Former health secretary Matt Hancock is to give evidence at the official Covid-19 inquiry.
He will face a number of questions about his work before the pandemic and the government’s response to the crisis.
Mr Hancock served as health secretary from 9 July 2018 to 26 June 2021 and played a key role in the government’s initial response as the pandemic unfolded.
He became a household name during the crisis and regularly appeared in Downing Street press briefings.
He resigned from his post the day after video footage emerged of him kissing his former aide Gina Coladangelo in his ministerial office during a time of coronavirus social-distancing restrictions.
After his dramatic exit from the front bench, Mr Hancock made the headlines once again when he signed on to feature in the popular ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The ex-minister’s evidence is expected to take up the whole of Thursday’s sitting hours and will run into Friday morning.
It will be the third time Mr Hancock has given evidence to the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry in person.
The official inquiry is currently examining the impact of the pandemic on healthcare across the UK.
It will look into the government and societal response to Covid-19, as well as examining the impact the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients and healthcare workers.
Mr Hancock’s evidence comes as new analysis by the TaxPayers’ Alliance suggests that the inquiry is projected to cost almost £208 million.
The organisation said that this would make it the most expensive statutory inquiry.
Commenting ahead of Mr Hancock’s appearance, Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the TUC, said: “NHS staff put their lives on the line to get us through the pandemic.
“The very least they deserve from Matt Hancock is honesty and accountability.
“The former health secretary must come clean about the readiness and resilience of our health service when Covid struck.
“This inquiry has heard widespread evidence about how compromised the NHS was following years of underfunding.
“Mr Hancock must explain the political decisions he and other ministers took before and during the virus.”
Professor Philip Banfield, chair of council at the British Medical Association, added: “Mr Hancock needs to ditch soundbites and be transparent with the public. He owes this both to the public and to health professionals.
“Only by being honest about the past can we hope to make real changes for the future.”
