The justice secretary has insisted “due process” was followed in appointing the aide Matt Hancock was caught kissing to a paid role at the health department. Robert Buckland issued a defence of Boris Johnson’s handling of the scandal as the prime minister was dogged by questions in the wake of the resignation of his health secretary. Hancock bowed to pressure and quit after CCTV footage emerged of him breaking social distancing guidelines to combat COVID-19 by intimately embracing aide Gina Coladangelo. The long-term friend of Hancock was brought into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) first as an unpaid adviser before getting the £15,000-a-year role of non-executive director in September. Buckland told Sky News, “Everything that I understand so far leads me to believe due process was followed in the appointment of this person and any declarations that should’ve been made were made.” But pressed on when Hancock’s …