Matt Hancock 'repeatedly failed to tell the truth' to ministers and officials ... trends now
Matt Hancock insisted things were 'absolutely fine' when they were 'very, very far from fine' during the Covid crisis, the inquiry into the pandemic heard today.
The ex-health secretary, who has become a reality TV star since exiting frontline politics, was slated for his 'nuclear levels of confidence' and revealed to be widely seen as 'untruthful' across Whitehall when he was in post.
Helen MacNamara, who was one of Britain's highest-ranking officials during Covid, offered a disparaging view of Mr Hancock when she appeared before the inquiry this morning.
She even described, during one bizarre incident, how Mr Hancock imitated being a cricket batsman at the height of the pandemic and told her: 'They bowl them at me, I knock them away.'
Ms MacNamara's evidence to the inquiry came after Mr Hancock was revealed to have been branded a 'c***' and a 'proven liar who nobody believes' in foul-mouthed WhatsApp messages sent by former No10 aide Dominic Cummings.
Helen MacNamara, who was one of Britain's highest-ranking officials during Covid, offered a disparaging view of Matt Hancock when she appeared before the inquiry this morning
The ex-health secretary was slated for his 'nuclear levels of confidence' and revealed to be widely seen as 'untruthful' across Whitehall when he was in post
Ms MacNamara described how Mr Hancock imitated being a cricket batsman at the height of the pandemic and told her: 'They bowl them at me, I knock them away.'
Appearing before the committee today, Ms MacNamara - the former deputy cabinet secretary - said there was a 'pattern' of 'being reassured that something was absolutely fine' by Mr Hancock before discovering it was 'very, very far from fine'.
She said the ex-health secretary 'time and time again' without 'any ambiguity' told fellow Cabinet ministers that plans were in place during the pandemic, which did not turn out to be the case.
Counsel to the inquiry Andrew O'Connor KC asked: 'Would it be fair to say you were surprised, let down, when you realised that what he had said wasn't actually true?'
'I was surprised, yes,' Ms MacNamara replied.
In her witness statement to the inquiry, the former top official was revealed to have said the 'the usual systems of governance in Whitehall rely on people being truthful' and suggested that people working in Government did not trust Mr Hancock.
Asked whether she believed Mr Hancock was not saying things that were true, she
