Newmarket town council calls for Matt Hancock to resign as MP after jungle jaunt

Newmarket town council voted almost unanimously to call for the resignation of currently suspended local MP and former health secretary Matt Hancock at a meeting on Monday night.

There were 12 in favour and one abstention to a motion moved by councillor Lisa Crissall just a day after Hancock had finished a three-week appearance in Australia on ITV's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! show in which he finished third to former England footballer Jill Scott.

Although it has no power to deselect him, the town council now plans to write to Hancock informing him of its decision and publicise the vote in the local media.

From racing circles, trainer Tom Clover's wife Jackie was among those in favour of the motion and John Berry chose to abstain.

Many locals have felt that Hancock's jungle jaunt has been a dereliction of duty while there are issues to tackle such as long-term funding of bus services and traffic problems caused by roadworks on the A14.

In a statement, Crissall said: "We, the constituents of West Suffolk, feel extremely let down by our MP Matt Hancock in his decision to take part in the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! If this is the career path he would prefer to take as celebrity rather than fulfilling his role as member of parliament for West Suffolk we would ask that he resign his seat and allow someone who cares about their constituents to fulfil the role."

Fellow councillor James Lay said: "One of the reasons we in Newmarket miss out from Suffolk county council and West Suffolk council is because we don't have an MP who works for us within the constituency. Instead we have an MP who is more interested in supporting his own career rather than the people of Newmarket, which is a great shame.

A packed Newmarket Town Council meeting on Monday night

"There is a procedure going through where we should know shortly whether Matt Hancock is going to stand again but my view is I hope he doesn't."

Former mayor Michael Jefferys said: "I look around at my fellow councillors here tonight and see people who work diligently for Newmarket and for no remuneration. I compare that to our MP going off for his jungle antics for enormous reward and I think he tarnishes us all and gives all politicians a bad name."

Earlier this month, Haverhill town council, which is also in Hancock's constituency, wrote to the MP in similar terms.

Hancock's office said his appearance on the ITV show had been "an amazing opportunity for Matt to raise the profile of his dyslexia bill and to talk about an issue he really cares about in front of millions of people".

Hancock was one of the last to arrive on the show and completed many of the trials before finishing third behind Scott and Hollyoaks star Owen Warner. His office has said some of his reported £400,000 fee is to go to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and the British Dyslexia Association.

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