Hancock hit out at Sunak amid fears his Eat Out to Help Out program could spread Covid

Sign up for Inside Politics email for your briefing free daily on the biggest stories in British politicsGet our free Inside Politics emailPlease enter a valid email addressPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to be notified by email about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}An error has occurred. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Matt Hancock has expressed concern that a flagship policy by Rishi Sunak is contributing to the spread of Covid-19, as the latest set of leaked messages reveal how point the pair was at odds during the pandemic.

The details emerged in the latest set of leaked messages from the former Health Secretary, published by the Daily Telegraph.

The messages show Mr Hancock trying to gaining support from Cabinet Secretary Simon Cas challenging the position of the then Chancellor and others on certain pandemic-era rules, with the senior civil servant – who must be politically neutral – complaining of “the 'pure conservative ideology' from a senior minister.

In a message, Mr Hancock also accuses Mr Sunak of trying to 'show a peg' to the 'hard right' on his Covid-19 stance.

They also reveal that Mr Hancock had serious concerns about the Treasury's Eat Out to Help Out scheme designed to support restaurants, dubbing it t he "eats out to help the virus move."

An exchange, from June 2020, came as the government considered how to e to relax the restrictions. The posts show Mr Hancock wanted cafes and restaurants to keep a record of customer details for NHS Test and Trace, urging that the advice read 'should' instead of 'may'.

The latter wording, according to the messages, was preferred by the then Commercial Secretary, Sir Alok Sharma.

"The language on customer diaries has just changed from 'should' to 'may '. Thanks if you can fix it - we can't reverse this at the last minute!" said Mr. Hancock.

What is Rishi's dilemma? Whether it's stopping the virus or tilting the party and showing the right ankle?

Matt Hancock

Mr. Case replied, "Alok's blocking 'should'. Will have to fix after this meeting."

Later, he said, "If Alok is crazy enough to lift it, the PM will probably be at clear again."

Mr Hancock, responding, said the "question I cannot understand is why Alok is against virus control. Strange approach".

"Ideology pure conservative," replies Mr. Case.

Mr. Sunak, cha...