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Home Politics

Matt Hancock personally helped ex-Tory MP nab £180 million PPE deal

The Good Law Project, which is suing the government over its awarding of PPE contracts, said the “scandalous” revelations revealed “VIP access to ministers”.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-05-16 10:43
in Politics
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Matt Hancock intervened to help a former Tory minister secure a lucrative PPE contract worth £180 million, leaked government emails have revealed. 

The health secretary personally assisted Brooks Newmark – the former civil society minister who resigned after sending sexually explicit photographs of himself to an undercover journalist he thought was a female party activist.

Last May, in the midst of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the 63-year-old Newmark teamed up with the founder of a dog food company which had set up a firm to broker PPE deals for international suppliers.

His subsequent lobbying helped a Hong Kong business become the eighth-biggest recipient of PPE contracts during the pandemic, the National Audit Office found. Zoe Ley – the dog food entrepreneur – was reported by the BBC to have personally earned up to £1 million.  

Newmark’s first email to Hancock came on 27 May, almost two months after the peak of the first wave; in it, he disclosed that he had “chatted with your spad [special adviser] . . . He will be circulating this idea to you, Michael [Gove] and Liz [Truss].”

#marr – Was it appropriate for the former minister, Brooks Newmark, to lobby you for a contract worth hundreds of millions of pounds?

Matt Hancock – Yes, it was absolutely appropriate… #Marr – it just looks like you get preferential treatment..#Ridge pic.twitter.com/fa3qrMOat5

— Haggis_UK ?? ?? (@Haggis_UK) May 16, 2021

The former Braintree MP then attached a detailed proposal explaining that he had links to a “well connected and powerful” person in China – but needed government help to expedite deals.

Hancock replied within hours. According to emails disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act – published in The Sunday Times – he said: “Thanks. Definitely one for the PPE team who are firing on all cylinders now.”

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In response Newmark said: “Can someone internally please lead the charge in trying to seriously explore this option. I have said all along I can help but I need yours and [Gove’s] support to help make this happen for the Govt.”

The aide forwarded the proposal to Lord Deighton, the government’s PPE tsar. On 28 May, the aide wrote: “Please see below from former MP Brooks Newmark . . . an excellent PPE proposal that the health secretary and I would be very grateful if Lord Deighton could look into urgently.” Hancock was blind-copied into the email.

On 1 June, the Department of Health awarded a £178 million contract for protective goggles to the firm – using emergency procurement rules to avoid a tender.

Jolyon Maugham, director of the Good Law Project, which is suing the government over its awarding of PPE contracts, said the “scandalous” revelations revealed “VIP access to ministers”.

A government spokesman said its priority had “always been saving lives”. He said: “Decisions on whether to award contracts for PPE are taken by officials.”

Related: Indian variant: 20,000 allowed to enter UK while Johnson dithered

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