Vallance faces scrutiny over lab leak theory dismissal

Labour Minister Lord Patrick Vallance faces scrutiny for dismissing a report suggesting that Covid-19 was engineered in a Wuhan lab. The report, submitted in March 2020, has raised questions about transparency in the UK’s scientific community. Vallance, who was the chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, reportedly downplayed the lab leak theory in 2023, stating it was "very unlikely." Critics claim he collaborated on a paper that supported the idea of a natural origin for the virus, despite acknowledging the lab leak possibility. Recent intelligence assessments from the US and Germany suggest a lab leak is more likely than a natural origin. Calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 have intensified, with demands for transparency regarding scientists' funding and affiliations.