Revealed: Hancock’s desperate bid to hog jabs rollout limelight Jamie Njoku-goodwin
Messages show how former health secretary fought to become face of the nationwide success – and hoped it would mean public would forgive him for lockdowns
MATT HANCOCK feared he would not get credit for the UK’S vaccine success and described the speeding up of the jabs programme as a “Hancock triumph”.
The former health secretary’s Whatsapp messages show how he fought to be the face of Britain’s vaccine rollout at the height of the pandemic, and became furious if he thought others were getting the credit.
He was told by his media advisers that fronting the programme would allow the press and public to “forgive” him for imposing lockdowns and that “politically” he must balance the two.
By late 2020, after Britain had been plunged into a second lockdown, it had become clear that the pandemic would only end with a nationwide vaccination programme of a kind never before seen in this country.
Mr Hancock had already battled with his Cabinet colleagues over who should have overall control of the procurement strategy and struck an uneasy compromise between his Department of Health and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
In November 2020, the Department of Health caught wind of an imminent announcement from Pfizer that its vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective against Covid-19.
The Pfizer vaccine was the first to report its interim trial data and went on to be the first to be administered to the public in the UK the following month. Dr Albert Bourla, the company’s chairman, fronted the press release, declaring it a “great day for science and humanity”.
On hearing the news was about to break, Mr Hancock bemoaned, in messages with media adviser Damon Poole, that he was not live on camera to welcome the news.
He also worried he would be overshadowed by Alok Sharma, the business secretary.
Damon Poole
Pfizer announcement at lunchtime on their vaccine [09/11/2020, 10:43:20]
Damon Poole
Just had this from Oxford comms director. [09/11/2020, 10:43:35]
Matt Hancock
OK. Pity I’m not up in the Commons! [09/11/2020, 10:56:04]
Matt Hancock
I should do a clip [09/11/2020, 10:56:13]
Matt Hancock
We should pump out the NHS doc [09/11/2020, 10:56:20]
Damon Poole
Yep ‘People don’t mind if you don’t succeed. They mind if it doesn’t look like we are trying’ [09/11/2020, 10:56:54]
Matt Hancock
Do No10 know? [09/11/2020, 10:57:20]
Damon Poole
Don’t know [09/11/2020, 10:58:14]
Damon Poole
They do yes [09/11/2020, 10:59:18]
Matt Hancock
I should DEFINITELY do the round tmrw [09/11/2020, 11:00:27]
Damon Poole
Yeh [09/11/2020, 11:00:43]
Matt Hancock
The Uni document won’t be the lead! [09/11/2020, 11:01:07]
Damon Poole
No it won’t! [09/11/2020, 11:01:15]
Matt Hancock
It MUST NOT be Alok! [09/11/2020, 11:05:11]
Damon Poole
I know, I’m worried [09/11/2020, 11:05:20] When the news broke, Mr Hancock tweeted that it “highlights the phenomenal work of scientists and clinicians around the world”, and toured the broadcast studios the next morning. Broadcasters and news websites led with his suggestion the vaccine could be rolled out in the UK within weeks. It was a rare piece of good news in an otherwise miserable stream of announcements about the dire state of the NHS, Covid restrictions and deaths. Early on in the pandemic, Mr Hancock and his media adviser, Jamie Njoku-goodwin, had discussed how taking credit for the vaccine would allow the public to “forgive” him for backing lockdowns.
Matt Hancock
Front pages on vaccine are unreal [17/04/2020, 22:14:29]
Matt Hancock
You are totally right I must own this [17/04/2020, 22:14:38]
Matt Hancock
I need to meet this scientist – who is at the same oxford college I was at [17/04/2020, 22:15:09]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
Yup [17/04/2020, 22:15:25]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
Papers see it as the way out [17/04/2020, 22:15:38]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
They will forgive you for being in favour of lockdown if they think you are working night and day for a vaccine [17/04/2020, 22:16:05] Mr Njoku-goodwin, Mr Hancock’s closest aide, said it was important he was there to “cut the ribbon”.
