yes, if i may say i so, we have had the barnard castle moment.nderfire from parents, perhaps unsurprisingly, and it seems that many of them would like to see a rule change. they are casting their minds to come if one can say, after a holiday, or certainly a staycation, most likely, to september, when their loved ones are going to be going back to school. and so it seems that teachers, parents and politicians are starting to question whether keeping thousands of children off school to guard against covid infections is in fact the right policy, whether it is justified, and here in the ft, we have this figure of, for last week, it shows that wall 214,000 children were often england self isolating, only 9000 had confirmed cases —— off in england. and then one can refer, for example, i can take of anecdotal evidence, some of the i know, who having abided religiously by all the rules of that discovered three, four weeks ago that her children, two out of three children, of hers had got the delta variant and was really worried about this. and of course t

his chief aide back in the summer of last year broke rules when he went to barnard castle.trast to now, and quite strong backing from members of the cabinet who tweeted their support for him. borisjohnson their support for him. boris johnson does their support for him. borisjohnson does not want to sack people. it does not want to sack people. it does not want to sack people. it does not really like disruption within his top team and they were prepared to try to stick this out. in terms of legacy, we call it that, the vaccination programme has been an enormous success and he will want to be remembered for that and that is why some people will and have supported him. he is why some people will and have sunported him-— supported him. he was health secretary during _ supported him. he was health secretary during a _ secretary during a once—in—a—lifetime pandemic. an extraordinary thing he could never have expected when he was appointed in 2018 by theresa may and he was grilled in front of a select committee to three weeks ago following on from dominic cummings appearance at th

the story was getting cut through, as tim montgomerie said, when the barnard castle story got througheople's patient is sitting on that. what was also interesting is the whip �*s office was getting inundated with messages from backbench tory mps who are starting to get those e—mails into their constituency and boxes, and i think tim is right. numberten constituency and boxes, and i think tim is right. number ten could see the writing on the wall. what i think is really interesting is that the judgment of the prime minister was off on this because remember, yesterday, we were told it was case closed. matt hancock would keep his job. nothing to see here. everybody move on. and what i think that's an interesting glimpse into, i think the sort of prime minister's judgment on this, as it was with dominic cummings, isjust judgment on this, as it was with dominic cummings, is just sort of slightly off. you know when something doesn't pass the public smell test, and is clearly didn't. but i think borisjohnson would have kept it. it has been briefed out that matt hancock resigned of his own vo

the fear among some conservatives is that this could become another barnard castle — a reference to thec backlash when the prime minister's former aide, dominic cummings, kept his job after travelling to county durham during lockdown. on matt hancock, most tories are staying silent. but a couple have made public calls for him to resign. social distancing rule—breaking when you're a leader, certainly of the secretary of state, you expect as all mps to lead by example. that has been broken. but, equally, ithink sometimes the standards in public office also, in this case, we need to question them. questions are still being asked about whether mr hancock could have broken the ministerial code of conduct, and about the appointment of gina coladangelo to a role on the board at the department of health. downing street sources reiterated today that the prime minister considers the matter closed. matt has apologised. he's clearly said that he made a mistake. he regrets that, and the prime minister's accepted that, considers the matter closed. very clearly, there is still a huge task for the coun

people of the very controversial affair last year involving dominic cummings and his trip to the barnard castle the public will tolerate a lot but with covid, they will not tolerate hypocrisy from the people making the rules, lecturing other people about the rules but then breaking the rules themselves.— but then breaking the rules themselves. ., ., themselves. matt hancock made that point. _ themselves. matt hancock made that point. did — themselves. matt hancock made that point, did he? _ themselves. matt hancock made that point, did he? it _ themselves. matt hancock made that point, did he? it is - themselves. matt hancock made that point, did he? it is about. that point, did he? it is about sticking to the rules that you declare command that is so live now as to watch the delta variant spreading covert i9 variant spreading covert 19 cases rising again.- cases rising again. yes, absolutely. _ cases rising again. yes, absolutely. even - cases rising again. yes, | absolutely. even though cases rising again. yes, - absolutely. even though the vaccination programme has been going well and the co

cummings, orthe be it barnard castle and dominic cummings, or the issues around ppe and perhaps eveny from being monopolised by covid, once people start to think about normal things, if you like, will their attention and then turn to the cumulative effect of these incidents and will that have a lasting impact? it is a long way off, the point is we just do not know. long way off, the point is we 'ust do not know.�* do not know. what is the significance _ do not know. what is the significance of _ do not know. what is the significance of the i do not know. what is the significance of the timing do not know. what is the i significance of the timing of the response, the apology from matt hancock and the backing of the prime minister, so quickly after this story started to emerge? theo;r story started to emerge? they clearly want — story started to emerge? they clearly want to _ story started to emerge? they clearly want to present - story started to emerge? they clearly want to present this, i story started to emerge? tue: clearly want to present this, the government, is a personal matte

