BREAKING: Matt Hancock makes major announcement regarding his future

BREAKING: Matt Hancock makes major announcement regarding his future

Image: I T S/Shutterstock.com

FRESH off of his appearance on I’m a Celebrity ‘Get Me Out of Here’, Matt Hancock has made a major announcement regarding his future.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, December 7, Matt Hancock made a major announcement regarding his future in the Conservative party.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has said he will not stand for the Conservatives in the next general election.

He tweeted: “My letter to the Prime Minister 👇

“I look forward to exploring new ways to communicate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds.”

In his letter to Rishi Sunak, he wrote: “I am writing to tell you that I do not intend to stand for the Conservatives at the next General Election.

“I am very grateful for my conversation with the Chief Whip last week, in which he made clear he would restore the whip in due course, but that is now not necessary.

“It has been a huge honour to serve as Member of Parliament for West Suffolk over the past twelve years. I am very proud of what we achieved, including the establishment of three

“Free Schools, dualling of the All, supporting the horseracing industry, and expanding Newmarket Hospital. I will of course continue to represent all my constituents between now and the next election.

“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved in my nine years in Government: the massive expansion of Apprenticeships, the introduction of Traineeships, support for small and growing businesses, the digitisation of public services and starting to establish rules for the digital economy, restoring the nation’s finances, support for the NHS with record numbers of doctors and nurses, and of course the response to the pandemic: the first vaccine in the world, and a shorter lockdown, fewer jobs lost, and lower mortality than comparable countries.

“I am incredibly grateful for the loyal members of my team in Suffolk, in Parliament, in Government, and in the NHS who helped make all this possible. I am proud to have supported you to become Prime Minister and wish you the best in facing the challenges ahead.

“The Conservative Party must now reconnect with the public we serve. 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.

“For my part, I want to do things differently. I have discovered a whole new world of possibilities which I am excited to explore – new ways for me to communicate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds. I look forward to championing the issues that are dear to my heart, including better support for dyslexic children who get a raw deal from the education system.

“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.”

At the end of November, former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik predicted the potential reason that Matt Hancock may move away from politics after his I’m a Celeb appearance – and third place finish.

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News on November 28, Opik said Mr Hancock had an important decision to make between being a celebrity or a politician – because he couldn’t do both.

He said: “I’m sure he is a competent politician. The general impression I get is he is regarded as smart, and I am sure people will say, ‘why didn’t we see this Matt Hancock before he went into the jungle?’

“In terms of celebrity, he needs to work out whether he has the fizz, the charisma, to be a celebrity. Michael Portillo was an unlikely celebrity, but he did well. You could say the same thing about Ann Widdecombe – they are both household names now.

“If Matt decides to go into celebrity, he will be in the Portillo mold, I think. He’s got the intelligence to do it but it is a strange career, there is a certain superficiality that goes with it. That might be something that Matt finds frustrating.”

Mr Opik then predicted that there could be a “legitimate reason” that Mr Hancock may decide to move away from politics.

“He needs to decide which direction he wants to go,” he explained. “Maybe he’s made a calculation and believes that the Tories can’t win the next election, and doesn’t want to spend seven years on the back bench.

“That could be a legitimate reason to try something else.”


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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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