Liz Truss’s career is ‘over’, Matt Hancock tells I’m a Celebrity campmates
Former health secretary was pretty damning about former PM
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Matt Hancock shared his honest views on Liz Truss ‘s “political career” on I’m a Celebrity... Ge Me Out of Here.
The former health secretary for the Conservative Party has faced candid questions from his fellow campmates since the show started earlier this month.
While the majority of these queries have regarded his handling of the pandemic, as well as the controversy regarding the lockdown rule he broke, on Tuesday night’s episode (15 November), the subject of his Tory colleagues arose.
When Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver asked Hancock “what went wrong” with Truss, who resigned as prime minister after just 45 days in office, he replied: “In a way, they were unlucky in that globally interest rates all went up, just at the time that they were also bringing in a financial statement where you say, ‘We’re going to do all these expensive things and we’re not going to say how we’re going to pay for them.’
Cleaver then asked Hancock: “Where does that leave her now?” to which he replied: “Her political career is over. Totally finished. No ambiguity at all.”
Newsreader and Loose Women presenter Charlene White wondered why Tory Party members “went for the less experienced” Truss, who was originally selected to replace Boris Johnson over Rishi Sunak.
“I think that’s all about how Boris got kicked out,” Hancock said, adding: “It was all about people seeing Rishi as wielding the knife against Boris.” He also shared a text message he sent Johnson in the wake of Truss’s resignation.
Hancock also took umbrage with White’s assessment that these Tory Party members “punished the entire country by putting someone in place who was less experienced”.
He said: “That implies a malign motive, which isn’t fair. But they definitely put the disloyalty to Boris as a negative.”
White told producer sin the Bushtucker Telegraph that grilling Hancock on the subject of politics was “sport”.
Last week, Hancock tearfully told his campmates that he was “looking for forgiveness” for breaking his own lockdown rules during the pandemic. While the majority of his co-stars supported him, DJ Chris Moyles expressed wariness.
I’m a Celebrity continues nightly on ITV1 at 9pm.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments