Matt Hancock has refused to confirm 30 times if he was among MPs who flouted the 10pm curfew in a House of Commons bar, according to reports.
A House of Commons investigation confirmed MPs broke Covid rules in Commons bars, but failed to confirm if Health Secretary Matt Hancock was among them.
But an MP source told the Mail on Sunday that he stands by his claim to the paper that the Health Secretary was among MPs who may have had a rule breaking tipple.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the Health Secretary nursed his glass of white wine in the Smoking Room commons bar until at least 10.25pm.
He is then said to have joked to other MPs: “The drinks are on me – but Public Health England are in charge of the payment methodology so I will not be paying anything.”
Mr Hancock has refused 30 times to confirm to the paper if he returned to a Commons bar after a 9.40pm vote – with a spokesman instead referring their reporters to an earlier statement.
(Image: Getty Images)
The anonymous politician told the Mail on Sunday: “I stand 100 per cent by my story. I know what I saw, and when.”
It’s claimed Mr Hancock arrived at the bar just before 9.40pm and ordered a glass of French sauvignon blanc.
Last week in the wake of the reports Sir Lindsay Hoyle banned the sale of alcohol in the House of Commons, even when food is served with it.
He said: “Following the Government’s decision to move London into the Tier 2 Covid-alert category, I have asked the parliamentary authorities to introduce measures to bring the House of Commons into line with the national picture.
“As MPs represent different constituencies in different tiers – with the very highest level ordering the closure of pubs – I have decided to stop the sale of alcohol across the House of Commons-end of the estate from this Saturday.
“This means it will not be possible to buy an alcoholic drink from any of our catering outlets for the foreseeable future – whether food is served or not.
Charles Walker, the Conservative MP who led the investigation into the rule breaking MPs said it would be “invidious” for Commons bar staff to name the MPs involved.
Confirming some MPs broke the 10pm curfew, he said: “It happened and it should not have happened.
“It does seem there were drinks being consumed after 10pm on that Monday night in the Smoking Room.”
Independent peer John Mann said of the Commons inquiry: “This does smack of a cover-up.
“We in Parliament have a duty to respect the rules we lay down for everyone in the country.
“But more than that, we have a duty to be seen to be respecting the rules.”
Last week a spokesman for Mr Hancock denied that any rules had been broken.
They said: “No rules have been broken.
“The Secretary of State was in the Smoking Room prior to the vote that evening.
“The Secretary of State left the Smoking Room to vote. The vote took place at 9:42pm.
“The Secretary of State then departed the Parliamentary estate to go home.”
