When you listen to the @MattHancock hearing today, just remember that there is a human cost to lies.
https://twitter.com/doctor_oxford/status/1402875198148333570
From the off, Cummings is dragged over the coals by the chair in the intro for not providing any evidence for the accusations he made that he’d promised to deliver.
Hancock refuting the first 3 accusations of his incompetence/dishonesty, by proxy from Cummings via the chair. Now defending procurement process for PPE. He says he takes “full responsibility for the areas he’s responsible for”: an uncontroversial statement, but said with gusto
3rd charge from Cummings was testing in care homes. “Did you tell the pm they would be tested?”
Hancock: we said testing would be done when testing was available… my job was to increase testing capacity and we did.
Bit of a fudge, but unsurprising given what’s at stake.
Hancock: we said testing would be done when testing was available… my job was to increase testing capacity and we did.
Bit of a fudge, but unsurprising given what’s at stake.
Chair: Why do you think Cummings made the accusations?
Hancock: I have no idea. I knew he wanted the pm to fire me as he was briefing the papers against me. I think I know. I have a better idea of who did it now.
Hancock: I have no idea. I knew he wanted the pm to fire me as he was briefing the papers against me. I think I know. I have a better idea of who did it now.
Hancock: government has been working better the past 6 months (ie since Cummings left)
🥛 🐈
🥛 🐈
Jeremy Hunt steps in to ask when he advised a policy of not testing people before going into care homes.
Hancock says he was going on advice that testing was flawed because of false positive rates and there was no capacity at the time.
Bit tetchy between the two men currently.
Hancock says he was going on advice that testing was flawed because of false positive rates and there was no capacity at the time.
Bit tetchy between the two men currently.
Hunt queries why it took so long to consider the approaches Taiwan and S Korea were taking, which proved to be more effective than U.K.
Hancock: I don’t know
Hancock: I don’t know
.@MattHancock testifies he never lied to the PM.
But we know that, at the peak of the pandemic, he deceived staff in hospitals and care homes by promising help that never materialised
But we know that, at the peak of the pandemic, he deceived staff in hospitals and care homes by promising help that never materialised
Hancock: I set the 100000 testing target to galvanise the system and it worked. I’m delighted to say we hit it. I had no idea there were others not as supportive of the idea and was surprised by Cummings’s testimony. The PM was full square behind me.
Hancock defending the lack of govt preparedness in January as the disease was a novel virus and by definition was a new kind of threat. We had plans for things like Ebola and flu, but not for a virus like covid
Hancock: the lesson learned is we need a standing capacity for testing that is ready to go when needed.
Recurring theme for Hancock is to say PHE was great on the science but not at scaling up testing.
Recurring theme for Hancock is to say PHE was great on the science but not at scaling up testing.
Long-Bailey: a whistleblower says PHE internal advice was that all should be tested before going to care homes.
Hancock: I have no recollection of that.
Hancock: I have no recollection of that.
Long-Bailey: The same person claims that PHE were leaned on to forego testing before discharging them to care homes by Hancock’s dept.
Hancock: I don’t recall that. We introduced care home staff testing when we were able to
Hancock: I don’t recall that. We introduced care home staff testing when we were able to
No mea culpa moments seem likely to be coming from Hancock. He’s very much on the defensive. His tone in summary is “it could’ve been worse, I did my best, Cummings is mean and possibly mad”
Hunt back in the chair. Starting this section of proceedings with a look at Test and Trace failings.
Hancock reiterates the lack of scaleable testing facilities and explains Dido Harding’s appointment being due to the fact she had experience in large retail operations…
Hancock reiterates the lack of scaleable testing facilities and explains Dido Harding’s appointment being due to the fact she had experience in large retail operations…
Hancock: “Dido built a system the size of Tesco in 6 months.”
Bit of an odd comparison that, Matt.
Bit of an odd comparison that, Matt.
Hunt: A reminder that this is a ‘lessons learned’ exercise, so would you have done things different with the isolation payments?
Hancock: Yes in hindsight we would’ve made it simpler and communicated it better, but we had concerns the payment system could be ‘gamed’
Hancock: Yes in hindsight we would’ve made it simpler and communicated it better, but we had concerns the payment system could be ‘gamed’
Side note: The problem live tweeting this testimony as opposed to Cummings’ is that Hancock doesn’t seem to engage with the questions in the same way. His answers are couched in politico speak; much wordier than they need to be which makes it difficult to find the actual content!
Greg Clark: The consensus conclusions seem to be if we’d known more we would’ve done better.
