In a newly published interview, Kate Bingham describes the challenge she was handed by Boris Johnson after being appointed last May as chair of the government’s Covid vaccine taskforce.
But while her task was clear - find the right vaccines and make sure the UK secures enough doses - critics outside of Downing Street claimed the circumstances surrounding her appointment were murky. Her marriage to Tory MP Jesse Norman gave rise to cronyism allegations, while her background in venture capitalism triggered suggestions that Bingham was not qualified for a government role.
‘Cronyism and incompetence’
The initial flurry of allegations against Bingham were followed by a fresh onslaught in November, when The Sunday Times reported that she was “facing calls to resign after disclosing ‘official sensitive’ government documents to a $200-a-head conference in America”.