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The Times

7 Jul, 10 tweets, 3 min read

10 days have passed since the former health secretary Matt Hancock resigned after footage leaked of him engaging in an affair with his aid Gina Coladangelo while at work

Why has Lord Bethell, the man who facilitated it all, slipped below the radar?
thetimes.co.uk/article/baron-…

Bethell is not only a close friend of Hancock’s, having chaired and donated thousands of pounds to his failed leadership campaign, and then received a ministerial job; he is also the last person involved in the scandal who has not resigned or given an explanation for his conduct

The Lord sponsored a parliamentary pass for Coladangelo back in March of 2020, giving her unfettered access to the Palace of Westminster

The pass was in her married name, Tress, which she rarely uses

@thesundaytimes

Eight months ago @thesundaytimes asked the Department of Health to explain this discrepancy and the reason why Coladangelo used her married name

The paper did not receive a reply

Bethell also became involved in procuring PPE and Covid-19 tests, the other area of the pandemic response that has been roundly condemned

Now, Lord Bethell faces an investigation by the standards watchdog over his conduct
thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-b…

House of Lords rules state that peers can sponsor three passes for those who “genuinely and personally provide parliamentary secretarial or research assistance” to them

However, it is understood that Coladangelo has never worked for Bethell

Matt Hancock is now in the political wilderness because of Coladangelo

Yet Bethell is still standing

A Whitehall source says: “The reality is, when you actually look at the emails…Bethell is involved in it all.”

Read the full investigation here:
thetimes.co.uk/article/baron-…

Sources in No 10 believe that Bethell will be “first to go” in the event of a reshuffle but for the time being, he remains – a continuing beneficiary of the so-called “chumocracy"

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The sex drought 🛏️

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New research suggests many young people are cutting ties with friends over their views. Lucy Holden found herself doing just that...

thetimes.co.uk/article/cancel…

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All to go back to normal 🎉🎉

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By the time she escaped at 15 there had been “experiences”, she says, alluding darkly to the sexual abuse of children for which the cult became infamous.

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