Matt Hancock branded ‘morally derelict’ ahead of Qatar trip, but what is the event and how much is he earning?

Matt Hancock may be known for being a disgraced MP but he has been branded ‘MD’ for being ‘morally derelict’ after he was confirmed as a speaker for a Qatar conference this summer.

The former health secretary is expected to be one of 20 speakers at the Institute of Travel and Tourism’s annual conference in June, but the move has attracted huge backlash following Matt Hancock’s actions during the pandemic.

In his role as a minister, he was instrumental in imposing many Covid-19 related travel restrictions including the infamous traffic light system, that in turn not only affected holiday companies and airlines but also, were judged by MPs to be ‘pointless’.

Criticism for Mr Hancock’s invitation to speak at the key travel conference increased after news broke today (1 March 2023) that the MP reportedly ignored expert advice about care homes during the height of the pandemic.

Mr Hancock resigned as health secretary after three years in the role, after he was found to have broken his own rules with aide Gina Coladangelo.

The damning reports come after Mr Hancock has faced immense scrutiny for appearing on I’m A Celebrity for a fee of £320,000, creating his own TV production company and somehow coming back into possession of a Newcastle Utd shirt he allegedly sold at auction.

Responding to the Qatar event news, the chief executive of travel consultancy firm, The PC Agency, urged the ITT to reconsider and said: "What on earth are the ITT playing at? This is someone who didn’t hesitate to almost destroy the travel and tourism sector with unproven and untested policies that lasted two years."

In addition, a former BA spokesman stated, ‘You have to hand it to the ITT for their sense of humour if not irony…They couldn’t have chosen a more inappropriate speaker if they tried,’ while Paul Goldstein, a co-owner of a holiday destination in Kenya, said "The morally derelict Matt Hancock in the ethical cesspool of Qatar – they were perhaps made for each other."

Many have questioned how much the ITT are paying Mr Hancock to speak at the event, however the institute’s chairman Steven Freudmann, declined to give a fee.

While social media users and MPs criticise Matt being named as a key speaker for ITT in Qatar in light of his actions, the travel institute have defended their choice suggesting the annual conference will allow delegates to question the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

Previous political speakers at the ITT conference, which is the travel industry’s ‘blue riband event’, includes Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage.

Mr Hancock will speak at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail hotel in Doha, Qatar between 5 and 7 June 2023.