Matt Hancock ‘loses his UN job’ just days after he was offered it – and people don’t have much sympathy

Things are really not going well for Matt Hancock. He had to step down from his role as health secretary in June after video footage surfaced of him kissing his aide while social distancing measures were in place, and then there was the comeback video where he was seen fist-bumping constituents – in scenes compared to the parody character Alan Partridge.

Now, the West Suffolk MP has reportedly lost another job – this time as the special representative on financial innovation and climate change for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

His rather lengthy and new position – which was to be unpaid - was announced by the former cabinet minister on Tuesday, when he wrote on Twitter that he was “honoured” to accept the role working “to help African economy recovery from the pandemic and promote sustainable development”.

A letter from the under-secretary general of the UN, and executive secretary of the ECA, Vera Songwe, was also shared by Hancock but at the time of the announcement, people were unsure whether he was fit for the role.

“Your success on the United Kingdom’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the acceleration of vaccines that has led the UK move faster towards economic recovery is one testament to the strengths that you will bring to this role, together with your fiscal and monetary experience,” it read.

However, the job offer appears to have been short-lived, as PassBlue reported on Friday that the UN had decided not to go ahead with giving him the role. The Telegraph said they understood Hancock was told by the United Nations that it cannot appoint sitting MPs to be special representatives, and that it was forced to rescind the appointment.

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The apparent decision comes after the Commons Health and Social Care and Science and Technology Committees published its report into the “lessons learned” from the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, which criticised a test and trace programme that “took too long to become effective”.

Yet, in a statement to PassBlue, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said: “Mr Hancock’s appointment by the UN Economic Commission for Africa is not being taken forward. ECA has advised him of the matter.”

In a statement to LBC Hancock added: “I was honoured to be approached by the UN and appointed as special representative to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), to help drive forward an agenda of strengthening markets and bringing investment to Africa.

“The UN have written to me to explain that a technical UN rule has subsequently come to light which states that sitting members of parliament cannot also be UN special representatives.

“Since I am committed to continuing to serve as MP for West Suffolk, this means I cannot take up the position.

Of course, Twitter has been unforgiving after the news broke on Saturday:

Indy100 has reached out to Mr Hancock and the UN for comment.