Matt Hancock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Hancock
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 July 2018 – 26 June 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Theresa May Boris Johnson |
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| Preceded by | Jeremy Hunt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Sajid Javid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 January 2018 – 9 July 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Theresa May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Karen Bradley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Wright | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for the Cabinet Office Paymaster General |
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| In office 11 May 2015 – 14 July 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Francis Maude | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ben Gummer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for West Suffolk |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Spring | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Nick Timothy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Matthew John David Hancock
2 October 1978 Chester, Cheshire, England |
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| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Martha Hoyer Millar
(m. 2006; separated 2021) |
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| Domestic partner | Gina Coladangelo (2021–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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| Signature |  |
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Matthew John David Hancock (born 2 October 1978) is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for West Suffolk from 2010 to 2024. He belongs to the Conservative Party.
Matt Hancock held several important government jobs. He was the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General from 2015 to 2016. Later, he became the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2018. His most well-known role was as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from 2018 to 2021.
Before becoming an MP, Hancock worked as an economist at the Bank of England. He also advised George Osborne, who was a senior politician at the time. He was first elected as an MP in 2010.
During his time as Health Secretary, the COVID-19 pandemic began. He played a big part in the government's response. This included getting important supplies and expanding COVID-19 testing. He also helped start the UK's vaccination programme. In 2021, he resigned from his role as Health Secretary.
In 2022, Matt Hancock appeared on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He finished in third place. He decided not to run for MP again in the 2024 general election.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Matthew Hancock was born in Chester, Cheshire, England, on 2 October 1978. His parents, Michael Hancock and Shirley Hills, ran a software business. He has an older sister and a brother.
He went to Farndon County Primary School. Then he attended the King's School, Chester, which is a private school. He studied Maths, Physics, Computing, and Economics for his A-levels. He also studied computing at West Cheshire College.
Later, he went to the University of Oxford and earned a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He then got a Master of Philosophy degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge. He found out he had dyslexia while at university. Matt Hancock joined the Conservative Party in 1999.
Starting His Career
After university, Matt Hancock worked briefly for his family's computer software company. He also worked for a Conservative MP. Then, he moved to London to become an economist at the Bank of England. He focused on the housing market there.
In 2005, he became an economic adviser to George Osborne. Osborne was the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time. Later, Hancock became Osborne's chief of staff.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Matt Hancock was chosen as the Conservative candidate for West Suffolk in January 2010. He won the election at the 2010 general election. He became the MP for West Suffolk with a majority of 13,050 votes.
In Parliament, Hancock served on the Public Accounts Committee and the Standards and Privileges Committee. These committees check how the government spends money and ensure MPs follow rules.
In October 2013, he became the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This role involved helping young people get skills for jobs.
In June 2014, Hancock encouraged businesses to offer more apprenticeships. Apprenticeships allow young people to learn a skill and earn money at the same time.
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On 15 July 2014, he was appointed Minister of State for Business and Enterprise. He also served as Minister of State for Energy from 2014 to 2015.
At the 2015 general election, Hancock was re-elected as MP for West Suffolk. He won with more votes and a larger majority. On 11 May 2015, he became Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General.
He worked to promote diversity in the civil service. He also led a taskforce to help young people find work or study.
In the 2016 EU referendum, Hancock supported the UK staying in the EU. He was re-elected as MP for West Suffolk in the 2017 and 2019 general elections.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
On 15 July 2016, Matt Hancock moved to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. He became the Minister of State for Digital and Culture. In this role, he worked on improving digital services across the UK.
He helped strengthen UK data protection laws in August 2017. This gave people more control over their personal information online.
On 8 January 2018, he was promoted to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This meant he was in charge of areas like technology, arts, and sports for the country.
In early 2018, Hancock launched his own mobile app. It was a social network for him to talk to people in his local area. The app was later shut down in 2023.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Leading Health and Social Care
Following a government reshuffle, Matt Hancock was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 9 July 2018. This made him responsible for the NHS and social care in England.
In April 2019, Hancock stated that the NHS would not be privatised under his leadership.
Running for Conservative Leader
When Theresa May announced she would resign as Prime Minister in May 2019, Hancock decided to run for the Conservative Party leadership. He withdrew from the race after the first round of voting. He then supported Boris Johnson to become the new leader.
Working with Boris Johnson
Matt Hancock continued as Health Secretary in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government.
In November 2019, Hancock publicly apologised to a teenager named Bethany. She had autism and was kept in solitary confinement in psychiatric facilities. He called her case "heart-rending" and said he would review similar cases.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
When COVID-19 spread to the UK in January 2020, Matt Hancock played a key role. He said the government was considering big actions to stop the virus. He urged people to follow social distancing rules.
On 27 March 2020, Matt Hancock himself tested positive for COVID-19. He self-isolated for seven days.
He oversaw efforts to get important supplies like PPE for healthcare workers. He also expanded COVID-19 testing across the country.
In December 2020, the UK's COVID-19 vaccination programme began. Hancock oversaw the early stages of this massive effort.
In June 2021, it was shown that he had broken some COVID-19 social distancing rules. After this, he resigned as Health Secretary. Sajid Javid took over his role.
After Leaving Cabinet
On 12 October 2021, Hancock was appointed as a special representative for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. This was an unpaid role to advise on Africa's economic recovery after the pandemic. However, the offer was withdrawn a few days later.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hancock welcomed seven Ukrainian refugees into his family home in Suffolk in May 2022. This was part of the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme.
In December 2022, he announced he would not seek re-election as an MP in the next general election.
Pandemic Diaries Book
In April 2022, Matt Hancock announced he would publish a book called Pandemic Diaries. It was about his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book was released in December 2022. He planned to donate the money from the book to NHS charities.
Appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Matt Hancock became a contestant on the 22nd series of the TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. This show is filmed in the Australian jungle. He joined the show on 9 November 2022.
He explained his decision to go on the show was to raise awareness for his dyslexia campaign. He wanted to help children with dyslexia reach their full potential. He also hoped to show his "human side" to a wider audience.
Hancock was questioned by other contestants about his time as Health Secretary. He said he was sorry for breaking social distancing rules. He finished in third place on the show on 27 November 2022.
Public Reaction
His appearance on the show caused a lot of discussion. The Conservative Party suspended his whip. This meant he was no longer part of their group in Parliament, but still a party member.
Many people signed an online petition to stop him from appearing on the show. Groups representing families affected by COVID-19 also protested.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said he was "disappointed" by Hancock's decision. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards received many complaints about him being on the show.
Personal Life
Matt Hancock married Martha Hoyer Millar, an osteopath, in 2006. They have a daughter and two sons. He has said he does not allow his children to use social media. The family lived in Little Thurlow in his West Suffolk area. He also has a flat in London.
In 2012, Hancock trained as a jockey and won a horse race in Newmarket. He supports Newcastle United football club.
Matt Hancock has dyslexia, which he discovered while studying at Oxford University.
See also
In Spanish: Matt Hancock para niños
