Watchdog unable to probe TV Hancock complaint

PARLIAMENT’S sleaze watchdog has told MPS she is powerless to act over Matt Hancock’s reality TV turn.

Kathryn Stone was asked about the former health secretary’s appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! while giving evidence to the Commons standards committee.

The independent Parliamentary Commissioner said: “It raises really important questions about members’ proper activities while they’re supposed to be fulfilling their parliamentary duties and representing their constituents.

“If I may, I’d like to share some correspondence that I heard from a member of the public on this matter.

“One member of the public contrasted the dignity of veterans on Remembrance Sunday with a former secretary of state, and they said this individual was ‘waiting for a buffet of animal genitalia’ and they wondered what had happened to the dignity of public office.”

Mr Hancock has been forced to undertake six of the show’s grizzly bushtucker trials so far, including one where he had to eat camel penis, sheep vagina, and cow’s anus.

Ms Stone said: “There is no job description for

MPS but we have to think very carefully about the conflict between public and private interests, bringing the House into disrepute and so on”.

Asked if it was something she could investigate, she said: “No, because it doesn’t breach a rule.”

Meanwhile, Mr Hancock was reminded of his responsibilities after campaigners flew a plane over the jungle with a message reading: “Covid bereaved say get out of here!”

Lobby Akinnola, who lost his father to Covid-19 said: “Matt Hancock isn’t a ‘celebrity’.”