Former UK Health Secretary Hancock to quit as MP

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday that he will not stand again as an MP at the next general election.

"It's been a huge honour to serve as Member of Parliament for West Suffolk over the past twelve years," Hancock said in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

He was elected Conservative MP for West Suffolk in May 2010. However, in November this year, he was stripped of the Conservative Whip after it emerged that he was joining the reality TV show, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.

"The Conservative Party must now reconnect with 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," he noted.

Being health secretary in Boris Johnson's government during the COVID-19, Hancock was forced to resign from the post in June 2021 as he admitted breaking the COVID-19 rules following the leaked photos showing him kissing his adviser, Gina Coladangelo, in his office.

He also served as culture secretary for six months in Theresa May’s government in 2018.

In the letter, he said he will play his part in the debate about the future of the country and engage with the public in new ways.