Matt Hancock quitting as MP and wont stand in general election after Im A Celeb drama

2022-12-07

I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! campmate Matt Hancock has announced he will not be standing as an MP in the next general election.

The disgraced former Health Secretary was stripped of the Conservative whip after he opted to enter the jungle in November, whilst still being an active MP for West Suffolk.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Hancock said: "I am writing to tell you that I do not intend to stand for the Conservatives at the next general election."

Mr Hancock went on to claim that he had been assured the whip would be restored in "due course" but stated that this was "now not necessary".

He also said he was "incredibly proud" of "what we achieved" in his nine years in Government. One of the accomplishments he chose to list was "the response to the pandemic".

Mr Hancock concluded his letter by telling the PM the Conservative Party "must now reconnect with the public we serve".

He explained: "There was a time when I thought the only way to influence the public debate was in Parliament, but I've realised there's far more to it than that.

"I have increasingly come to believe that for a healthy democracy we must find new ways to reach people – especially those who are disengaged with politics.

"The revival of modern conservatism over the next decade will I suspect take place as much outside Parliament as in it."

"It has been an honour to serve in Parliament and represent the people of West Suffolk. I will play my part in the debate about the future of our country and engage with the public in new ways."

Mr Hancock's decision to star in ITV's I'm a Celeb last month prompted speculation that he was considering his political future.

In June 2021, he was forced to resign from the Cabinet after breaching his own Covid guidance.

Leaked footage from his office at the Department for Health at the time showed him kissing aide Gina Coladangelo – now his partner.

During his stint on reality TV, he faced major backlash from his fellow contestants with Boy George contemplating leaving the show following his arrival and Chris Moyles admitting that he still had “major issues” with him following his exit.

Following the show's finale, which saw Mr Hancock finish third, he claimed he did not feel ‘bullied’

His decision to call it a day on politics comes as Labour recorded a double-digit lead in the national polls and after the Tories suffered their worst by-election defeat in Chester last week since 1832.

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