London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 20, 2026

Matt Hancock whisked mistress aide Gina away on romantic G7 summit break after claims he was ‘sh**ging on taxpayer cash’

Matt Hancock is set to face fresh questions over whether he was "sh**ging on taxpayer cash" amid claims he took his mistress to the G7 health summit.
The former Health Secretary, who sensationally stepped down last night after The Sun exposed his romance with Gina Coladangelo, reportedly took the aide with him to Oxford.

It's not known if the pair stayed together.

However, Hancock slept at a luxury hotel, all paid for by Brits, in the city where he and his lover first met at university students two decades ago.

It's understood the Prime Minister had no idea of claims his minister had invited married Mrs Coladangelo to the city on June 3 and 4, the Sunday Times reports.


Hancock - dubbed "puritan-in-chief" for his militant stance on couples from separate households meeting up during lockdown - reportedly told Martha, his wife of 15 years, he would be leaving her on Thursday.

He apparently sat the mother of his three children down hours before this paper printed images of his clinch with Mrs Coladangelo.

And he initially appeared grimly determined to cling onto his job, despite the fury of millions of Brits who complied with his coronavirus laws to the letter.

But last night, Hancock bowed to public pressure - and announced he will step down from the role, despite the PM's backing.

Shockwaves from the affair, which he claims began in May, continue to ring out today.

And it's now been reported that senior Government figures have raised concerns that the couple pursued their liaison at public expense.

Two sources say that Mrs Coladangelo accompanied him to a meeting of G7 health ministers earlier this month, an event that involved a dinner and an overnight stay.

There is no evidence the pair stayed in the same room, although the event was four weeks after their now-notorious kiss, which happened as he ordered Brits not to hug their loved ones.

One cabinet source told the paper: “She went with him to the G7 health ministers’ summit.

"Did he disclose this to the PM? If it was shown he was sh**ging on the taxpayer he had to go.

"He’s been puritan-in-chief in the Government and now it turns out he’s a massive, lying hypocrite.”

Hancock groped his mistress at work on May 6 - while millions went without seeing or touching their loved ones.

And while he reportedly told Boris Johnson the affair began that month, it's claimed Mrs Coladangelo was confronted over a possible romance with him two years ago.

The ex Health Secretary's lover was 'gently questioned' back in 2019, but insisted nothing was going on, according to reports.

The pair are understood to be hoping to make a life together, with allies insisting it's "more than a fling" and Hancock is "serious" about it.

One friend has revealed: "Matt and Gina are in love" - and while the relationship started just last month, "it is serious.”

Mrs Coladangelo is married to millionaire entrepreneur Oliver Tress, 54, who founded the High Street fashion and lifestyle chain Oliver Bonas.

They live in a £4million, six-bedroom Edwardian home.

It's understood he's been left devastated - and his wife was pictured packing up her car after she was told her affair would be exposed.

A friend of Mr Tress told the Mail on Sunday: "I imagine he is just falling apart over this.

"He had no idea that this was happening. He trusted them both."

Meanwhile, Martha, who has maintained a dignified silence, has been seen out wearing her wedding ring since the scandal broke.

Former Chancellor and Home Secretary Sajid Javid will replace Matt Hancock as Health Secretary, Downing Street announced.

He smiled as he greeted press outside his home this morning, and told reporters: "I think Matt Hancock worked incredibly hard, he achieved a lot, and I'm sure he will have more to offer in public life.

"I was honoured to take up his position. I also know it comes with huge responsibility and I will do everything I can to make sure I deliver for the people of this great country."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9 Percent as Energy Costs Threaten Economic Recovery
NHS Hospitals Cancel Surgeries as Extreme Heat Pushes Ward Temperatures Above 40 Degrees Celsius
UK Heatwave Forces Emergency Measures as Wildfire Risk, Hospital Disruption and Drought Intensify
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
Twenty Passengers Injured After Southern Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
Government Rules Out High-Speed Rail Revival Between West Midlands and Northern England
West Midlands Bus Network Returns to Public Ownership in Twenty-Four Million Pound Deal
UK Competition Watchdog Targets Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Drip Pricing
Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Resigns After Dispute Over Causeway Hospital Surgery Closure
UK Long-Term Government Bond Yields Rise to Five Point Eight Five Percent as Borrowing Costs Surge
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Push Housing Development Near Major Transport Hubs
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
×