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More than £ 1 billion of outsourced government contracts have gone to companies run by conservative “friends and donors” since the pandemic took hold, an analysis reveals.
The figures include agreements for the provision of PPE, tests and surveys, as well as the government’s much-maligned contact tracing system.
Some of the firms obtained jobs under emergency procedures that allow public agencies to award contracts without asking other firms to bid for the work.
There are no signs of wrongdoing. But the Good Law Project is challenging the government’s decision to award contracts to a few companies run by “allies” without competitive bidding.
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves, who analyzed the contracts, told the Mirror: “It is outrageous that so much public money is being diverted to conservative friends and donors. We need to know who agreed to these contracts, when and why. “
(Image: PA)
Jo Maugham QC, Director of the Good Law Project, added: “The way the government chose to place these contracts opened the doors to the politically well connected. And boy, did they take advantage.
“While tens of thousands of families mourn their loved ones, at the Carlton Club the lucky few will toast the government with vintage champagne, paid for with our money.”
The Health Department said, “We have processes to conduct due diligence for all government contracts and we take these controls very seriously.”
Here, we take a look at some of the contracts and their conservative links …
PA Consulting Services Ltd
(Image: Kensington and Chelsea)
Total – £ 13.75 million
Contracts – Three
WHY: Consulting
LINK: Former Conservative Kensington and Chelsea Council Leader Sir Merrick Cockell has been Senior Advisor since 2014.
Most of the work was to consult on the fan challenge. There is no indication that Sir Merrick played any role in securing government contracts.
Meller Designs
Total – £ 90.9 million
Contracts: Four
WHAT FOR: Hand sanitizer, face masks
LINK: Co-owner is David Meller, who has given Tories £ 65,000 in 10 years.
It also gave £ 3,250 to Michael Gove’s failed leadership bid in 2016. The firm generally supplies home and beauty supplies but turned to PPE. Meller has said he is “proud” of his role at the height of the crisis.
Randox Laboratories Ltd
Total – £ 133 million
Contracts: one
WHAT FOR: Coronavirus testing
LINK: The Northern Ireland firm pays former Cabinet Minister Owen Paterson nearly £ 100,000 a year as an advisor.
But a spokesperson insisted: “Owen Paterson MP played no role in securing any Randox contract with DHSC and any hint he made would be misleading.”
Hanbury strategy
(Image: REUTERS)
Total – £ 819,000
Contracts – Three
WHAT: Surveys, focus groups and strategy for Cabinet and Treasury
LINKS: Created by Paul Stephenson, an ally of Dominic Cummings, part of the Vote Leave campaign and conservative media adviser for the 2019 elections.
Legal activists are taking action on the contract. The firm says it has the best experts and is “proud” of their work.
Public first
(Image: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Total – £ 1 million
Contracts – 4
WHAT FOR: Public opinion surveys and strategic advice.
LINK: Owned by James Frayne, a close ally of Dominic Cummings who also worked for Michael Gove in the Department of Education, and his wife Rachel Wolf, who co-wrote the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto.
PPE Medpro Ltd
Total – £ 203 million
Contracts – Two
WHAT FOR: PPE
LINK: The specialty manufacturing company won contracts to supply PPE to the NHS seven weeks after its inception.
It was started by Anthony Page the day he resigned as secretary of the firm that provides branding services to fellow conservative and lingerie entrepreneur Baroness Mone.
Mr. Page is also a director of the Knox Group financial firm, founded by Mone’s fiancé, Doug Barrowman. Baroness Mone has said that she was not involved in PPE MedPRO.
He added that Barrowman is also not involved in the firm. Page claims the firm underwent a rigorous vetting procedure.
Ocean footprint
Total – £ 5.2 million
Contracts: one
WHAT FOR: Facial masks
LINK: Julian Henry Malins is one of the four directors. He is the brother of former Conservative MP Humfrey Malins, who, according to the firm, “has nothing to do with it.”
P14 Medical
Total: £ 276 million
Contracts – Three
WHAT FOR: Face shields
LINK: Director Steve Dechan is a Conservative councilman in Stroud and campaigned for local MP Siobhan Baillie last year.
He said that he had only met with parliamentarians and former ministers in the election campaign and had never discussed the EPP. The medical supplies firm won the deals despite significant losses in 2019. It said they were due to investment in new technology.
Serco Group PLC
(Image: East Grinstead Courier)
Total – £ 214 million
Contracts – Four
WHAT FOR: Supports contact tracing system and call centers, manages test site.
LINK: Health Minister Edward Argar was previously a senior executive. The firm’s chief executive, Rupert Soames, is the brother of former Conservative MP Sir Nicholas and his wife Camilla gave the Conservatives £ 4,995 last year. Serco said he was “awarded the vast majority of the job … through competition.”
Topham guerin
Total – £ 3 million
Contracts: one
WHAT FOR: Coronavirus messages
LINK: The creative agency worked on the Conservative Party’s digital and social media campaign in the last general election.
The firm said it was “proud” to work with the New Zealand and UK governments on Covid.
Arcadis
Total – £ 1.5 million
Contracts: one
WHY: Consultant
LINKS: Gavin Barwell, former 10th chief of staff, became a non-executive director in June. There is no suggestion that he played a role in obtaining contracts.
Clipper logistics
Total – £ 1.3 million
Contracts: one
WHY: Distribute PPE
LINK: President Steven Parkin has donated £ 725,000 to Conservatives since 2016 and has attended Leaders Group meetings that give him exclusive access to Conservative Prime Ministers.
Dragontown
Total – £ 675,000
Contracts: one
WHAT FOR: PPE
LINK: One of the directors, Lady Xuelin Bates, is the wife of fellow Conservative and former Home Office Minister Lord Bates. He has donated £ 30,000 to the Conservative Party since 2014.
Faculty AI
Total – £ 3.1 million
Contracts – Four
WHAT FOR: Data analysis
LINK: Ben Warner, brother of CEO Marc, was recruited as a data scientist at No. 10 after working on the Tories election campaign.
Until September the Cabinet Office Minister Lord Agnew was a shareholder. The firm said that “each and every one” of the contracts was “won through a proper process.”
Globus Shetland Ltd
Total – £ 93 million
Contracts: one
WHAT FOR: Respirators
LINK: Since 2016, the equipment company, claiming to have 25 years of experience in healthcare and industry supply, has donated £ 365,668 to the Tories.
His annual financial donations increased to £ 150,000 in 2019, when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.
This obsession is wasteful, murky and doesn’t even work, says Rachel Reeves
(Image: REUTERS)
Rachel Reeves, Minister of the Cabinet Office of Labor, said: “This government is obsessed. It cannot stop outsourcing.
“Since the pandemic began, we have seen it issue £ 11bn in contracts without competitive bidding, which means experienced and qualified companies have been closed.
“Of course, it is important for the government to take swift initial action against the virus. But why hand over these contracts to a handful of big companies, many of them with terrible track records?
Why trust them without considering all the alternatives? Why, when we know how vital it is to trace contacts to curb the spread, turn the funds over to Serco rather than to local public health teams, as they have done. most successful countries?
“Contact tracing flaws are especially profound when we see that many of our councils pick up the pieces with a fraction of the resources.
And what seems like a waste becomes worrisome when we take a closer look at some of these contracts given to people with clear ties to the Conservative Party.
“These more than £ 1 billion are worth so far. This approach is not only murky, it doesn’t work either, with voided tests, unusable PPE and a fortune spent on consultants doing who knows what.”
“This wasteful government needs to learn from our local leaders and put communities above their political friends.”
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