Theresa May’s resignation speech on Friday sparked a huge leadership contest among Conservative Party rivals keen to replace her as Prime Minister. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is one of the names on the billing, saying on May 25: “I am running to win. “I believe from the bottom of my heart that we need a leader for the future, not just for now.” The 40-year-old faces stiff competition for the top job in British politics.
Also running are Boris Johnson, 54, Dominic Raab, 45, Michael Gove, 51, Jeremy Hunt, 52, Rory Stewart, 46, Andrea Leadsom, 56, and Esther McVey, 51.
Who is Matt Hancock?
Cheshire-born Mr Hancock was privately educated at the King’s School in Chester before attending Oxford University.
He graduated with a First in Philosophy, Politics and Economics before earning an MPhil in Economics at Cambridge University.
Pursuing an early career in economics at the Bank of England, Mr Hancock later moved into politics and joined the Conservative Party in 1999.
He became an economic advisor to then Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, later becoming his Chief of Staff.
The Conservative MP has held numerous ministerial posts in the departments of Energy, Business and Enterprise, and Digital and Culture.
He was promoted to Secretary of State for Culture during a cabinet reshuffle in January 2018.
This was followed by a further promotion in July of the same year when he became Health Secretary after Jeremy Hunt was promoted to Foreign Secretary.
Mr Hancock voted to Remain in the 2016 referendum but has since stressed he is keen for the UK to get on with the job of leaving the EU.
He told BBC Radio that leaving without a deal was not an option as parliament would not allow it but he was open to trying to renegotiate Mrs May’s agreement.
He said: ”There is no point in becoming prime minister at this moment unless I am completely straight forward about the trade offs that exist and the realities of it.
“The trade offs between sovereignty and market access, the trade offs required to get a deal through this parliament.”
Outside of work, the politician is married to Martha.
Together they two sons and a daughter.
They live in Little Thurlow, where Mr Hancock is the MP for West Suffolk since 2010.
