The former Cabinet minister was given a stern telling off by the speaker.
Jeremy Hunt was given an embarrassing telling off for not dressing smart enough during a Covid-19 Commons debate.
The chair of the health select committee received a public slap on the wrist by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for wearing his shirt unbuttoned without a tie while working from home.
It may not have been everyone’s favourite WFH choice of tracksuit bottoms – but it did not go down well in the Commons, where everyone was pristinely dressed in line with the dress code.
Appearing via video link, the former foreign secretary grilled Matt Hancock after he announced swathes of England will be plunged into tier four restrictions from tomorrow.
But before the health secretary was able to respond, the speaker quickly jumped in to tell off Mr Hunt for his outfit choice.
Mr Hoyle interjected: ‘Can I just remind members who are not in the Chamber they should have the same dress code even though they are virtual.
‘It is only fair that we treat each other with the same respect.’
The comment was met with loud echos of ‘here, here’ from ministers sat in the Chamber.
Those present in the Chamber, and others appearing via video link, were dressed in suits and ties or smart, work attire.
Some on Twitter sided with Mr Hunt and questioned why Mr Hoyle scolded the MP for his dress code when there are ‘bigger issues’ to deal with, while others found the telling off comical.
Mr Hunt appeared expressionless on a screen as Mr Hancock began responding to his concerns over the NHS buckling under pressure days before pupils are set to return to school.
The MP told the health secretary that the NHS is busier now than it was in April, while ‘in parts of London it looks like it may fall over’.
He questioned why the Government is allowing primary school pupils and university students to return next week.
‘Why in the middle of winter when the NHS is under such pressure, when we have a dangerous new strain of the virus, are we taking such huge risks?
‘Shouldn’t our focus for the next eight to 12 weeks be on saving lives, getting the first dose of the vaccine out to every single vulnerable person, stopping the NHS collapsing, and putting NHS frontline staff at the front of the queue for the vaccines, so that we keep safe the people upon who our safety depends?’
Mr Hancock responded that the medicine watchdog’s approval of the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine in the UK today means ‘we can get through the protection of the nation faster than we could’ve done’.
The health secretary announced that three-quarters of the nation will be under the toughest rules from New Year’s Eve.
The Midlands, the North East, parts of the North West and parts of the South West will join millions of people in London and the South East under tier four restrictions.
Almost all remaining areas will be moved into tier three, except for the Isles of Scilly, which will remain in tier one, the lowest level of restrictions.
It means all pubs in England will be forced to close except those on the Isles of Scilly.
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