Thread by @lunaperla, BILLIONS of Tax-payers' £ spaffed on dubious contracts to Palantir, Faculty, Serco, [...]

BILLIONS of Tax-payers' £ spaffed on dubious contracts to Palantir, Faculty, Serco, Sitel, Randox, Public First, Aventis, Pestfix, Ayanda, etc.

Why isn't Govt public procurement abuse + Towns Fund misallocation all over News & MSM newspapers? Extent of #GovtCorruption shocking!

If you're not up to speed on what Govt has been up to in procurement, using C19 *emergency measures* to bung taxpayers'£ to firms controlled by chums, often with negligible assets or relevant expertise à la ferryless ferry co, this is a good place to start https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/15/coronavirus-contracts-government-transparency-pandemic

When secret coronavirus contracts are awarded without competition, it's deadly serious | George...

Contracts worth billions have been handed out by a government willing to brazen out disgrace until outrage subsides, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/15/coronavirus-contracts-government-transparency-pandemic

See also:

1. PPE contract to a sweet supplier https://goodlawproject.org/news/ppe-supplied-by-a-sweet-wholesaler/

PPE supplied by a sweet wholesaler? - Good Law Project

The Government has awarded an £108 million contract for the supply of PPE to a wholesaler of sweets. The enormous contract was awarded to the confectionery business seemingly without any advertising...

https://goodlawproject.org/news/ppe-supplied-by-a-sweet-wholesaler/

2. PPE contract to a Mauritius-based private equity firm specialised financial services https://inews.co.uk/news/health/government-ppe-contract-private-equity-tax-haven-494587

Government awards £252m PPE contract to private equity firm

Ayanda Capital Limited, owned through an offshore holding firm based in the tax haven of Mauritius, secured deal to supply an undisclosed number of face masks

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/government-ppe-contract-private-equity-tax-haven-494587

3. PPE contract to a recruitment firm https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/17/recruitment-firm-defends-18-million-ppe-contract/

Recruitment Firm Defends £18 Million PPE Contract – Byline Times

Stephen Delahunty reports on the Government handing a contract for personal protective equipment to a company which appears to have just £322 net assets

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/17/recruitment-firm-defends-18-million-ppe-contract/

4. COVID19 testing contract to Randox Laboratories (which employs Tory MP Owen Paterson) https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-linked-firm-behind-contaminated-22504634

Tory-linked firm behind 'contaminated' Covid-19 tests keeps government contract

EXCLUSIVE The government will still use Randox Laboratories for tests, after as many as 750,000 test kits were withdrawn and recalled over 'contamination' fears

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-linked-firm-behind-contaminated-22504634

5. PPE contract to Pestfix https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18501548.108-million-contract-awarded-government-pestfix-ppe/

Family-run firm awarded staggering £108 million PPE contract by Government

A STAGGERING £108 million contract has been awarded to a family-run pest control company.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18501548.108-million-contract-awarded-government-pestfix-ppe/

6. Test & Trace contracts to Serco & Sitel https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ournhs/serco-and-sitel-get-more-public-money-despite-track-and-trace-fiasco/

Serco and Sitel to get more public money despite track-and-trace fiasco

A third of the workforce are to lose their jobs and fewer than half of contacts reached, but outsourcing giants will have contracts renewed.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ournhs/serco-and-sitel-get-more-public-money-despite-track-and-trace-fiasco/

7. Track & Trace app contract to Palantir (CIA links) and Faculty AI (dodgy VoteLeave psy-ops links) https://www.cityam.com/the-failure-of-the-track-and-trace-app-is-the-least-worst-thing-about-it/

The failure of the track and trace app is the least-worst thing about it - CityAM

Last week, the UK government announced a radical change in direction in its track and trace programme. Its contact-tracing app,

https://www.cityam.com/the-failure-of-the-track-and-trace-app-is-the-least-worst-thing-about-it/

8. Testing contract to accountancy, consultancy & tax firm Deloitte https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/deloitte-gets-another-huge-covid-contract-for-crazy-plan-to-test-millions-each-day/

Deloitte gets another huge COVID contract – for ‘crazy’ plan to test millions each day

Operation Moonshot could be the biggest NHS privatisation in history, and civil servants are shaking their heads in disbelief.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/deloitte-gets-another-huge-covid-contract-for-crazy-plan-to-test-millions-each-day/

9. COVID19 & Ofqual damage limitation contracts awarded to Public First, a PR firm specialising in #FakeNews gimmicks (like re-branding the Cons' official Twitter page as a factchecker site or setting up a fake Labour website during GE2019) https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/20/firm-linked-to-gove-and-cummings-hired-to-work-with-ofqual-on-a-levels

Firm linked to Gove and Cummings hired to work with Ofqual on A-levels

Exclusive: Public First was given communications contract without competitive tender

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/20/firm-linked-to-gove-and-cummings-hired-to-work-with-ofqual-on-a-levels

10. PPE logistics contract awarded to Tory donor Clipper logistics https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/02/disaster-capitalism-conservative-party-donor-cashes-in-on-uk-government-made-ppe-shortages-amidst-covid19-crisis/

Disaster Capitalism: Conservative Party Donor Cashes in on UK Government-Made PPE Shortages Amidst...

Nafeez Ahmed reports on a new contract with the giant haulage firm whose executive chairman has donated nearly £1 million to the Conservatives.

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/02/disaster-capitalism-conservative-party-donor-cashes-in-on-uk-government-made-ppe-shortages-amidst-covid19-crisis/

11. PPE contract to Tory donor Europa Worldwide Group https://bylinetimes.com/2020/05/22/another-conservative-donor-involved-in-covid-19-contracts/

Another Conservative Donor Involved in COVID-19 Contracts – Byline Times

Stephen Delahunty reports on the work of Europa Worldwide Group in providing PPE – the managing director of which is a personal donor to Boris Johnson.

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/05/22/another-conservative-donor-involved-in-covid-19-contracts/

Had a transparent, normal procurement process been held + proper due diligence conducted, 1 or 2 of the above-mentioned suppliers might have won these contracts anyway, but let's not kid ourselves — most of them are well-dodgy.

This is how we fight back: https://twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/1297470641499758592

https://twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/1297470641499758592

The Jenrick matter -awarding regeneration grants from the Towns Fund to Tory marginals or Tory GE2019 targets- is different but relevant to the general theme of #UKGovtCorruption

Hopefully Public Accounts SelectCom Chair @Meg_HillierMP will take it up. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jenrick-directed-millions-to-towns-in-tory-marginals-before-election/21/07/

Jenrick directed millions to towns in Tory marginals before election

The London Economic | A report has revealed the process by which ministers selected 101 English towns to each receive £25 million in September | Politics

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jenrick-directed-millions-to-towns-in-tory-marginals-before-election/21/07/

Important companion thread to the one I did earlier about this Government's dodgy procurement practices —this one on PPE supplies, focusing on those contracts where the product delivered was defective in some way.

#WastedMillions https://twitter.com/tuttingeyeroll/status/1297495280280113152

https://twitter.com/tuttingeyeroll/status/1297495280280113152

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