Well, this explains the leaked footage of Hancock

It doesn't explain Johnson backing Hancock and saying the matter was closed

The Sun will print any scandal its Editor is given. More likely someone who disliked Hancock so much, who found out about his affair, then trapped him, rather than confronting him. Man or woman??Hancock should have been sacked though.

I agree Hancock should have gone, preferably sacked, but there we are. I was just intrigued as to the connection between herself and Cole. Wasn't there a fuss about Cummings/Javid's staff/Carrie?

I think it’s amazing that more isn’t being made of the security
implications of footage from a camera in a cabinet ministers office being leaked to the press.

The national security question is uppermost in my mind.

Atqui

I think it’s amazing that more isn’t being made of the security
implications of footage from a camera in a cabinet ministers office being leaked to the press.

Have read tonight that it is being investigated.

Let’s just suppose ? that Boris is at an impasse as in whether to open up the country ( or not) He wants to but just doesn’t have the necessary ? to make that decision. Added to that he has a health minister who doesn’t want to open up.

Waiting in the wings is an ex minister who does believe in ‘opening up’ and, who is liked by his wife ( that’s handy ?)
Hancock’s affair has been known about for ( at least) 2 years.
Would it not now be time to play the trump card ?
Very sneaky, I’ll admit, but governments have done far worse.
Just an idea ?

I reckon Cummings is involved in all this. Doesn't he have it in for Hancock?

This is from the news article:
‘ The Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of the distribution of images alleged to have been obtained within an official government premises".
But the force added: "No criminal investigation has been launched. At this time this remains a matter for the relevant government department."’.
Surely the police need to investigate this?

MerylStreep
Very cynical ? but probably there is no more than an element of truth in it.

Superfluous no appeared there.

More than an element of truth

I see in today’s Times that MI5 are holding talks with government about it. It’s good that it is being investigated . In my opinion it was more worrying than Hancock having a snog with his mistress, though I agree with his resignation.

Merylstteep What makes you think his affair has been known about for two years?

Apparently it had been going on for at least two years, Atqui.
It wouldn't have been difficult for colleagues to realise that something was going on, however discreet they thought they were being.

Gina Coladangelo was reportedly quizzed over the affair back in 2019 but denied it.

There is an opinion that without the video Hancock would not have left.

DH says Johnson is now saying he sacked Hancock. Didn’t hear it myself but it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s because he knows Keir will confront him with it on Wednesday. Lots of questions asked in parliament today about security but the poor girl that was put there by the government to answer them couldn’t. Johnson should, imo, have been there.

It doesn’t look like a national security issue at all, more like an internal system he apparently wasn’t aware of - most people would notice a CCTV system mounted in their office ceiling?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57631713

There are now questions about the role of Lord Bethel who signed the security pass for Gina C. As she was not working for him, this is, I believe, a contravention of rules. He was missing from the debate in the House of Lords today about the Care Home deaths.

Casdon

It doesn’t look like a national security issue at all, more like an internal system he apparently wasn’t aware of - most people would notice a CCTV system mounted in their office ceiling?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57631713

Even if it's not a national security issue, there are still legal issues. The Houses of Parliament would have had to have permission to install cameras. There is also the question of how the video was leaked to the press and by whom, which would have been a breach of protocol and possibly illegal.

The camera was probably installed years ago as part of a building wide exercise to improve security measures, rather than as a one off new one office camera in that office. It will be interesting to see who made the decision and when as it’s highly doubtful no politicians were involved- maybe a former Health Secretary?
It will be interesting to see how the footage was leaked, I wonder if the truth will actually be discovered and published, or if there will be a scapegoat as a result of an internal investigation.

Apparently the camera was hidden in a smoke alarm, official security cameras would not have been. This points to a vindictive individual with an axe to grind, not saying the pair should be excused for what they did, not at all. Hopefully the culprit will be found, and dismissed from their job too. Cowardly. If they knew about the affair there are other ways to denounce the pair.

That’s not what it says in the BBC news article I posted above Lin52, it was a departmental CCTV system - unless you know more?

It was a departmental camera but apparently facing the wrong way, as it was intended to point towards the balcony,