Sir Patrick Vallance, former UK government chief scientific adviser, has been appointed as the Science Minister by Keir Starmer, prompting controversy over his handling of Covid-19 origins and response. Vallance, known for his role during the pandemic, faced criticism for allegedly stifling discussions on the lab leak hypothesis. Despite his significant contributions to government science, concerns have been raised about his approach to key pandemic decisions. Lockdown sceptics question Starmer's choice, arguing it maintains the status quo and lacks the promised change in pandemic policy direction.