Revealed, how Hancock saved the world (by, er, Matt Hancock)
Mail uncovers pitch for his book... but experts say he’ll struggle to get deal if memoir skirts over THIS kiss
Matt Hancock claims he stopped Covid from causing ‘a tsunami of death and deprivation’ that would have destroyed the NHS, according to a synopsis of his planned political memoir.
It is one of a series of boasts attributed to the former health secretary – who resigned after he was photographed in a clinch with aide Gina Coladangelo – in the book summary leaked to the Daily Mail.
according to the synopsis of the book, provisionally titled the Race, Mr Hancock tells how he ‘led the race’ to develop a vaccine, ‘beating every major country in the world’.
But a well-placed source said Mr Hancock had little chance of securing a publishing deal because his book proposal made no mention of the affair with Miss Coladangelo, which led to his resignation in June – or the leaked photo of their kiss that ended his marriage.
Relatives of Covid victims accused him of trying to ‘cash in’ on the pandemic when this newspaper disclosed last month that plans for a book that could earn him up to £100,000 had been submitted to at least one major publisher. they are unlikely to be assuaged when they hear of how, according to the synopsis, Mr Hancock claims credit for his role in winning the ‘battle’ with the pandemic in near-Churchillian tones.
It talks of his ‘fractious’ rows with fellow ministers, and while praising Boris Johnson, the summary suggests Mr Hancock played a bigger part in aspects of defeating the virus than the Prime Minister, emphasising he took charge of most key discussions.
It recounts his ‘sombre duty’ in ‘breaking the news’ of Covid deaths to the nation. It says he prevented the vaccine being ‘sold off’ to the US and thwarted a bid by the EU Commission to cut off vaccine supplies to the UK.
the book proposal will be seen by some as part of Mr Hancock’s attempt to regain his Cabinet seat. His allies say that despite his scandalous downfall, he deserves more credit than he has been given in tackling the pandemic.
Celebrity agent Jonathan Shalit, who has represented model Kelly Brook and singers Cher and Sting, helped with the book proposal.
the synopsis, which was considered by publisher HarperCollins, proclaims it as ‘a unique political memoir by the man who led the race to deploy a vaccine on mass scale across Britain and the world’.
It adds: ‘For 18 vital months, Matt Hancock led the desperate but eventually successful battle to deliver the best, biggest and fastest vaccination programme in history. Not only was he in the room for most of the key meetings, he chaired most of the important ones.’ Mr Hancock’s book will provide ‘the first inside story of Britain’s fight to overcome its biggest ever peacetime challenge’, it says.
‘He had to bring scientists together to develop a vaccine while stopping the NHS from collapsing under a tsunami of illness, death and deprivation.’ Mr Hancock also vows to hit back hard at former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings, who claimed the former health secretary ‘lied’ about aspects of combating the pandemic. according to the summary, Mr Hancock accuses meddling Mr Cummings of jeopardising the vaccine.
The memoirs give a detailed account of tensions in No10 over lockdowns and how it was decided the best way to defeat ‘anti-vax conspiracy theorists’ was to challenge them head-on.
The synopsis also says the vaccine programme was nearly called off at the last minute.
HarperCollins is understood to have turned down Mr Hancock’s book proposal.
A spokesman for Mr Hancock said: ‘He has been approached a number of times to write a book about his experiences as health secretary during the pandemic. there is no £100,000 on the table, no book deal and no title.’
The spokesman declined to answer questions about the synopsis – or if Mr Hancock had worked with Mr Shalit on it.