Matt Hancock
We were first out of the blocks on vaccine [17/04/2020, 22:23:00]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
Exactly [17/04/2020, 22:23:06]
Matt Hancock
But I was put off by everyone saying it will be next year [17/04/2020, 22:23:16]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
But since then we have left it alone [17/04/2020, 22:23:20]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
I’m kicking myself [17/04/2020, 22:23:25]
Matt Hancock
It’s fine – we will get across it [17/04/2020, 22:23:50]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
People don’t mind if you don’t succeed. They mind if it doesn’t look like we are trying [17/04/2020, 22:25:23]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
The pressure/focus is on industry atm [17/04/2020, 22:25:41]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
We just need to show we are doing everything
‘It won’t take any work. We just … turn up to the parade, salute and cut the ribbon’
Matt Hancock
I should DEFINITELY do the round tmrw...it MUST NOT be Alok! 09/11/2020 11:00:27
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
They will forgive you for being in favour of lockdown if they think you are working night and day for a vaccine 17/04/2020 22:16:05
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
Politically, being the guy in favour of a lockdown but also working night and day for a vaccine is the ideal place to be 17/04/2020, 22:22:59
Matt Hancock
Everyone knows I’m Mr vaccine & this is the route out. 26/12/2020 23:33:18
Matt Hancock
I CALLED FOR THIS TWO MONTHS AGO. This is a Hancock triumph! 07/01/2021 07:42:13
we can [17/04/2020, 22:25:53]
We took a punt on the antibody test, with the logic that it was worth it if it came off. Same goes here. If spending £2bn on a vaccine programme means we only accelerate it by a few days, that’s still worth it. Let’s talk to pharma companies and find out what they need. And make sure they get it. [17/04/2020, 22:28:10]
Jamie Njoku-goodwin
It won’t take any work – we dont have to do
‘We need to make sure the credit for smooth/ successful deployment goes to the right place’
anything, industry is all geared up for this. We just need to turn up to the parade, salute and cut the ribbon. It’s purely a comms/political thing. Bizarrely, pushing on vaccines will be the least resource intensive thing we do, but the most politically beneficial. [17/04/2020, 22:30:39]
Matt Hancock
Agree with all this [18/04/2020, 08:17:53]
In early December, Mr Hancock gave one of his most memorable interviews of the pandemic, as he appeared to break down in tears of joy while being interviewed live on ITV’S Good Morning Britain programme.
He told the programme it had “been such a tough year for so many people” and he was relieved that people could at last “get on with their lives” after all that.
But with medical agencies, pharma companies and ministers putting out announcements on vaccines without adding a quote from Mr Hancock, he began to get frustrated, as shown in his messages with Mr Poole.
