For his latest trick, Matt Hancock has joined reality TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and has been suspended from the Tory party for his trouble.
Hancock, MP for West Suffolk and a former health secretary, has lost the whip after joining the show while Parliament is sitting, with Tory chief whip Simon Hart saying: “I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
It’s fair to say the move hasn’t been greeted warmly across the board. Speaking to the Press Association, Andy Drummond, deputy chairman of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said: “I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me. You can quote me on that.”
Hancock’s fellow jungle-mates will reportedly include former England rugby player and Royal spouse Mike Tindall, married to the King’s niece, Zara, as well as Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver, reality TV star Olivia Attwood, radio DJ Chris Moyles and Loose Women presenter Charlene White. If Hancock survives early elimination, he could spend around a month in the Australian jungle.
According to sources close to Hancock, it seems the MP has lost all hope for the future of his political career, with one saying: “Matt doesn’t expect to serve in government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12 million Brits who tune in every single night.”
The source added that Hancock is hoping to use the platform to promote his dyslexia campaign.
