British former minister Matt Hancock says UN job offer rescinded on ‘technicality’
- The former health secretary had been due to take up an unpaid post in the UN Economic Commission for Africa to help countries recover from coronavirus
- Hancock, who continues to serve as an MP, said a UN rule had come to light and sitting members of parliament cannot also be UN special representatives
British former health secretary Matt Hancock said the United Nations had written to him to explain that a technicality in its rules meant it could not offer him a special representative role as planned.
The former health secretary had been due to take up an unpaid post in the UN Economic Commission for Africa to assist countries on the continent to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
But, after a UN spokesman was quoted saying the job was “not being taken forward”, Mr Hancock released a statement to clarify why the offer had been withdrawn.
Mr Hancock said: “I was honoured to be approached by the UN and appointed as special representative to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), to help drive forward an agenda of strengthening markets and bringing investment to Africa.
“The UN have written to me to explain that a technical UN rule has subsequently come to light which states that sitting members of parliament cannot also be UN special representatives.