Matt Hancock broke government rules by not seeking permission before appearing on I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, a watchdog has ruled.
The former health secretary – already stripped of the Tory whip for flying off to earn a reputed £400,000 in the jungle – failed to consult the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA).
Its chair, former Cabinet minister Eric Pickles tore into Mr Hancock for claiming he did not need to seek permission because many weeks on a reality TV show constituted a ‘one-off’ activity,
“Acoba’s guidance on ‘one-off’ activities is not intended to allow individuals to carry out short-term appointments without seeking advice, or to create a loophole to carry out advisory work,” he has written.
“The Rules are clear that an application is required where individuals plan a series of media activities and it is for Acoba to assess the associated risks.
“As such, failing to seek and await advice before these roles were announced or taken up in this case is a breach of the Government’s rules and the requirements set out in the ministerial code.”
However, Lord Pickles advised Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister, that any further action against Mr Hancock would be “disproportionate”.
The former health secretary is believed to accept that his frontbench career is over and is widely expected to stand down from parliament at the next general election.
Before he leaving the UK, Mr Hancock claimed his appearance on the show would be an opportunity to show the “human side” of MPs, an ally saying: “There are many ways to do the job.”
He also claimed it would provide an “incredible platform” to raise awareness of dyslexia – Mr Hancock was diagnosed at university – but has mentioned the condition only once.
In his letter to Mr Dowden, Lord Pickles said Mr Hancock also failed to consult properly before appearing on Channel 4’s SAS Who Dares Wins.
But he wrote: “It is a matter for you to decide what appropriate action to take.
“However, given the transparent nature of Mr Hancock’s role which is limited to appearing on these shows (not dealing with the commercial aspects of Channel 4 or ITV business) I believe it would be disproportionate to take any further action in this case.”