Hancock: I agree. But I’m a practical man. My job was to build it, not feel sorry for myself… (next beat, adopts somber tone) Every death in a care home weighs heavily on me personally
Hancock: I agree. But I’m a practical man. My job was to build it, not feel sorry for myself… (next beat, adopts somber tone) Every death in a care home weighs heavily on me personally
Hancock: “I still remember, and it’s burned across my soul, where the military were sent into a care home in Spain where every resident, had died”
Hancock demonstrating his uncanny ability to switch from being visibly emotional to giving robust testimony alarmingly quickly.
Hancock demonstrating his uncanny ability to switch from being visibly emotional to giving robust testimony alarmingly quickly.
Greg Clark addressing the discharging of people to care homes.
Hancock plays down transmissions from hospital admissions, and seems to playing up the role staff at care homes played in bringing the virus in. A significant passing of the buck there.
Hancock plays down transmissions from hospital admissions, and seems to playing up the role staff at care homes played in bringing the virus in. A significant passing of the buck there.
Greg Clark suggests that the low 1.6% reported rate of hospital to care homes transmission is due to the fact they weren’t being tested.
An obvious point but one Hancock seems keen not to address in any coherent way. Understandable why he wants to play it down. It’s his neck.
An obvious point but one Hancock seems keen not to address in any coherent way. Understandable why he wants to play it down. It’s his neck.
Hancock’s floundering at this point.
He’s using the 1.6% figure to play down his role in care home deaths, despite acknowledging it’s based on data in a context of there being no testing.
He’s using the 1.6% figure to play down his role in care home deaths, despite acknowledging it’s based on data in a context of there being no testing.
Hancock apparently saying U.K. is a “different kind of island” to Taiwan and Australia as “we have a tunnel and a lot of freight coming in”
Suggests these differences meant we weren’t as effective in dealing with transmission as those countries.
Suggests these differences meant we weren’t as effective in dealing with transmission as those countries.
(Hancock giving off similar energy as Leon the replicant being interviewed in Blade Runner… not sure if he’s got the same stamina for these lengthy interrogations as Cummings. Waiting for an “I’ll tell you about my mother…” moment)
Committee: Do you think the public trust you?
Hancock: (laughs) You’ll have to ask them. I’m a huge team player and have to take difficult decisions and it’s important we act as a team.
(I think that’s an awkward acknowledgment that he doesn’t think they do)
Hancock: (laughs) You’ll have to ask them. I’m a huge team player and have to take difficult decisions and it’s important we act as a team.
(I think that’s an awkward acknowledgment that he doesn’t think they do)
Do you think NHS staff have trust in you?
Hancock: yes I do, and I think it’s incredibly important they do, they have worked incredibly hard. It saddens me that nhs staff have died. It’s incredibly important to me to mark their sacrifice. It’s something that moves me a lot.
Hancock: yes I do, and I think it’s incredibly important they do, they have worked incredibly hard. It saddens me that nhs staff have died. It’s incredibly important to me to mark their sacrifice. It’s something that moves me a lot.
Hancock addressing blanket Do Not Resuscitate orders:
It was a team decision. The clinical advice was that that provision was always available.
Confusingly he goes on to say as soon as he found out about blanket DNR notices he immediately sent instructions this wasn’t policy.
It was a team decision. The clinical advice was that that provision was always available.
Confusingly he goes on to say as soon as he found out about blanket DNR notices he immediately sent instructions this wasn’t policy.
For a “lessons learned” exercise Matt Hancock seems fairly determined to not accept any personal criticism, which makes learning lessons a bit difficult.
Hancock: I know I can face the mirror each morning and despite the deaths that occurred I know I did my best and brought together people as a team.
(Odds of him having a cry in this session have just shortened massively)
(Odds of him having a cry in this session have just shortened massively)
Regarding the situation in Wales where they hold no vaccine buffer and get it “in people’s arms” ASAP:
Hancock: I’m grinning because I’m deciding whether to give the full answer.
(Goes on to say that policy works in Wales as they rely on the U.K. govt to provide the buffer)
Hancock: I’m grinning because I’m deciding whether to give the full answer.
(Goes on to say that policy works in Wales as they rely on the U.K. govt to provide the buffer)
Committee: what’s your attitude to risk?
Hancock: sometimes you have to take them. Once taken, you have to manage them…
(This seems a softball, allowing Hancock to emphasise (again) how unprecedented a time this was and how complicated it actually is)
Hancock: sometimes you have to take them. Once taken, you have to manage them…
(This seems a softball, allowing Hancock to emphasise (again) how unprecedented a time this was and how complicated it actually is)
(Hancock using this broad question to run the clock down with a story about Tunbridge Wells and acting firmly…)
Hancock: everything was based on poor data, but the system is now much improved.
