Matt Hancock loses the whip after joining I’m A Celebrity

Swapping a swanky suit for khaki’s and a boonie hat, Matt Hancock’s appearance on ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ has lost him the Conservative whip.

The politician, who had to resign after being found to have broken lockdown rules after kissing his aide Gina Coladangel in the office, will be the 12th star to enter the jungle.

News that the former health secretary had lost the whip followed shortly after it was announced that he would appear on the reality TV show.

Simon Hart, the government Chief Whip, said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
Hancock reportedly told Mr Hart that he would use his time in the jungle to promote his dyslexia campaign.
This is not the first time that a political figure has lost the whip in exchange for a jungle appearance. The same thing happened to his colleague Nadine Dorries when she appeared on I’m a Celeb in 2012, albeit she was readmitted to the parliamentary party not long after.

Mr Hancock is the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.

He has already received criticism for the move, with the Labour MP, Taiwo Owatemi tweeting, “It seems Conservative MPs would rather travel to the other side of the world to hide in a jungle, than represent their constituents during the worst cost of living crisis in memory”.

Mr Hancock has also been attacked by the Taxpayers Alliance, with Joe Ventre of the campaign group saying, “This grubby spectacle will leave a bad taste in the mouths of his constituents, who will have no one representing them for the fortnight he is off pursuing his TV career.  Hancock shouldn’t be entitled to a penny of taxpayers’ money in salary or expenses while he’s living it large in the jungle.”

Mr Hancock is also publishing a book documenting his time in government presiding over the Covid-19 crisis. His book, Pandemic Diaries, set to be published on December 6.  Mr Hancock will now be away from the UK at the time that the official Covid inquiry gets under way.
As part of his wider moves into reality TV, Mr Hancock is already rumoured to be in the line-up for the next series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, according to reports.