Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has opened up about what goes on behind closed doors in Parliament as he explained how a cabinet reshuffle works while on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
On Thursday’s episode of the jungle-based reality show, the MP was questioned by fellow campmate and radio DJ Chris Moyles about the inner workings of Westminster and how an MP can move between cabinet offices without prior experience in the area.
Asked how a cabinet reshuffle works, Matt said: "I’ll tell you exactly what happens. It’s reshuffle day and the first thing the Prime Minister does is call the people who he or she is going to fire and invites them into the office in the House of Commons.
“That way the cameras can’t see them coming and going. Face-to-face. These are very sensitive conversations.
“Then they go into Downing Street and they call people in in order of seniority. They have a whiteboard with all of the cabinet positions on it and they go from senior down.
“Sometimes people say, ‘No, I don’t want to be Defence Secretary, I’d take Transport’ and it is literally a reshuffle as in they’re moving names across this whiteboard.”
The radio DJ then asked if a MP would get higher pay if they take on a cabinet position, with Matt confirming they would if they were appointed into government, clarifying that meant they would now hold two jobs.
Chris then asked: "But how many MPs have got quite a decent knowledge of defence?" To which the MP replied: "The job of the minister is not to be the subject matter expert.
"Of course, you need to get to grips with the subject matter, but that is only half the job. There’s a load of transferable skills – handling parliament, communicating with the public, taking decisions effectively – and then you have the subject matter experts who advise you on it all.”
Seann then asked Matt if he had any questions for Chris and Matt responded with silence and did not offer up any further questions of his own.
Later in the Bush Telegraph, Matt said he had the found the conversation “really enjoyable” while Chris appeared to become more skeptical of the reshuffle process.
He said: “I’m starting to think now, to be Minister of Transport, all you need is a car. And to be Minister of Health all you need is to be breathing.”
The radio presenter added: “Fascinating talking to him, however, he has no interest in me, my life, my job. He’s a funny little fish, isn’t he?”
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