maughan’s take on it:
2.
Gina Miller wrote: “Accustomed to the daily stories of reprehensible behaviour from Tory MPs/Ministers. But as the mother of a disabled child, today’s story of #MattHancock‘s plan to block funding for disabled children if MP opposed #Lockdowns is appallingly disgusting.”
3.
4.
5.
This might cheer you up…sort of.
Related: Watch: Braverman’s dubious asylum claims also miss elephant in room
