In its efforts to procure supplies to fight the coronavirus, Britain has awarded thousands of contracts worth billions of dollars. Much of that money has gone to politically connected companies, a New York Times analysis found. https://nyti.ms/37swbCd 

We analyzed a large segment of the spending spree — roughly 1,200 contracts worth nearly $22 billion. About $11 billion went to firms either run by friends and associates of Conservative Party politicians, or with no experience or a history of controversy. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E 

The suppliers we spoke to denied wrongdoing, and there’s no evidence that government officials engaged in illegal conduct. But there is ample evidence of cronyism, waste and poor due diligence. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E 

About $5 billion went to politically connected companies, including hundreds of millions to several where Britain’s PPE czar has financial interests or personal connections. A secretive “VIP lane” gave priority to firms with political ties. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E 

About $6 billion went to companies with no experience in supplying medical PPE — fashion designers, investment firms, pest controllers and jewelers. In some cases they delivered unusable goods. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E 

More than $5 billion was awarded to companies with a history of controversy, from tax evasion and fraud to corruption and human rights abuses. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E 

But it’s impossible to know how much the British government has spent on coronavirus supplies: Less than half of the contracts awarded in the first seven months of the year have been made public, a watchdog report found. https://nyti.ms/3msD36E