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It has been another deeply concerning week for Tory cronyism.
A thread on some of the most troubling stories surfacing over the last few days.
A thread on some of the most troubling stories surfacing over the last few days.
Worth noting up top that Labour's calculations have found *at the very least* ÂŁ1 billion has been awarded to businesses with clear links to friends and donors of the Tory Party, since the pandemic began. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/fury-over-1billion-coronavirus-deals-22885550
First story this week: a dossier revealed minsters squandered ÂŁmillions on PPE that can't be used safely or within use by dates.
Experienced businesses were overlooked - but a Tory councillor's biz and another owned by a constituency chairman won out... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8898907/Dossier-reveals-ministers-UNDERBOUGHT-threw-6-75billion-protective-clothing.html
Experienced businesses were overlooked - but a Tory councillor's biz and another owned by a constituency chairman won out... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8898907/Dossier-reveals-ministers-UNDERBOUGHT-threw-6-75billion-protective-clothing.html
That follows the important and troubling work done by the @GoodLawProject last week, which found that this Tory Government set up special channels for “VIPs”, to gain advantages to access and win valuable PPE contracts. https://labourlist.org/2020/10/tories-set-up-special-channels-for-vips-to-win-lucrative-ppe-contracts/
On Wednesday, we saw a Scottish business that's given sizeable donations to the Tory party win a ÂŁ93million emergency PPE contract. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/record-view-cronyism-heart-government-22953607
Then, the very same day, the Tory government awarded another ÂŁ347 million to Randox - who have not only failed in parts of their delivery, but pay ÂŁ100,000 per year to Tory MP Owen Paterson as an adviser. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/04/tory-linked-firm-involved-in-testing-failure-awarded-new-347m-covid-contract
This is adding up.
This list alone shows how billions in public funds were awarded in contracts since the pandemic started, often to woefully unfit or politically adjacent entities - without any official oversight. https://twitter.com/allthecitizens/status/1323372535875031043
This list alone shows how billions in public funds were awarded in contracts since the pandemic started, often to woefully unfit or politically adjacent entities - without any official oversight. https://twitter.com/allthecitizens/status/1323372535875031043
In the summer I called for a National Audit Office investigation into the Tory government's handling of public contracts during this pandemic.
It reports soon, but the public concerns are real and growing - they have got to be addressed by government and fast.
It reports soon, but the public concerns are real and growing - they have got to be addressed by government and fast.
