Matt Hancock is just the man to get young people excited about the jab

The old have been taking the vaccine in their droves. But what if the young prove less keen? What if they can’t be bothered to get an injection? Could that foil Britain’s hopes of seeing off the pandemic?

These were the questions troubling Sir Desmond Swayne (Con, New Forest West) in the Commons. Perhaps, he said, the Government could launch some form of promotional campaign.

Happily, Matt Hancock was one step ahead. “We are absolutely planning to instil as much enthusiasm as we can muster among young people,” he said.

It sounded very exciting. Precisely how he intends to instil the young with this enthusiasm, he did not reveal. But if, as suggested, he is plotting a promotional campaign, there could be no better man for the job. After all, he’ll be able to draw on his extensive knowledge of the latest youth trends. Although he is in his 40s, Mr Hancock has long boasted of his affinity with youth culture. Indeed, while a minister in the Culture department back in 2017, he wrote a comment piece for a newspaper, headlined: “As a grime fan, I know the power of the UK’S urban music scene.”

Admittedly, some observers have questioned whether his understanding of this scene is quite as thorough as he makes out. After attending the Mercury Music Prize awards ceremony in 2016, he informed a journalist he was a devoted admirer of the winning act, a London-born rapper named Skepta. When the journalist asked him to name his favourite Skepta track, Mr Hancock appeared to suffer a sudden bout of amnesia – reportedly turning to an aide and murmuring, “Jonathan, help me out here.” In reply, the aide suggested a song named Shutdown – which Mr Hancock had witnessed Mr Skepta performing onstage earlier that evening. At any rate, after yesterday’s tantalising announcement, MPS will be looking forward to finding out what Mr Hancock comes up with.

Unconfirmed reports suggest we may see a video for social media, in which Mr Hancock – sporting shell suit and baseball cap – rolls up to the camera on a skateboard, and informs his audience that, without vaccine certification, they will be barred from entry at their local youth club or discotheque. He will then add that, in trials, the vaccines have been up to 96 per cent wicked. Finally, he will perform a rap of his own composition.

“Yo kids, you don’t need to have the wisdom of Seneca / To know that you can trust in Oxford Astrazeneca / So listen to my man, the Chief Medical Adviser/ And go book yourself an injection of Pfizer.”