Matt Hancock – live: Labour accuses ex-health secretary of showing ‘contempt for constituents’

Labour has accused Matt Hancock of treating his constituents with contempt by jetting off to the jungle for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

A Labour Party spokesman said: “Clearly the responsibility of Members of Parliament is to be representing their constituents, whether that’s in their constituency or in Parliament, and that is not what Matt Hancock is doing.

“It’s not something that we would support in terms of him doing. I think it shows contempt for his constituents to be going off to Australia to earn money in this way.

“I think it also raises questions around the rules on former ministers seeking employment as well.”

The spokesman said there are “clearly ways in which MPs should look to use all means of communications to talk about their work” but “this mustn’t happen in a way which undermines their primary responsibility, which is to be around to represent their constituents”.

The former health secretary did not ask Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) watchdog whether it was appropriate to join the reality show.