• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Elevenses
  • Business
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Property
  • JOBS
  • All
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Sport
    • Tech/Auto
    • Lifestyle
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Set For Life
      • Thunderball
      • EuroMillions
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Cronyism? £881m of Covid contracts handed to individuals who have donated over £8m to Conservative Party

Public contracts appear to be being handed out “like sweeties to people with friends in high places."

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2021-02-07 14:26
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Public contracts appear to be being handed out “like sweeties to people with friends in high places”, MPs we told at the end of Jan this year. Now it has been revealed that £881 million in Government contracts have been awarded to individuals who have donated a total of £8.2 million to the Conservative Party in recent years.

Raising the overall issue in Parliament, SNP MP Owen Thompson said that lucrative contracts have been given to firms with little public procurement experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Thompson made the comments as he brought forward a 10-minute rule Bill to address concerns around the process of awarding contracts to companies under emergency legislation.

The Bill would require ministers to give a statement to Parliament if a contract is awarded under emergency powers to a person or company in which the minister has a personal, political or financial connection.

Mr Thompson explained that the legislation would help safeguard against the risk of “procurement corruption” and would “restore some trust in the integrity” of the UK’s democratic processes.

The MP for Midlothian told the Commons: “Anyone in public office should be there to serve the public good, not to exploit their position to line the pockets of themselves, their pals or their party donors.

“Yet during this crisis we’ve seen lucrative contracts go to firms with little experience in public procurement but with very clear links to people in power.

“Issues with cronyism are not new, but there’s been nothing of this scale before, nothing so blatantly disregarding due process.

“It could be said that a crony-virus is threatening the health of our public services and emergency action is needed to get the Government under control.”

RelatedPosts

Donald Trump ‘hides on golf course’ as dozens killed in Texas floods

Bob Vylan album surges up the charts after Glastonbury controversy

Elon Musk says he has formed a new political party after Trump fall out

Police arrest 83-year-old priest holding placard in support of Palestine Action

£881 million

Now it has now been reported that government contracts worth £881 million have been awarded to individuals who have donated a total of £8.2 million to the Conservative Party in recent years, 

Byline Times and The Citizens found that these contracts span across the various projects undertaken by the Government during the Coronavirus pandemic – from the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), to the provision of laptops for school children forced to study from home.

They write: “There is no evidence that the Government awarded these contracts in direct exchange for the donations; no monthly meeting where ministers assigned departmental work to the highest bidder. Rather, the Conservative Party has promoted the idea of outsourcing public services to private companies in recent decades – an ideology that has been ruthlessly applied during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Related: PMQs 3rd Feb – Boris Johnson is creating troubles for himself and everyone else

Tags: headline

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

← Back in the hands of politicians? What are the potential NHS reforms in England? ← Plans to build lorry park on ancient Roman road to handle post-Brexit customs checks branded ‘immoral’
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Lottery Results
    • Lotto
    • Set For Life
    • Thunderball
    • EuroMillions
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE thelondoneconomic.com - All Rights Reserved. Privacy

-->