Health secretary and West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock has brushed off claims prime minister Boris Johnson called him "hopeless" as "ancient history".

Mr Johnson's former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, revealed WhatsApp messages from early on in the pandemic in which the premier was said to be very critical of Mr Hancock.

The messages purportedly showed Mr Johnson complaining that Mr Hancock was "totally f******* hopeless".

But the West Suffolk MP has dismissed any bad feelings between him and the prime minister as he said that people say all sorts of things in private.

"Honestly, it feels like ancient history," he said.

“At times of stress, people say all sorts of things in private. What matters is how well you work together.

“I work with the prime minister every single day. We work very strongly together, firstly to protect life and secondly to get the country out of this, and that’s what matters.”

Mr Hancock has also said that he was not really interested in why Mr Cummings had such a low opinion on him.