Inside Politics: Matt Hancock faces questions about vaccine order

Health secretary is under pressure to explain why the UK could not secure a larger deal at an earlier stage with US firm Moderna, writes Adam Forrest

Matt Hancock (PA)

After the excitement wears off, the questions begin. Tory MP and Netflix fan Andrew Bridgen says the latest season of The Crown is actually “utter rubbish” for suggesting Thatcher’s decision to go to war in the Falklands was forced by her son’s disappearance. Now that the excitement about the Covid vaccine has worn off, there is serious scrutiny about how it’s going to work. Is Boris Johnson’s government up to a smooth roll-out? Following news of a 95 per cent effective jab, Matt Hancock has been asked to explain why the UK hadn’t pre-ordered more from the US.

 

Inside the bubble

 

Chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:

Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the virtual cabinet, back on Zoom because he is isolating, after many weeks of the grandeur of the Locarno room in the Foreign Office. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick is publishing a white paper on standards in social housing. Mark Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, is appearing before the public administration committee. And the Commons sits from 11.30am – starting with questions to health secretary Matt Hancock.

 

Daily briefing

 

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON: The good news: the government has ordered five million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which early data indicates is up to 95 per cent effective. The not so good news: health secretary Matt Hancock said this jab won’t be available in the UK until the spring, since the US firm still needs to ramp up its supply chain. Asked why ministers had failed to secure a larger deal at an earlier stage, Hancock insisted it was “really good news” they had managed to secure any at all. The EU has a “potential purchase agreement” for up to 160 million doses – but aren’t expected to get it until spring either. Meanwhile, Tory MPs are demanding a “clear route” out of lockdown after Hancock said it was still too early to tell if England could exit on 2 December. Those hoping for a normal Christmas would’ve been disappointed to hear Public Health England’s Dr Susan Hopkins say the tier system might need to be “strengthened”. It raises the possibility of a new tier four, involving tight restrictions on movement and hospitality.

 

LOOSE LIPS: Boris Johnson has been indiscreet. The PM has gifted the SNP another PR coup by telling Tory MPs that devolution had been a “disaster” in Scotland – reportedly describing it as Tony Blair’s “biggest mistake”. No 10 did not deny the remarks, but insisted he had been making “more of a reference” to the SNP’s running of Scotland. The Nats are outraged – outraged! – and absolutely delighted that their biggest asset has messed up again. Downing Street has also been forced to defend the PM’s social distancing techniques. Johnson continues to working from his No 10 office, despite being in self-isolation at his No 11 flat. Apparently there’s a route to and from the flat and the office through the garden which keeps him out of the way of staff. A spokesman said it was “entirely keeping with the rules”. A dozen Tory MPs are now self-isolating after they came into contact with their colleague Lee Anderson at the end of last week.

 

MOVE IN MY DIRECTION: No progress on Brexit talks, unfortunately. UK negotiator David Frost admitted “there’s quite a lot to do” to get the crucial breakthroughs this week. Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney said there was still a “very, very wide gap” on fishing. “Until we can find a way of doing that, there isn’t going to be an agreement … This is move week.” Meanwhile, the chief exec of the British Ports Association said his industry had found it “agonising” to get information from the government on border infrastructure. Giving evidence to the Lords’ sub-committee, Richard Ballantyne also revealed leaving without a trade deal could make it “completely impossible” to accommodate animal and plant products coming into the UK. The committee also heard for logistics bosses that the bill for easing turmoil at ports will be far more than the £200m available.

 

STUCK IN THE 18TH CENTURY: MPs are not happy with Jacob Rees-Mogg’s old-fashioned attitude to technology. The Commons leader has been accused of suppressing the voices of those unable to attend parliament in person – since his rules limiting sessions MPs could join by video had created an “unwelcome hierarchy”. Rees-Mogg did agreed to look into “additional” opportunities for shielding MPs to take part by video link – but warned that it simply wouldn’t appropriate on an “unlimited” basis. Speaking of strange relationships with tech, some teachers in England have been told to turn off contact-tracing app and ignore self-isolation instructions, the NASUWT union has claimed. Some backbenchers, meanwhile, are demanding changes to self-isolation rules – calling on the government to bring in rapid testing for contacts of positive cases. Steve Baker MP said: “The government must adopt the goal of enabling people to take a test to exit isolation.”

 

IN THE LOOPHOLE: The government is reportedly considering a temporary cut to aid spending from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent to raise money to help the UK’s ravaged public finances. It’s the subject of fierce debate among ministers, according to The Times. One source told the paper using a “loophole” to make the cut would be a breach of the “spirit and letter” of the law. “It’s almost a certainty we’ll be judicially reviewed.” Meanwhile, the government’s expected plan to bring forward the date for the phasing out of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030 could cause problems with voters in the north. Some 70 per cent in the Tory party’s new “blue wall” seats think a ban on diesel and petrol cars would be unfair, according to a survey. Department for Transport data suggests car use is up to three times higher outside of London than in the capital – suggesting potentially greater resistance in the rest of the country.

 

JUST BEFORE I GO: Donald Trump’s election defeat appears to have left him in the mood for blowing stuff up. He reportedly asked his team for “options” to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The outgoing president made the request in the Oval Office last Thursday – but was talked out of it by senior administration officials, according to The New York Times. President-elect Joe Biden, meanwhile, has warned that lives were at risk if Trump’s team continues to block a smooth transition. “More people may die if we don’t co-ordinate,” he said. In cheerier news, it looks like some Republicans have found a backbone. Georgia’s secretary of state Brad Raffensperger said he was “stunned” when Trump’s ally Senator Lindsey Graham put him under pressure to disqualify legal ballots in certain counties. “It sure looked like he was wanting to go down that road.” 

 

On the record

 

“[The vaccine roll-out] is going to be biggest and most important thing NHS has done for a very long time.”

Deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

 

From the Twitterati

 

“I asked the government [in September] why the UK was not buying Moderna vaccine and I was told “because they won’t do a deal with anyone outside the US”. I then pointed out that a month earlier on 25 Aug EU announced it and member states bought 160m doses of it.”

Robert Peston questions failure to secure Moderna vaccine earlier…

 

“European Commission has a “potential purchase agreement” for 80 to 160 million doses. The UK chose not to participate in the EU vaccine purchase scheme, with Matt Hancock arguing in July that the government could source vaccines faster on its own.”

…while the Best for Britain group questions Hancock’s own claims on the failure.

 

Essential reading

 

Andrew Grice, The Independent: The PM’s self-isolation is the last thing we need at a crucial time

 

Justine Greening, The Independent: Boris Johnson could still save his ‘levelling up’ agenda – with these three steps

 

Zoe Williams, The Guardian: If Starmer sticks to his principles, Labour should vote against a Brexit trade deal

 

Peter Wehner, The Atlantic: It’s time to stop obsessing about Donald Trump

 

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