Matt Hancock resigns as UK health secretary

In a written statement, Hancock apologised for "breaking the guidance".

Matt Hancock has resigned as the UK's Health Secretary after photographs and videos of him appearing to kiss his aide, and thus breaking Covid-19 restrictions, were published by the Sun this week. Hancock posted a video statement to Twitter, explaining his decision. In it, he said: "I've been to see the Prime Minister to resign as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. "I understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made and you have made and those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that's why I've got to resign. "I want to thank people for their incredible sacrifices and what they've done - everybody working in the NHS across social care, everyone involved in the vaccine programme and frankly everybody in this country who has risen to the challenges that we've seen over this past 18 months. "I'm very proud of what we've done to protect the NHS at the peak, to deliver that vaccine roll-out - one of the fastest in the world. "I look forward to supporting the Government and the Prime Minister from the backbenches to make sure that we can get out of this pandemic." Meanwhile, in a written statement, he also said: "The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis. "I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need to be with my children at this time. "We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaking the guidance." https://twitter.com/MattHancock/status/1408836570069753858?s=20