UK government accused of cronyism with coronavirus contracts worth millions
- Politically connected companies have been awarded contracts worth millions of pounds
- One company with no medical goods background was paid £30 million to make test vials
Britain’s government is facing growing criticism over how it awarded contracts for virus-related goods and services during the pandemic, its detractors alleging a “chumocracy” in which politically connected companies got priority.
“I think in comparison to Britain 10 years ago, there’s a level of corruption that we haven’t reached before,” said Emily Barritt, a lecturer in law at King’s College London.
Hancock was already facing questions over a series of virus-related contracts.
One was a £30 million (US$41 million) contract to produce vials for Covid-19 testing that was awarded without competition to a company run by his former neighbour – someone who had no background in making medical goods.
The conservative Daily Telegraph has reported that another £28 million contract was awarded to a health care company where Colodangelo’s brother is strategy director.