Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Matt Hancock broke ministerial code over family firm given NHS contract

Matt Hancock broke ministerial code over family firm given NHS contract

Health secretary breached code ‘in technical terms’, new adviser on standards concludes
Matt Hancock broke the ministerial code by failing to declare a stake in a family company that won an NHS contract. A “technical” oversight by the health secretary was uncovered by Christopher Geidt, the government’s new adviser on ministerial standards, who also said Boris Johnson acted “unwisely” over the funding of renovations to his Downing Street flat.

While the prime minister was cleared of having broken the ministerial code, Hancock was found by Lord Geidt to have broken it – albeit it “in technical terms” and only in a “minor” way.

Questions were raised about Hancock’s register of interests, given that his sister and brother-in-law run a company called Topwood Ltd in which the health secretary has a 20% stake. The firm won a contract with NHS Shared Business Services Ltd in 2019, but he did not immediately declare his interest.

This prompted criticism from Labour that the Conservative government was “infected with widespread cronyism”, though a government spokesperson insisted last month that Hancock had “acted entirely properly”.

Geidt said there was a danger people might perceive Hancock’s link to the firm to represent a conflict of interest and that it should have been declared at the time. But this did not occur, because of the health secretary’s “lack of knowledge” about the contract being awarded and it was “in no way deliberate”, Geidt found.

Hancock, who is already fighting to salvage his reputation after Dominic Cummings accused him of “criminal” behaviour and repeated lies in the handling of the Covid pandemic, was judged by Geidt to have acted “with integrity”, so the finding should “in no way impugn his good character or ministerial record”.

A spokesperson for the health secretary said the ministerial code breach was “only … technical in nature” and his interests were “declared diligently”, but said he accepted Geidt’s finding. Hancock has denied Cummings’ claims.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×