At a party a few years ago, George Osborne came up to me, hand outstretched. He was warm and friendly, greeting me like an old friend. He was trendily dressed and sporting a snazzy new haircut.
This was a different Osborne from the one I’d been used to. He’d always seemed wary, slightly prickly, not sure how to take me, a journalist who could not be relied upon to toe his line, who might ask awkward questions. He always wore dark, sombre suits that made him seem older than his years, with dull ties.
Looking back, that must have been when Thea Rogers - now engaged to Osborne and expecting their child, after he separated from Frances, his wife of 21 years - gave him a makeover and, with it, developed a relationship. Rogers was his special adviser at the Treasury, when Osborne was Chancellor, then became his chief of staff. She is credited with “metrosexualising” him, putting him on the 5:2 diet and modernising his wardrobe.
If that sounds eerily familiar, that’s because it is. Gina Coladangelo, the new partner of Matt Hancock and until last Friday one of his aides, got him to wear white shirts (Rogers did the same with Osborne), choose smarter suits and shoes, shorten his hair and “emote” when he spoke. Suddenly we were treated to the spectacle of the Health Secretary blubbing on our screens and dropping the word “love” into his chat.
Now we’re being informed by “friends” that after they were caught in a passionate embrace on CCTV in his office; and Hancock has quit his job; and Coladangelo has left hers; and they’ve both dumped their spouses and departed their family homes (they each have three children) – theirs is a perfect “love match”.
It reminds me of a friend of mine, a business high flyer who was married to his girlfriend from university, with whom he had two children. We were round at their house for lunch one weekend. He announced that he wanted to go shopping. He was going to go on his own, until his wife suggested I accompany him and off we trotted to the shops. It transpired that the only store he wanted to visit was the one selling trendy menswear. He proceeded to buy two suits and a jacket, work shirts, belts, underwear, the lot, and racked up a huge bill, just like that, seemingly on the spur of the moment in the middle of the afternoon. I sat there for ages, on a chair, like a spare part.
Later, it turned out he was having an affair with a woman at work, and he duly left his wife and children, and went off with her.
What was happening with him, which is what occurred presumably with Hancock and Osborne, is that his wife spent years at home, minding the house and children, and his career was taking off. They were still together but increasingly on divergent paths. These men wouldn’t actively date other women but when someone came along who was a colleague, whom they were seeing daily in an easy, close setting, that separation was exacerbated and their marriages were over.
The Daily Mail writer Sarah Vine, who is married to Michael Gove, put it well. Under the headline, “The problem with your wife who’s been with you for ever is that she knows you’re not the Master of the Universe you purport to be”, Vine described “the eternal lot of the political [it could apply to business, sport, arts, anything] spouse: keeping the home fires burning so the ‘Big I Am’ can do more important stuff – in this [Hancock’s] case, saving the world from Covid-19.”
Wrote Vine: “The old ‘behind every great man there’s a woman drowning in dirty laundry’ is a cliche. But it’s true.”
She continued: “It is very hard to do these high-level, high-pressure, high-stakes jobs unless you have someone prepared to take up the reins in every other department of your life. But the problem is that inevitably sets you on different tracks. You become so entrenched in your respective roles that you begin to drift apart.”
It’s more than that, however. Those at the top of politics or business, whatever it might be, are surrounded by sycophants, telling them constantly how wonderful they are. Often, after a while, they start to believe in their own entitlement and superiority. How else to explain, as well as Hancock’s disregard for the social distancing rules – the very regulations he required everyone else to obey – his cavalier attitude towards due process? Coladangelo was a close friend from university; he gave her a job at taxpayers’ expense in his department. Other pals, including Coladangelo’s brother, Robert, ran companies that were in receipt of lucrative PPE contracts. It’s as though the “boring stuff”, the checking and vetting, is an inconvenience, to be dispensed with – along, sadly, with the long-suffering spouse and mother of the children.
There is, though, a twist to this. Frequently, it is the person hired to help with the media, to assist with image, who ends up doing great harm to that hitherto wholesome ideal of the happy family man. That’s what occurred with Hancock. Coladangelo worked in public relations, at the agency Luther Pendragon and for her multi-millionaire husband’s business, retailer Oliver Bonas (he is Oliver Tress, the Oliver from the brand’s name).
She was supposed to know about messaging – it was meant to be her specialist subject. But in aiding Hancock she ended up partnering him in wrecking the messages he and the government were so keen to cultivate.
That doesn’t matter, though, as long as Boris Johnson remains in charge. He is likely to ensure that Hancock returns. Hancock was loyal, a hard worker, a ready foil for the Prime Minister. In Johnson’s eyes he will merit a second chance. He’s also all too conversant with what his health secretary went through. Johnson is three times married, the second for 27 years, during which he had four children with his wife, Marina, but also engaged in affairs, at least one of which resulted in another child.
Hancock will be back, albeit with a new partner – providing they stay together – sharp clothes and a willingness to cry.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
The view from The National
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
more from Janine di Giovanni
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
