Thread by @uk_domain_names, "Hancock has also announced today that the government has secured 20m lateral [...]

"Hancock has also announced today that the government has secured 20m lateral flow tests from a contract with the Derby-based manufacturer SureScreen Diagnostics."

Is there a Tory connection? Would be weird if there wasn't, right?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/feb/08/uk-covid-live-oxford-vaccine-south-african-variant-coronavirus-latest-updates?page=with:block-60212a038f08652153549cd7#block-60212a038f08652153549cd7

UK Covid live: Johnson says he's 'very confident' of Oxford vaccine despite South African variant...

Latest updates: PM says vaccines are effective in delivering high degree of protection against serious illness and death

Here's something interesting: the check is supposedly cheap and accurate, and the company offered it to the Government in March 2020, only to be ignored. So they sold it overseas instead. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/science/coronavirus-uk-accurate-6-covid-19-test-has-only-attracted-tentative-government-interest/20/03/

Coronavirus UK - ‘Accurate’ £6 Covid-19 test has only attracted ‘tentative’ Government interest

The London Economic | Coronavirus UK - ‘Accurate’ £6 Covid-19 test has only attracted ‘tentative’ Government interest | Science

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/science/coronavirus-uk-accurate-6-covid-19-test-has-only-attracted-tentative-government-interest/20/03/

Meanwhile, the Tories have forked out over £1 billion on dodgy lateral flow tests with poor reliability, with the money going to foreign firms... https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lateral-flow-tests-innova-unreliable-labour-claim-ps1bn-cost_uk_60183274c5b6bde2f5c1d35e

Test And Trace Using ‘Unreliable’ Covid Tests That Cost Taxpayer More Than £1bn

Labour attacks spending on lateral flow test imports from China, while British firms claim higher accuracy.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lateral-flow-tests-innova-unreliable-labour-claim-ps1bn-cost_uk_60183274c5b6bde2f5c1d35e

And here's an article that references Surescreen's test being used in Australia in May 2020... https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-positive-antibody-test-is-an-immunity-passport-in-all-but-name

My positive antibody test is an ‘immunity passport’ in all but name | The Spectator

I wouldn’t say I felt I had joined a master race when my coronavirus ‘immunity passport’ arrived this week. But I did have a slightly smug glow of satisfaction when discussing my positive Covid-19...

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-positive-antibody-test-is-an-immunity-passport-in-all-but-name

And here's Matt Hancock earlier today, celebrating coming nearly a year late to the procurement process.

(He doesn't put it that way, of course!)

To sum up...

Here's a firm that has a product that's cheaper, better and produced locally, but because they didn't suck up to the right Tories they got sidelined for 11 months while others had cash firehosed at them.

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