the people who are the rules and the people who are setting those rules so matt hancock has done the right thing. my overall rule is he has been an effective secretary of state for health and has made mistakes as everyone has on covid but many people are alive today because of the vaccine roll—out he led and i hope that he will return to government after a decent time interval. we will return to government after a decent time interval.— will return to government after a decent time interval. we have been reflectin: decent time interval. we have been reflecting here _ decent time interval. we have been reflecting here in _ decent time interval. we have been reflecting here in the _ decent time interval. we have been reflecting here in the last _ decent time interval. we have been reflecting here in the last 20 - reflecting here in the last 20 minutes or so about the fact that two conservative mps have come out publicly in the last 2a hours and said they felt he should go. but thatis said they felt he should go. but that is a very small proportion of all conservative mps and there was a broadly radio silence on this topic. i am interested what your take is on why that was the case. you can read the radio silence two ways, there were very, very few tory

mps publicly saying that they supported him. when there was real, after the dominic cummings affair, there were postbag is overflowing with anger that dominic cummings was not following the rules that they were following, that was already happening as soon as sun broke its story yesterday morning and there was enough a lot of chatter going on from tory backbenchers and ministers to the told leadership, saying we're not going to put up with the same thing again, another three orfour, five days of being in the defiance of public opinion on this same kind of public opinion on this same kind of issue. ., ., , ., of issue. therefore he has gone. does this absolutely _ of issue. therefore he has gone. does this absolutely draw - of issue. therefore he has gone. does this absolutely draw a - of issue. therefore he has gone. does this absolutely draw a line | does this absolutely draw a line under it? do you feel, in the public at mind, is this because you are saying it selecting to do, is this it was not as that boil been lanced? i don't know. we have got the sunday

newspapers to look forward to an inverted, is. there may be other angles, that's what downing street fears. the government needs to be much more ruthless when these sorts of issues,. when you begin to look like a government where no one resigns because whatever they do, you begin to undermine the idea that there is integrity in public life. so i'm sad for matt hancock, because he put his all into protecting the public from covid. but he did make this big mistake, it needed to be publicly acknowledged and i hope he rebuilt his career in due course. people talking a lot about our young and ambitious politician so, is your sense that in the fullness of time he will one day be back in the cabinet? i he will one day be back in the cabinet? ., , ., , .,

cabinet? i would put money on it. i think he will— cabinet? i would put money on it. i think he will be _ cabinet? i would put money on it. i think he will be back _ cabinet? i would put money on it. i think he will be back in _ cabinet? i would put money on it. i think he will be back in the - think he will be back in the cabinet, he certainly deserves to be backin cabinet, he certainly deserves to be back in the cabinet. probably in a different role and of course he has resigned because he was in defiance of covid rules. obviously there is the family sadness for two sets of people going on behind the scenes and probably having time to repair that will be good for his own circumstances as well and i wish everyone involved well and some privacy now that he has stepped back from his public role. bier? privacy now that he has stepped back from his public role.— from his public role. very many thanks for— from his public role. very many thanks for your _ from his public role. very many thanks for your immediate - from his public role. very many - thanks for your immediate thoughts. thank you very much. we were talking just 2a hours ago here on bbc news when he said he felt matt hancock should go and now it has happened. if you arejustjoining us here on bbc news, a very good evening. the

news is that matt hancock has resigned in the last few minutes as the health secretary. it follows on from started with the front page of the sun yesterday morning of course. perhaps i thinkjust worth bringing you some of the sentences from his letter to the prime minister in which he does resign. we have worked so hard as a country, the last thing i want is for my private life to interfere... i want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. i also need to be with my children at this time. we own it to be honest when we have let people down as i have done by breaching the guidance. all of that a reference to, we did have an apology yesterday from matt hancock where he apologised for

breaching the social distinction guidelines. that was the apology that we received yesterday as a result of that still photograph, you're probably aware there has been video footage come through as will the cctv camera. further coverage today. i think that a video you have quite possibly seen by now, but that emerged from the newspapers earlier today, i think we can show you that now. i'mjust today, i think we can show you that now. i'm just being told in fact that matt hancock has in fact put his own statement on twitter. that is what has happened, that is what i am healing. let's see if we can listen to that.

