British minister apologizes after revealing his relationship with his assistant

Hancock said in a statement that he violated social distancing rules in this case and apologized “because I disappointed people.” He also asks about privacy for his family and says he wants to continue working to get the country out of the pandemic.

Coladangelo has not yet responded to the disclosure of the case. The two had known each other since the beginning of this century, when they both studied at Oxford.

By the book?

The opposition Labor Party wants to know from Johnson’s government if Coladangelo’s appointment was made according to the book. Hancock did not elaborate on this in his statement. A spokesman for his department said all procedures were followed upon her appointment.

Coladangelo has been appointed to Public Health since September as a non-executive director. According to the BBC, a consulting job involves about fifteen to twenty working days per year, and is paid £15,000 (€17,500).

Hancock’s position has been weakened recently. This was done by former Prime Minister Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings. Last week, he posted apps from Johnson in which he called Hancock hopeless. Johnson later said that Hancock still had complete confidence.