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One of the many extraordinary things about the world the Government is creating is the institutionalisation of political patronage. Lucrative public contracts - and jobs too - for their mates.
Katie Bingham at the Vaccines Taskforce, yes, but she is but one of many examples. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/vaccine-taskforce-head-kate-bingham-shared-uk-plans-with-private-firms-rtlzrz8v5
There is also Dido Harding who was appointed as Head of the National Institute for Health Protection. She is the wife of a Conservative MP and friend of former Prime Minister David Cameron.
And Mike Coupe, former Chief Exec of Sainsbury, was appointed as Director of Covid Testing, without any public competition that we can see.
We have a number of objections to this practice.
If you just appoint your friends you'll be favouring those who are like you are - and that's very likely to discriminate against those who are not like you eg who didn't go to public school.
If you just appoint your friends you'll be favouring those who are like you are - and that's very likely to discriminate against those who are not like you eg who didn't go to public school.
We also worry about whether closed competition - appointing a friend or the husband or wife of a fellow MP - ensures that the best people fill these key roles. The country needs the Vaccines Taskforce and Test and Trace to function well. And the evidence they are is rather mixed.
Finally, it's just basically unfair. These roles mean gongs, riches, and all the trappings. It's not fair for them to go to people because of who they know not what they know or how hard they work.
So that's why @GoodLawProject has taken action. We have sent a letter before action, along with our friends at @RunnymedeTrust, to Government. You can read that letter here.
If you, too, care about these issues, please help. https://rebrand.ly/end-cronyism
If you, too, care about these issues, please help. https://rebrand.ly/end-cronyism
