Hancock 'fell short' of high standards and was right to quit - Mayor Andy Street
Matt Hancock "fell short" of the incredibly high standards required as health secretary and was right to resign, the West Midlands Mayor has said.
Andy Street said Mr Hancock was there whenever the West Midlands "needed him" during the pandemic, and had played a pivotal role in the recent boost to vaccine supplies.
The Conservative mayor said Mr Hancock "did the right thing" in resigning after breaking social distancing rules he had set. He also welcomed new Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who he said was "a great champion of the West Midlands".
Mr Hancock stood down over the weekend after a video of him emerged kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo in his office.
Mr Street, who clashed with Mr Hancock last year over the implementation of the tiered system of Covid restrictions in the region, said: "Matt Hancock was always on hand to support the West Midlands whenever we needed him throughout the pandemic.
"He met with the region’s council leaders when asked, whilst he and I kept in regular conversation regarding the Covid situation in the West Midlands.
"We may not have always agreed on decisions taken, especially around tiering, but when we needed extra support our region got it – just like the recent uplift in vaccine supply.
"I want to place on record my thanks to Matt for that.
“However, when setting the rules for the country as Matt Hancock did, you have to hold yourself to an incredibly high standard. Clearly when he fell short of that standard he did the right thing in resigning from his post."
On the appointment of Bromsgrove MP Mr Javid, he said: “I am of course very pleased to have Sajid Javid back in the cabinet.
"Sajid has always been a great champion of the West Midlands and it will be brilliant to have that voice back around the country’s most powerful top table.
"I look forward to catching up with him in due course and working with him in our region’s fight against coronavirus and recovery."
Tory MPs in the region have also hailed Mr Javid as the right man to replace Mr Hancock as Health Secretary.
Dudley South MP Mike Wood described Mr Javid as a "deeply honourable person who is committed to doing what he thinks is right rather than what is easy".
"He understands the health impact of Covid, but also the social and economic impact that comes with the virus – and the measures that we put in place to combat it," he added.
