Shamed ex-health secretary Matt Hancock and a former chairman of the Conservative Party have been named among several Tories who helped almost 50 firms win PPE contracts worth millions at the height of the pandemic.
Lord Feldman, a former tennis partner of David Cameron, referred three businesses to ministers before they were given untendered contracts using a ‘VIP fast lane’.
Mr Hancock, who quit in the summer after having a lockdown-breaching affair with an aide, referred four, while the list of 47 businesses amassed by Politico also showed referrals by ex-No10 aide Dominic Cummings, as well as senior ministers including Michael Gove.
The companies were able afterwards to access lucrative contracts for PPE equipment using a much-criticised system set up to speed through supply of vital material as the NHS struggled to cope.
There is no suggestion that the politicians played a role in awarding contracts to businesses they referred onwards to the procurement process.
Lord Feldman today denied any wrong-doing, insisting he was just passing ‘credible offers on to officials’ from Maxima Markets, SG Recruitment and Skinnydip. They were later awarded contracts worth £65million between them.
Jolyon Maugham, director of the Good Law Project said: ‘The VIP lane funnelled vast sums of public money into the pockets of those with Tory links.
