THE Government's vaccine taskforce, set up in the UK's continuing battle against coronavirus, will be chaired by the wife of a Herefordshire MP.

Kate Bingham was appointed chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce on Saturday and will steer the group as they try to find and manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine.

The cross-government role will see Ms Bingham report directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and the Business Secretary has said she will bring "exceptional leadership" to the role.

Ms Bingham, who married Jesse Norman in 1992 before he became MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire in 2010, has been described as a leading figure in the life sciences sector by the UK Government.

A spokesperson said her appointment will enable the Vaccine Taskforce to accelerate the development of a safe and effective vaccine, which is said to be one of the long-term solutions to controlling the coronavirus pandemic and saving lives without social distancing or contact tracing in place.

She will co-ordinate the work already underway across Government, academia and industry to rapidly develop vaccines, and ensure that as and when a viable one becomes available, it can be produced in mass quantities and safely administered to the public – both in the UK and around the world.

Ms Bingham has worked in the biotech sector in the UK and internationally for 26 years – most recently as Managing Partner at SV Health Investor.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who has been tasked with ministerial responsibility for the government’s work on vaccines, said: "Discovering a vaccine is going to be vital in the plan to defeat Covid-19.

"Kate’s appointment as chair of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce will give us exceptional leadership and focused energy as we seek to make this essential breakthrough.

"We stand firmly behind the work of Kate and the Taskforce as they lead efforts to discover and mass produce a Covid-19 vaccine that could save millions of lives in the UK and around the world."

Kate Bingham added: "Our immediate aim on vaccines is two-fold: to ensure everyone in the UK that needs to be vaccinated against Covid-19 can be as soon as practicable.

"Secondly, to ensure adequate global distribution of vaccines to bring the quickest possible end to the pandemic and the economic and social damage it causes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government is determined to "harness the UK’s world leading scientists and institutions" to create a Covid-19 vaccine.

"Kate’s work will be critical to this effort," he added.

"She has an excellent track record in the biotech industry, and brings vast experience working with drug and therapeutic discoveries which gives us a head start in finding and manufacturing a Covid-19 vaccine."