It also comes in the middle of a pandemic and on top of NHS contracts being awarded to his sister's company in which he is a 20 per cent shareholder and various legal cases running about the legality of billions of pounds in single-bidder PPE contracts from the NHS given out to supporters of the Tory party.
Any one of these would have been immediately career ending under Margaret Thatcher.
The aide, Gina Coladangelo, is a friend of Hancock's from university days who is a communications director at Oliver Bonas, a company founded by her husband, as well as being director and a major shareholder of the London-based lobbying and public relations firm Luther Pendragon. She was appointed as a non-executive director at the department of health in September, meaning she is a member of the NHS board and apparently sits alongside top experts including chief medical officer Chris Whitty. She is reportedly a millionaire.
Hancock has apologised. In a statement he said:
"I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances. I have let people down and am very sorry. I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."
Johnson has accepted the apology and now considers the issue 'closed' - some hope.
The prime minister has a problem. He can hardly fire Hancock for having an affair or breaking the ministerial code since he has done both of these things himself and several people have suggested he may not want to sack the health secretary for fear of what Hancock might reveal about Johnson.
It is not unlike the problem Vladimir Putin has in that the scale of corruption and wrong doing is now so widespread that all the men and women involved - i.e. the entire cabinet - are locked into it, with everybody living in fear of having their own transgressions, faults, chaotic policy missteps and all-round incompetence put into the public domain.
And even if Johnson does sack Hancock as many believe he must, who does he bring into the cabinet? Even in today's Conservative party there must be a limited supply of potential ministers without integrity, scruples, morals or competence. Nobody with an ounce of self-respect would serve in a Johnson cabinet, would they?
Even dedicated Tory supporters like Conservative Home founder Tim Montgomerie is exasperated by it all:
For goodness’ sake will any Conservative minister resign after they’ve done the wrong thing? Ever?
— Tim Montgomerie 🇬🇧 (@montie) June 25, 2021
Will anyone set an example?
Reporters at the lobby briefing later yesterday were once again treated to a lot of stonewalling by his spokesman (or woman) according to Nigel Morris, political editor of the i newspaper:
Pathetic lobby briefing by Downing St: Repeatedly says PM has accepted Hancock apology and considers matter closed, but refused to say whether he broke the law - or give more details of Coldangelo's appointment to DHSC post. The 'nothing to see here' argument simply won't wash
— Nigel Morris (@NigelpMorris) June 25, 2021
This looks like pure arrogance to me as if they think they can get away with anything. There is a pressure starting to build on Johnson. He has made a lot of mistakes - beginning with his 2016 decision to support Vote Leave - which have so far cost little politically but each one is being stored up behind a great dam which is now showing signs of starting to crack.
Once it goes, with Hancock looking like being the first through the breach, others must follow. If Johnson, or any other cabinet minister, ever admits the ministerial code actually means something they are all at risk and so they will resist it until the whole shoddy structure is swept away.
That day cannot come soon enough.