i have been to seen the prime minister to resign as secretary of state for health and. i understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made, that you have made, and those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that's why i have got to resign. i want to thank people for their incredible sacrifices and what they have done. everybody working in the nhs, across social care, everyone involved in the vaccine programme and frankly, everybody in this country. who has risen to the challenges that we have seen over this past 18 months. i'm very proud of what we have done to protect the nhs, at the peak, to deliver that vaccine roll—out, one

of the fastest in the world. and i look forward to supporting the government and the prime minister from the backbenches to make sure that we can get out of this pandemic. we are so close to the end and then build back better so that this country can fulfil its potential, which is so great and i will do that with all of my heart. that statement posted on twitter by matt hancock who is no longer health secretary, having been in post throughout the extraordinary year and a half or so that this nation has been living through the coronavirus pandemic. he has indeed stood down a number of conservative mps and others had said he should go. we have certainly had labour and the liberal democrats yesterday saying that he should go and that now finally has happened. maybe 46

errors after the sun had decided to print that photo of him in his parliamentary office with his aid. his letter to the prime minister, reasonably lengthy letter, saying the last thing i would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single—minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis. our health correspondent is with me. these familiar images taken we'rejust with me. these familiar images taken we're just watching, matt hancock from the course of the pandemic that we have all lived through. these extraordinary times. there have been negatives and there have been positives that he would want us to remember is what he has achieved is health secretary? he remember is what he has achieved is health secretary?— health secretary? he set out certain taraets. health secretary? he set out certain targets- you — health secretary? he set out certain targets. you remember _ health secretary? he set out certain targets. you remember he - health secretary? he set out certain targets. you remember he had - health secretary? he set out certain targets. you remember he had that| targets. you remember he had that 100,000 tests a day target that seemed so far off and it did happen. we have had such a mixed record over

the pandemic but right now, the government, this is not what they want us to be talking about. this is the weekend we were supposed to be talking about grab a jar, talking about that final push for vaccinations, and it's all changed, it's all about this and we are at a really, really crucial stage of the pandemic because cases are coming up. overthe pandemic because cases are coming up. over the last week, there has been 98,000 people with new infections. this is not a time that you would ideally want to change health secretary in the middle of the pandemic, nothing relatedness but the he is stepping down. a lot of turmoil at a time we don't need it. �* , ., ., , , , of turmoil at a time we don't need it. are you getting any sense, is it too early to _ it. are you getting any sense, is it too early to think _ it. are you getting any sense, is it too early to think about _ it. are you getting any sense, is it too early to think about who - it. are you getting any sense, is it| too early to think about who might be taking on that role? who would have the experience as you see. questions are being asked, but who knows what they are actually going to decide. one thing people talk

about isjeremy hunt who had that role and he chairs up the health select committee. whether that would even be possible who knows. this is something we have to wait and see but they have to do something very quickly because we are in the middle, hopefully towards the end, but at a crucial stage of this pandemic. but at a crucial stage of this pandemic— but at a crucial stage of this pandemic. but at a crucial stage of this andemic. ,, ._ , �* , pandemic. stay with us, i'm “ust auoin to pandemic. stay with us, i'm “ust going to bring i pandemic. stay with us, i'm “ust going to bring newi pandemic. stay with us, i'mjust going to bring new continuing i going to bring new continuing political reaction to this. we have just... we havejust had something through from the snp�*s westminster leader, a tweet from ian blackford in fact. this is a massive failure of leadership by borisjohnson. matt hancock should have been sacked. in scotland, of course, we will face a choice on our future. we can say goodbye to the chaos and failure of uk leadership. in terms of the key element, this is a failure of leadership by borisjohnson, saying that matt hancock should not have been a question of him resigning,

the prime minister should have been choosing to sack him. in response, to remind you, we have quite a lengthy letter that matt hancock has written to the prime minister as is standard when there is a resignation of this nature. the prime minister in response, worth reminding you what his response is. borisjohnson saying, he is sorry to receive his resignation as health secretary. he said, "matt hancock should leave office very proud of what you have achieved, notjust in tackling the pandemic, but even before covid—19 struck us. i'm gratefulfor your support and i believe that your contribution to public service is far from over." that last line contribution to public service is farfrom over." that last line in terms of the politics of it echoing what we have heard from a number of contributors including for example tim montgomery, conservative in last little while, conservative, commentator who said he believes matt hancock will indeed be back in the cabinet. he says he would happily bet money on that but that

