Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock could get a £16,000 payout after quitting when pictures of him in a passionate clinch with an aide surfaced.
The married politician, 42, said ‘people who make these rules have got to stick by them’ on Saturday after being filmed breaking the social distancing rules he set.
Ministers under 65 years old who leave their office – whether they are sacked or step down – are eligible to a quarter of their annual ministerial salary under the 1991 Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act.
The salary for a Secretary of State is £67,505 – meaning Mr Hancock could be in line for a £16,876 payday. It remains unknown if he will accept it.
This information may only become clear when severance payouts are published in annual parliamentary accounts next summer.
Mr Hancock initially refused to resign, with boss Boris Johnson insisting he had accepted his apology and considered the matter closed.
But in a letter to the prime minister on Saturday afternoon, the Conservative MP said the Government ‘owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down’.
He is said to have told his wife of 15 years their marriage was ‘over’ after learning pictures of him kissing married Gina Coladangelo would hit the front pages.
The dad-of-three woke his youngest child to say he was leaving, The Sunday Times reports.
Wife, Martha, 44, thought their relationship was ‘happy’ and ‘stable’ – but he will now ‘set up home’ with Ms Coladangelo, according to the newspaper.
Mr Johnson has been accused of a ‘failure of leadership for not firing Mr Hancock.
In response to the resignation, he wrote: ‘You should leave office very proud of what you have achieved – not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Matt Hancock is right to resign. But Boris Johnson should have sacked him.’
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey added: ‘Matt Hancock’s legacy as Health Secretary will be one of cronyism and failure.
‘And the fact that Boris Johnson thought Hancock could just carry on regardless brings the Prime Minister’s judgement into question once again.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted the Department of Health for comment.
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