UK To Probe Footage Leak That Led To Minister's Resignation

UK: Matt Hancock resigned Saturday after footage of him kissing his aide found its way into the media, triggering calls for him to be sacked.

Britain's government will investigate how footage of former minister Matt Hancock kissing his aide found its way into the media and forced his resignation, in the latest scandal to hit Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government. After first rejecting calls for Hancock to be sacked or resign as health minister after pictures were published of him embracing a woman he had appointed to a taxpayer-funded role, Johnson accepted his decision to step down on Saturday. The departure puts pressure on Johnson's government, which has overseen one of the highest official death counts from the COVID-19 pandemic and was criticised for its early handling - led by Hancock - of the crisis. A report by the BBC that sensitive documents from the defence ministry were found by a member of the public at a bus stop did little to dispel a feeling of chaos at the heart of government. The ministry said it was investigating the incident.