Before we begin, I ought to declare an interest: I have for many years defended Matt Hancock. As health secretary, he made significant errors in his handling of the pandemic, not least the way in which Covid was allowed to spread into residential care homes in the spring of 2020. But Hancock also got some big decisions right.
First, on calling for lockdowns and second, that there would be a highly effective vaccine quickly enough to make the furlough scheme relatively short-term and therefore affordable. Incidentally, the chancellor at the time was to varying degrees opposed to both of these policies. Of course, Hancock lost his job and ended up in the Australian jungle while Sunak got a promotion.