(The closest he’s come to throwing someone under a bus is his personification of Data. He emphasises he’s part of a team and makes decisions based on advice. Therefore blameless. Matt as conduit)
(The closest he’s come to throwing someone under a bus is his personification of Data. He emphasises he’s part of a team and makes decisions based on advice. Therefore blameless. Matt as conduit)
Committee: who was responsible for directing PPE?
Hancock: it was a government decision. I was responsible but the NHS supply chain couldn’t secure supplies so we expanded the supply route, the team rose to the challenge we did the best we could. I know, I know it wasn’t perfect
Hancock: it was a government decision. I was responsible but the NHS supply chain couldn’t secure supplies so we expanded the supply route, the team rose to the challenge we did the best we could. I know, I know it wasn’t perfect
Committee: you’ve not answered the question
Hancock: there is no evidence that anyone died as a result of lack of PPE.
Hancock: there is no evidence that anyone died as a result of lack of PPE.
Committee clearly getting frustrated at Hancock’s unwillingness to give meaningful answers.
“I answered this an hour ago”
“You didn’t answer it though”
“I will answer it again… (doesn’t answer question)
“I answered this an hour ago”
“You didn’t answer it though”
“I will answer it again… (doesn’t answer question)
Hancock: I was not involved in procurement. Part of my job was passing leads to my department, using the proper channels.
Committee provides email evidence to suggest Hancock’s personal involvement in securing contracts for businesses.
He claims he just passes offers on.
Committee provides email evidence to suggest Hancock’s personal involvement in securing contracts for businesses.
He claims he just passes offers on.
Hancock getting seriously tetchy now, after sustained questions regarding the integrity of procurement processes abs fraud. The @GoodLawProject got a shout out regarding how his dept has been found to have acted unlawfully.
Getting close to a “how very dare you!?” moment.
Getting close to a “how very dare you!?” moment.
The disgraced Cambridge Analytica mentioned now and their involvement in Palantir and patient data. Hancock seems rattled by their mention. Claims to not recollect if they are or not. He’s floundering and seems a bit blindsided.
Kudos to @DawnButlerBrent for bringing this up. Clearly a sore spot for Hancock. She’s really pushing the issue. 👏
Hancock off on one now, eulogising the importance of data as a way of saving lives. “It could cure cancer!” and saying people are more used to sharing it freely now.
“It’s your decision” he says, famously currently in charge of an nhs data grab that requires people to opt out.
“It’s your decision” he says, famously currently in charge of an nhs data grab that requires people to opt out.
Asked what he would do differently Hancock he says “so much! We’ve learned so much”
The delay in putting India on the red list is brought up as an example of where the govt seems to have learned no lessons at all.
Scotland closed its borders, England didn’t.
The delay in putting India on the red list is brought up as an example of where the govt seems to have learned no lessons at all.
Scotland closed its borders, England didn’t.
Do you accept NHS shortages made the pandemic worse?
Hancock: we will deliver on our manifesto commitment of 50000 more nurses
(on safe tubthumping ground now, though this was shown to be BS some time ago as it includes 18500 existing staff who will be convinced not to quit)
Hancock: we will deliver on our manifesto commitment of 50000 more nurses
(on safe tubthumping ground now, though this was shown to be BS some time ago as it includes 18500 existing staff who will be convinced not to quit)
To wit: channel4.com/news/factcheck…
Find someone who loves you as much as Matt Hancock loves improvements in data flow.
Given his deep love of data, it seems increasingly unlikely he was unaware of Cambridge Analytica’s involvement with Palantir and Faculty.
Given his deep love of data, it seems increasingly unlikely he was unaware of Cambridge Analytica’s involvement with Palantir and Faculty.
Hunt: looking back should we have tested NHS staff better?
Hancock: we couldn’t without the testing capacity. The lesson is to have a standing capacity. Also with an airborne disease, improved hospital ventilation is an important lesson too.
Hancock: we couldn’t without the testing capacity. The lesson is to have a standing capacity. Also with an airborne disease, improved hospital ventilation is an important lesson too.
Greg Clark: looking forward, do we have a plan for vaccine escape?
Hancock: *sighs* yes, it is the life of a health minister to worry about such things…
(I’ve got audio-only currently but am assuming he raised the back of his hand to his forehead when saying this)
Hancock: *sighs* yes, it is the life of a health minister to worry about such things…
(I’ve got audio-only currently but am assuming he raised the back of his hand to his forehead when saying this)
Winding up now. A much more politically safe presentation of the narrative from Hancock there, he assures the committee he will provide the evidence they’ve requested and set out his version of what actually happened promptly*
*hear that @Dominic2306!? Pull your finger out!
*hear that @Dominic2306!? Pull your finger out!
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