Matt Hancock United Nation Africa job offer withdrawn

Matt Hancock giving a thumbs up


Support us and go ad-free

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has seen a United Nations job offer withdrawn.

Failing up then down

Hancock this week announced he had been appointed a special representative to the UN in an unpaid role.

Related articles

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free

The former cabinet minister, who resigned in June after admitting he broke coronavirus restrictions during relations with an aide, said he would be helping African countries to recover from coronavirus (Covid-19). According to Pass Blue, however – an independent organisation covering the UN – the offer will not be taken up by the organisation.

 

The media group quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric saying:

Hancock’s appointment by the UN Economic Commission for Africa is not being taken forward. ECA has advised him of the matter.

Reacting to the reports, Global Justice Now said:

Other people also had opinions:https://twitter.com/MikeDLondon/status/1449320947266228224?s=20

 

The original announcement was criticised as it came on the same day a damning report from MPs was published on how errors and delays by the government and scientific advisers cost lives during the pandemic.

In a letter posted on Twitter by Hancock on 19 October, the under secretary-general of the UN Vera Songwe said that the West Suffolk MP’s “success” in handling the UK’s pandemic response was a testament to the strengths he will bring to the role.

After making the initial announcement on social media, Hancock was congratulated by a host of ministers, including foreign secretary Liz Truss and culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Hancock’s time in the Cabinet was cut short four months ago after leaked CCTV footage showed him kissing an aide, in breach of social distancing rules that he had helped establish as health secretary.

Hancock has been approached for comment.

Support us and go ad-free

We need your help to keep speaking the truth

Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.

Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.

We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.

In return, you get:

* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop

Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.

With your help we can continue:

* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do

We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?

The Canary Support us

Related articles