Hancock formally resigned from the Liberal Democrat whip in early June 2014 until a civil court action brought against him by a female constituent alleging improper conduct was resolved. An out-of-court settlement with the woman, known only as ‘Annie’, was reached later in June 2014 in which Hancock admitted that he “crossed the line” into inappropriate behaviour. He stood as an independent candidate in the 2014 Portsmouth City Council elections and lost his seat in Fratton Ward to UKIP candidate Russian wife you up mp3 download Swan. The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council.
Hancock was previously the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South for the SDP following a by-election in 1984 until 1987. Hancock was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the son of a Portsmouth sailor. He was educated at comprehensive schools in Portsmouth. He joined the Labour Party in 1968 and was elected as a councillor to the Portsmouth City Council in 1971. It was reported that he signed nomination forms for more than one candidate in the 2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election, in order to ensure a ‘proper contest’. On 29 March 2015 Hancock announced he would run again for member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, this time as an independent candidate. He was member of both the defence select committee from 1999 to 2011 and has been on the Speaker’s panel of chairmen since 1999.
He was previously chair of the Russia group, until being succeeded by Labour’s Chris Bryant, because he was felt to be too lenient towards Moscow: “We were concerned by Mike Hancock’s pro-Putin and pro-Medvedev position. That is why I stood against him and ousted him. On 18 October 2011, amidst espionage allegations relating to his aide and mistress Katia Zatuliveter, Hancock resigned from his post on the defence select committee. Mátyás Eörsi, a Hungarian member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said of his colleague Hancock in August 2010: “He is the most pro-Russian MP from among all of the countries of western Europe. You just have to read his speeches. Hancock has said that he will act to defend the government of Azerbaijan in the British Parliament.
He says that he disapproves of criticism of President Ilham Aliyev’s regime, and has stated that, in particular, he disapproves of the democratic opposition movement within Azerbaijan. March 2010, he said: “Armenia is like a headless chicken that runs around in circles. They really do not know where to run. Hancock is a patron of the Captive Animals Protection Society, a charity campaigning for an end to the use of animals in entertainment, including circuses, zoos, the exotic pet trade and the audio-visual industry. Hancock is a notable supporter of homoeopathy, having signed several early day motions in support of its continued funding on the National Health Service. On 8 August 2010, one of Hancock’s parliamentary aides, Russian national Katia Zatuliveter, and her friend were questioned at Gatwick Airport on returning from celebrating her 25th birthday in Croatia.
On 5 December 2010, Hancock confirmed the detention of Zatuliveter and advised the media that she was appealing against her potential deportation. On 7 December 2010 Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the affair as “vaudeville based on a threadbare spy plot” being whipped up by the UK media, which could “only be regarded with pity”. MI5 she said: “I fully cooperated with them when they questioned me. I have nothing to hide and was only doing my job as a parliamentary researcher.