Damon Poole
Have you spoken with any of the sunday hacks? [26/12/2020, 22:28:43]
Damon Poole
This vaccine spray is annoying [26/12/2020, 22:28:49]
Damon Poole
Looks like nhs [26/12/2020, 22:47:30]
Matt Hancock
Nope. I haven’t seen anything [26/12/2020, 23:23:17]
Matt Hancock
Now I’ve seen it. Sure it’s not No10? [26/12/2020, 23:25:10]
Damon Poole
I’m pretty sure it’s them [26/12/2020, 23:25:20]
Damon Poole
MOS / Times / Tele [26/12/2020, 23:25:29]
Matt Hancock
The thing that pisses me off is the Mail on Sunday links it to Rishi. What’s that all about? [26/12/2020, 23:25:44]
Matt Hancock
Who? [26/12/2020, 23:25:48]
Damon Poole
No10 [26/12/2020, 23:25:56]
Matt Hancock
Are they relaxed about it? [26/12/2020, 23:26:55]
Damon Poole
Yes [26/12/2020, 23:27:01]
Matt Hancock
? [26/12/2020, 23:27:09]
Damon Poole
He did an oped for them [26/12/2020, 23:27:19]
Damon Poole
They have rolled it into just a positive splash [26/12/2020, 23:27:35]
Matt Hancock
That’s the position I need to be in [26/12/2020, 23:28:09]
Damon Poole
His piece fleetingly mentions it [26/12/2020, 23:28:44]
Matt Hancock
Yes – smart. Anyhow, all very cheerful & we need to be on the front foot from tmrw [26/12/2020, 23:30:07]
Damon Poole
I’m really annoyed about them all. [26/12/2020, 23:30:35]
Damon Poole
Yes [26/12/2020, 23:30:36]
Matt Hancock
Why? [26/12/2020, 23:31:09]
Damon Poole
It’s all fine and obviously up to no10 to do what they like, just annoying it’s not done properly. [26/12/2020, 23:31:48]
Matt Hancock
Yes – and very annoying not to have any of the good news up our sleeve. But could be worse – everyone knows I’m Mr vaccine & this is the route out. Not sure about the end-of-february thing but that’s def where the PM’S head’s at [26/12/2020, 23:33:18]
Matt Hancock
Anyhow, before then we’ve got a battle to fight to keep the spread down. Spk tmrw [26/12/2020, 23:33:50]
Damon Poole
Yeh I’m less worried about you not being played in as you have and will this week front the actual announcement. That’s the key [26/12/2020, 23:33:54]
The same thing happened the next month, when Mr Hancock and his aide suspected the MHRA, the medicines regulator, had briefed a newspaper on the length of time it would take to approve vaccines, without consulting the Department of Health.
Matt Hancock
Send me the mail story [07/01/2021, 07:39:59]
Damon Poole
Vaccine approval is finally cut from TWENTY days to five [includes link to Mail Online story ‘Vaccination drive FINALLY starts accelerating’ [07/01/2021, 07:40:19]
Damon Poole
MHRA briefing in pretty sure [07/01/2021, 07:40:27]
Damon Poole
Im* [07/01/2021, 07:40:33]
Matt Hancock
Weird [07/01/2021, 07:40:39]
Matt Hancock
But isn’t that good news? Is it true? [07/01/2021, 07:40:52]
Damon Poole
Believe it’s true [07/01/2021, 07:41:01]
Damon Poole
But they can’t be blindsiding everyone [07/01/2021, 07:41:17]
Matt Hancock
I CALLED FOR THIS TWO MONTHS AGO. This is a Hancock triumph! And if it IS true we neeed to accelerate massively. [07/01/2021, 07:42:13]
Damon Poole
Ok! [07/01/2021, 07:42:26]
The strategy of taking credit for the vaccine, and therefore the impact on lockdown restrictions, was eventually given its own slogan: “Own the exit”. The phrase is repeated several times between Mr Hancock and his aides in the months that followed. In January 2021, he and Mr Poole discussed their strategy again.
Damon Poole
[Link to Sky News story - COVID-19 Rejected contracts and a Hollywood movie – how UK struck deal to guarantee vaccine supply] [31/01/2021, 08:46:55]
Matt Hancock
That sky piece is very excellent [31/01/2021, 09:35:31]
Damon Poole
Anyhow, we’ve done a fairly good job of owning the “early decisions“narrative, need to make sure credit for successful / smooth deployment goes to the right place, rather than nhs not so subtly comparing it to test and trace. [31/01/2021, 09:38:33]
Damon Poole
That politics east interview is getting a lot of pickup [31/01/2021, 14:03:20]
Matt Hancock
Which bit? [31/01/2021, 14:32:51]
Damon Poole
Most adults by summer [31/01/2021, 14:34:53]
Matt Hancock
Well, we want to own the exit ...... [31/01/2021, 14:40:54]
On the day the official vaccine delivery plan was published, Mr Hancock messaged Mr Poole to say: “Positive coverage in the Sun AND Mail.”
Mr Poole replied: “Keep riding it through to spring – own the exit!”