Sir Patrick Vallance -Vaccine Conflict of Interest

[FTMF30]

Any thoughts on the article below:

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/09/24/no-conflict-of-interest-in-vallance-holding-vaccine-company-shares-hancock/

I personally find it to be a huge conflict of interest and actually quite sinister. I just don't know what/who to trust anymore.

@ProfessorSlocombe

Personally I would be more concerned about the fact that Matt Hancock - who on any other planet would be responsible for Vallances bona fides claims he only learned about it from a newspaper.

Mind you, this is the same man who admitted he wished he'd been told there was a virus doing the rounds a few days ago, or some such similar twaddle.

No, Hancock would not be responsible for this. Vallance is a civil servant. He was appointed before Hancock became minister, and it would be the Civil Service that did the checks on Vallance, not a minister.

Not that I'm one to leap to Hancock's defence, but let's at least get the facts right.

just me it's a gin, a very nice one too

I've not liked or trusted him at all from the start, nor jenny harries...

It doesn't surprise me one bit

No, Hancock would not be responsible for this. Vallance is a civil servant. He was appointed before Hancock became minister, and it would be the Civil Service that did the checks on Vallance, not a minister. [] Not that I'm one to leap to Hancock's defence, but let's at least get the facts right.

It was more the fact he admitted he'd learned it from a newspaper that was less than stellar ....

@ProfessorSlocombe

No, Hancock would not be responsible for this. Vallance is a civil servant. He was appointed before Hancock became minister, and it would be the Civil Service that did the checks on Vallance, not a minister. [] Not that I'm one to leap to Hancock's defence, but let's at least get the facts right.

It was more the fact he admitted he'd learned it from a newspaper that was less than stellar ....

I get what you mean. But it's the journalist who will have made a story out of this. It's not Hancocks job to check his civil servant's conflict of interest status. He relies on the leaders of the civil service to do that. He's got enough on his plate. And even if he'd bothered asking about the CofI, the civil service would have reassured him that everything was above board. As it is.

Given that everything was in order, there's no reason for him to need to know any of this.

(Can't believe I'm defending him again!)

I doubt the shares he had to sell in 2018 were worth £5m then. I think they have gone up quite a lot a a result of the vaccine.

Wouldn’t it be more worrying if, despite GSK being the best company for the job, they went with a different company because he held shares?

Yes which is why it would be better if he'd divested himself of said shares prior to taking the civil service post

Just because he's followed the current rules regarding declaration doesn't mean his having shares in the company won't possibly bias any decisions he makes that could affect the share price!

I doubt the shares he had to sell in 2018 were worth £5m then. I think they have gone up quite a lot a a result of the vaccine.

GSK hasn't really gone up since 2018

Yes which is why it would be better if he'd divested himself of said shares prior to taking the civil service post

Read the post above. He has sold all those whuch he can sell. He still has some which he cannot sell until after the mature in April next year

Thanks to all of those who are debunking this nonsense. I'm just sorry so few people on this thread are able to read the facts presented. We really don't need more nonsense feeding the antivaxx movement.

Almost everyone with a decent pension fund has shares in GSK, they are leading FTSE100 company. Valence may have a more direct link, but anyone with a decent pension will profit if GSK profit.

Hikma & AstraZeneca are in FTSE 100, too.

I've not liked or trusted him at all from the start, nor jenny harries...

I doubt that keeps either of them awake at night.