Renowned television presenter and mathematician Carol Vorderman has raised concerns and called out Conservative Party Chair Greg Hands regarding a questionable personal protective equipment (PPE) contract awarded to a lifestyle company.
Newly obtained documents suggest that Luxe Lifestyle, a company specialising in “specialised design activities,” secured a £25.8 million government contract through the controversial VIP lane after being referred by a local Tory activist.
At the time the contract was awarded, Luxe Lifestyle had no published accounts and did not appear to have a history of supplying PPE. It is believed that Hands, who was a trade minister at the time, referred the company to officials in early April 2020 after being approached by Mark Higton, a Conservative activist, about a PPE contact.
Leaked documents obtained by the Good Law Project revealed a listing for a PPE contract under “Minister Hands/Luxe Lifestyle,” with Higton mentioned as the point of contact. Subsequent freedom of information requests disclosed that £20 million worth of PPE provided by Luxe Lifestyle was labeled as “do not supply” by the government and was not utilised.
An internal government audit conducted in September 2020, specifically examining the workings of the VIP Lane, noted that Luxe Lifestyle’s contract was processed through the VIP channel and had been referred by an MP.
Luxe Lifestyle’s spokesperson stated that the company’s contract to supply PPE was negotiated through Ministry of Defence (MoD) procurement officers seconded to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The company was awarded a single contract for two out of six products based on a competitive process considering price and availability. They denied direct contact with any ministers and claimed that all products were uploaded to the relevant DHSC PPE procurement website for review alongside other providers.
Despite the company’s explanation, Luxe Lifestyle has not filed any accounts relating to the period in question with Companies House. Their last published accounts, covering up to November 2019, indicated that they had no employees at that time.
The government’s decision to prioritise offers of PPE through the VIP lane, benefiting companies referred by Tory peers and other politicians, has faced mounting parliamentary scrutiny. A subsequent report by the National Audit Office revealed that companies in the VIP lane had a 10 times higher success rate in being awarded contracts compared to those without access to it. The government had suspended normal procurement procedures due to the health emergency.
A spokesperson for Hands claimed that he merely forwarded a message from someone who contacted him to the relevant officials and had no further involvement or knowledge of the outcome. The government spokesperson emphasised that ministers had no role in procurement decisions and that offers of support were often passed on to procurement teams for assessment.
The allocation of offers to the VIP lane was ruled unlawful by the High Court following a legal challenge by the Good Law Project and EveryDoctor. The judge described the process as “flawed” and stated that opportunities were treated as high priority even when there were no justifiable grounds for expediting the offers.
Carol Vorderman expressed her concerns over the matter, stating that the facts surrounding the contract were alarming and actions spoke louder than words. The revelation that a Conservative party donor supporting Michael Gove’s leadership bid secured £164 million in Covid contracts after being referred by the minister further highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the procurement process.
As the controversy surrounding the VIP lane and PPE contracts continues, it raises important questions about fairness, integrity, and the necessity for robust oversight to ensure public funds are utilised appropriately during times of crisis.
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