Matt Hancock has resigned as Health Secretary after he was caught kissing a close aide in his Whitehall office in early May, in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
Video footage emerged showing Health Secretary Matt Hancock kissing aide Gina Coladangelo in his ministerial office.
University friend Ms Coladangelo was initially taken on by Mr Hancock as an unpaid adviser on a six-month contract in early 2020, before being appointed as a non-executive director at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) later in the year.
Mr Hancock had previously apologised for breaching social distancing guidance and Downing Street had said the matter was “closed” on Friday.
However, his resignation comes amid pressure from several Tory MPs calling for the Cabinet minister to step down.
Conservative MP Duncan Baker was the first on Saturday to confirm he was calling for Mr Hancock to go, while former Cabinet minister Esther McVey said she would resign if in the same position.
In a letter to Boris Johnson, Mr Hancock 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 said: “The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis.
“I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this.
“I also need to be with my children at this time.”