it's absolutely the right thing for him to do to step down right now. let's ask another conservative mp whether they feel this has been the right decision. sir roger gale joined me, mpfor right decision. sir roger gale joined me, mp for north thanet. has he done the right thing? yes. joined me, mp for north thanet. has he done the right thing?— he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely _ he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely the _ he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely the right _ he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely the right thing - he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely the right thing and l he done the right thing? yes, he's an absolutely the right thing and i | an absolutely the right thing and i think he has done the only thing he could do under the circumstances. it's very sad but as downing street says i'm sure he will be back. he has done a very considerable job under very difficult circumstances and i think he deserves credit but the fact of the matter is his position had become untenable. that's also quite clear. specifically because he broke guidelines that he was such a key part of drawing up and enforcing? or for other reasons? the part of drawing up and enforcing? or for other reasons?— part of drawing up and enforcing? or for other reasons? the other reasons are domestic. — for other reasons? the other reasons are domestic. a _ for other reasons? the other reasons are domestic, a matter— for other reasons? the other reasons are domestic, a matter for— for other reasons? the other reasons are domestic, a matter for matt - are domestic, a matterfor matt hancock and his family to resolve.

the fact he broke guidelines he himself had effectively had a hand in setting down i think, expecting others to abide by, made his position untenable. he could not possibly have stood, could he? at a podium with press briefings, from downing street on the pandemic. without expecting and knowing that he was going to get questions only about his behaviour and not about the real issues. so to that extent, his position was untenable and i think he has done the right thing, i wish him well and i hope that in the fullness of time he'll be able to come back. he's a young man and there's no reason why he shouldn't. everything you have outlined there was clear 36 hours ago. shouldn't he have gone then, or as many people are starting to see and we gather that keir starmer is saying this already, and the snp hasjust that keir starmer is saying this already, and the snp has just set it, that actually boris johnson should have sacked him? mrjohnson

is not the kind _ should have sacked him? mrjohnson is not the kind of— should have sacked him? mrjohnson is not the kind of prime _ should have sacked him? mrjohnson is not the kind of prime minister- is not the kind of prime minister that tends to sack people. he does stand by the people he appoints. perhaps sometimes unwisely. most certainly in the case of dominic cummings. it might have been clear with hindsight but the pressures were considerable, we don't know what conversations took place between matt hancock and the prime minister, whether the prime minister asked him to stay. but i think those of us who have been around the block for a bit recognise the writing was on the wall and i'm quite sure matt hancock recognise that as well. he could have taken the decision earlier, but he has taken the right decision and i hope that he and his family will now be able to move forward. ., family will now be able to move forward. . ., , forward. retaining, the image this ortra s, forward. retaining, the image this portrays. the _ forward. retaining, the image this portrays, the mood _ forward. retaining, the image this portrays, the mood music - forward. retaining, the image this portrays, the mood music of - forward. retaining, the image this portrays, the mood music of this l forward. retaining, the image this| portrays, the mood music of this is grim, isn't it? this is the weekend

we have had the government highlighting grab ajab, we have had the government highlighting grab a jab, really doing that final push to get vaccination numbers up, opening centres up and down the country so you can just walk up, have a jab without making an appointment, that's surely what people should be thinking and talking about and not this? �* ., , , , thinking and talking about and not this?�* ,~ ., thinking and talking about and not this? �* ,~ ., ., this? i'm absently certain it would be one of the _ this? i'm absently certain it would be one of the considerations - this? i'm absently certain it would be one of the considerations matt| be one of the considerations matt hancock has taken into account. once you become part of a story, rather than dictating the story, then you have to go. and i'm quite sure that matt is not stupid, he's very bright, he will have recognise that and he will have told the prime minister this was untenable and the prime minister will have accepted his resignation on those terms and that's the right thing to have happened. we don't need the distraction. the person who occupies the position at the moment of secretary of state for health has a very, very big job to do indeed. it's one that matters. i'm quite

sure matt hancock