the worry among some conservatives is that this incident could become another barnard castle — a reference backlash to the prime minister's aide dominic cummings, who travelled to durham during lockdown last year. he kept hisjob, which led to accusations of a one rule for them, another for everyone else culture within government. it is such a disrespect - to these people, you know? 150,000+ people have died, i so there are countless bereaved families around the country who had to socially distance at funerals, - were unable to hug their loved ones. we only had five people at my dad's funeral, - |and matt hancock's having a jolly| with this lady, who the taxpayer's paying her wages as well. it's really... it adds insult to incredible injury. - questions are still being asked about whether mr hancock could have broken the ministerial code of conduct, and about the appointment of gina coladangelo to a role on the board of the department of health. downing street sources reiterated today that the prime minister considers the matter closed. matt has apologised. he's clearly said that he made a

conservatives is that this incident - conservatives is that this incident could become another barnard castlence to dominic cummings who travelled to durham during lockdown last year. he kept hisjob, which led to accusations of a one rule for them, one rule for everyone else culture in government. it is them, one rule for everyone else culture in government.— them, one rule for everyone else culture in government. it is such a disrespect — culture in government. it is such a disrespect to _ culture in government. it is such a disrespect to hundred _ culture in government. it is such a disrespect to hundred and - culture in government. it is such a disrespect to hundred and 50,000 plus pe0ple — disrespect to hundred and 50,000 plus pe0ple who— disrespect to hundred and 50,000 plus people who have _ disrespect to hundred and 50,000 plus people who have died - disrespect to hundred and 50,000 plus people who have died and - disrespect to hundred and 50,000i plus people who have died and the families_ plus people who have died and the families around _ plus people who have died and the families a

did you learn nothing from the barnard castle incident?ant to do. so just very surprised both that he did not immediately, matt hancock, realised that he would have to resign, and then the prime minister was telling then the prime minister was telling the press this matter was closed. i can't work out whether they were being audacious or whether they can just say it will go away. interesting you mention the fact that these are notjust interesting you mention the fact that these are not just advisory, they are the law. the metro is reporting that matt hancock is being reported to the police, whether that will lead to any formal action is another matter but it prompts police investigation. there were suggestions there was some kind of police investigation over dominic cummings although he said he hadn't been spoken to by the police and of the catherine calderwood case in scotland when police had words with her as a result of travelling when she should not have done and she resigned as the scottish chief medical officer. caroline, on this que

when dominic cummings went to barnard castle, they got— cummings went to barnard castle, they got a — has johnson tends to stand by people who are under fire he has appointed, there _ are under fire he has appointed, there was— are under fire he has appointed, there was a _ are under fire he has appointed, there was a big backlash against dominic— there was a big backlash against dominic cummings last year, tory mps telling _ dominic cummings last year, tory mps telling him _ dominic cummings last year, tory mps telling him to sack him. we know he did not _ telling him to sack him. we know he did not it _ telling him to sack him. we know he did not. it will be interesting to see what— did not. it will be interesting to see what happens in terms of his future _ see what happens in terms of his future the — see what happens in terms of his future. the interesting thing will be future. the interesting thing will he that— future. the interesting thing will be that the big differences he is an elected _ be that the big differences he is an elected mp, a member of the conservative party and

when you go back you actually defended dominic cummings at the time of the barnard castle thing.e ever been and we have been able to do that faster than almost anywhere else on earth and i think that the whole team should be very, very proud of that. i}!(. that the whole team should be very, very proud of that.— very proud of that. ok. health secretary. _ very proud of that. ok. health secretary. i — very proud of that. ok. health secretary, i know _ very proud of that. ok. health secretary, i know you - very proud of that. ok. health secretary, i know you have i very proud of that. ok. health i secretary, i know you have spent a lot of time with us this morning. thank you, i know some of those questions were uncomfortable but i appreciate your time answering them. thank you very much, matt hancock. thank you very much, matt hancock. thank you. taste thank you very much, matt hancock. thank ou. ~ . thank you very much, matt hancock. thank ou. ~ , . ~ thank you very much, matt hancock. thank ou. ~ , . ,, ., thank you. we will be back on the roof of coventry _ thank you. we will be