Jacob Rees-Mogg: I didn't ask for the Covid test to be mailed to my home

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Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted that a Covid test was couriered to his home for one of his children by health officials during the pandemic, but said he hadn't asked for it.

As part of Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages leaking to the Telegraph, the newspaper reported that in September 2020, an adviser to the then-Secretary of Health helped get a test sent to Mr Rees-Mogg's home even as others across the country struggled to access tests.

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The assistant messaged Mr Hancock to say the lab had 'lost' the original test for one of the senior curator's children, 'so we have a courier going to their family home tonight ".

He added, "Jacob's spad (special adviser) knows about it and helped organize everything, but you might want to text Jacob."

< p>Addressing this On his GB News show, the former leader of the House of Commons said: 'What happened was one of my children needed a test and it quarantined everyone, but unfortunately y testers lost it.

"And that meant I was quarantined, unable to do my job as a minister for several days , until it was admitted that it had been lost.

< p>"At that time, it was raised with the Ministry of Health, and they decided to send a test to a family member so the test can be done.

"It's not something I asked for, so if I got special treatment, it wasn't because I had asked for it, but in fact it allowed a government minister to get back to work with a child who hadn't had Covid in the first place, who wouldn't have needed a special test if the system was actually working, but I recognize that it didn't work for other people either.

Matt Hancock reportedly said, "We have a courier going to their family tonight"

(AFP via Getty Images)

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer earlier urged the government not to 'hide' behind the Covid inquiry and look into the matter immediately.

His spokesperson said the government is "more than capable" of answering questions now to ensure "clarity and transparency...