Matt Hancock’s use of private emails that bypassed disclosure rules when doing government business came under scrutiny this weekend, as exchanges emerged showing the former health secretary had personally referred an old neighbour wanting an NHS contract on to an official. Hancock has repeatedly denied that he had any involvement with £50m worth of contracts for NHS test-and-trace supplies secured by Alex Bourne, who used to run the Cock Inn, near Hancock’s old constituency home in Thurlow, Suffolk. The Guardian revealed last year that the former publican had won the work after sending Hancock a personal WhatsApp message last March, despite having no experience producing medical supplies. Bourne’s company, Hinpack, was at that time producing plastic cups and takeaway boxes for the catering industry.
The case raised questions for the health secretary about alleged government cronyism during the pandemic. When challenged by the Guardian at a Downing Street press conference in December last year about the award of business to a man locals described as his “buddy”, Hancock said he had had nothing to do with the contract. Bourne categorically denied he had profited from his personal contact with Hancock too. When first contacted by the Guardian, Bourne’s lawyers flatly denied that their client had any discussions with Hancock in relation to Covid-19 supplies. However, after being confronted with further details about his interactions with the health secretary, Bourne backtracked and conceded that he had in fact exchanged text and email messages with Hancock over several months. The Guardian submitted a freedom of information request for communications between Bourne and Hancock and/or his private office last December. The department responded that there was only one communication between the two men, which related to an industry roundtable for test kit suppliers with the prime minister in August to which Hancock wanted to invite him. However, lawyers for Bourne wrote to us that there were emails and messages on several other dates sent by Bourne to make sure his dealings with Hancock were above board. After weeks of delays and a complaint by the Guardian to the information commissioner, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to the Guardian to apologise for “unintentionally misunderstanding” that the December request for emails was for exchanges between Hancock and Bourne rather than just the official correspondence which goes through his private office.
It disclosed four dates on which they had been in touch in March, June and September. It has now released redacted versions of those, after an order by the information commissioner. The email address used by Hancock is redacted in each case. Other communications that took place in April, May and November, according to Bourne’s lawyers, have not been released. DHSC is reported to have said that it had no records of WhatsApp communications and phone calls, and Hancock had no recollection of them. One personal WhatsApp exchange uncovered by the Guardian showed Bourne joking to Hancock: “Matt Hancock, never heard of him” as they discussed how they had responded to our inquiries. Further emails between senior officials at the department, seen by the Guardian, show that messages sent by ministers using private email accounts were not thought to be disclosable – enabling them to avoid scrutiny in judicial reviews and freedom of information requests. Jolyon Maugham QC, who has successfully taken the government to judicial review for the way it awarded contracts to those connected to the Conservatives, said there was nothing wrong “per se” with ministers using private email addresses. “It’s a bit like walking into a bank on a hot summer’s day wearing a balaclava – it’s not wrong in itself, but it is a strong sign that you are up to no good.” Hancock, Bourne and the department have been approached for comment.