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Gary Lineker joins Twitter users in superbly mocking Matt Hancock as he resigns

Gary Lineker joins Twitter users in superbly mocking Matt Hancock as he resigns as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Just like majority of the nation, the Match of the Day presenter couldn’t resist another dig and it’s the second time he’s done so.

The latest dig came during Italy’s win over Austria in the first knockout round of Euro 2020, which dragged on into extra time following a goalless 90 minutes.

Roberto Mancini’s side are through to the quarter-finals after two goals, both from substitutions made by the former Manchester City coach.

Federico Chiesa managed to get the first before Matteo Pessina doubled the Azzurri’s lead while Sasa Kalajdzic pulled one back late on to give the Italians a scare.

Italy will now face either Belgium or Portugal in their biggest test of the competition to date, with all three potential overall winners.

With the BBC broadcasting the match, the fact it went into extra-time meant that the BBC News at 10 had to be pushed back.

Lineker, who was presenting in the studio, subtly hit out at Hancock during half time as he explained the situation.

“Just to tell you that the news will follow at the end of the game,” he said. “Apologies if you’ve been waiting for it but it’s not like anything big has happened today.”

His jibe was a nod to the major developments in the day regarding 10 Downing Street and how they are handling Hancock in giving his resignation as health secretary.

It came after mounting pressure from Labour MPs, as well as his fellow Conservatives, who called on the West Suffolk MP to be sacked following pictures being published of him kissing aide Gina Coladangelo. Now he has reportedly left his wife in favour of his new woman.

Lineker had already poked fun at the Tory MP that day in one of the biggest stories during the Covid pandemic.

As news broke out earlier in the day that Hancock had resigned, there was a huge reaction on social media (seen below).

Lineker was quick to post on Twitter following Hancock’s sacking, saying: “Who would have thought it? Matt Hancock is out before England.”

Gary Lineker joins Twitter users in superbly mocking Matt Hancock as he resigns…

Below is the full text of Matt Hancock’s resignation letter addressed to the Prime Minister:

“I am writing to resign as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. We have worked so hard as a country to fight the pandemic. The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis. I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need (to) be with my children at this time.

“We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaching the guidance.

“The NHS is the best gift a nation has ever given itself, and the dedication and courage of the NHS staff and the ceaseless work of the officials in the Department is something we should all be proud of. We didn’t get every decision right but I know people understand how hard it is to deal with the unknown, making the difficult trade-offs between freedom, prosperity and health that we have faced. I am so proud that Britain avoided the catastrophe of an overwhelmed NHS and that through foresight and brilliant science we have led the world in the vaccination effort, so we stand on the brink of a return to normality.

“The reforms we have started in the health system will ensure it continues to provide even better care for people in years to come. We are building a better NHS which makes smarter use of technology and data, forming a new UK Health Security Agency, delivering positive changes to mental health care and will fix the problems in social care once and for all.

“Many times I stood at the podium in Downing Street and thanked the team – my own team, the NHS, the volunteers, the Armed Services, our pharmacists GPs, the pharmaceutical industry and the whole British public who have made such sacrifices to help others. Those thanks are heartfelt and sincere and so I must resign.

“It has been the honour of my life to serve in your Cabinet as Secretary of State and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved. I will of course continue to support you in whatever way I can from the back benches, and I would like to thank you for your unwavering support, your leadership and your optimism, particularly as we worked together to overcome this awful disease.”

And here is the Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s response in full

“Thank you for your letter this evening, tendering your resignation as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. I am sorry to receive it.

“You should leave office very proud of what you have achieved – not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us. Under your leadership, the Department has led fundamental reforms to the provision of care in this country. The NHS Long Term Plan was a major milestone in the history of that great institution. Your work on the Health and Care Bill will support our NHS and deliver greater integration between health and social care. And your efforts mean that we have a record numbers of doctors and over 14,800 more nurses working in our NHS than last year.

“Above all, it has been your task to deal with a challenge greater than that faced by any of your predecessors, and in fighting Covid you have risen to that challenge – with the abundant energy, intelligence and determination that are your hallmark. Under your leadership, the Department for Health and Social Care has identified and deployed critical life-saving treatments such as Dexamethasone, rapidly increased hospital capacity through the Nightingale programme, and provided 11.7 billion items of PPE to the frontline at record speed.

“In March 2020, we had the capacity to test 2,000 people a day; now, we have built the largest diagnostic network in British history and have administered over 200 million tests. The vaccine procurement and deployment programme – in my view one of the greatest successes of the modern state – is now forging our path out of the pandemic.

“Through the establishment of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, you have also built the foundation to ensure the UK is better prepared for any future pandemic.

“You made a considerable contribution to Government before becoming Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. I know that previous Prime Ministers were grateful for your work in ministerial positions in the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. You have, across those roles, been a consistent and vigorous champion of the power of digital transformation.

“You should be immensely proud of your service. I am grateful for your support and believe that your contribution to public service is far from over.”

As Gary Lineker joins Twitter users in superbly mocking Matt Hancock as he resigns, which is the best meme you’ve seen on this? Let us know via our socials!

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