REVEALED: The names of those who referred Covid testing firms into the “VIP” lane ...

[TheLoneRanger]

https://goodlawproject.org/revealed-the-names-of-those-who-referred-covid-testing-firms-into-the-vip-lane/



Innova Medical landed Covid contracts valued at £4 billion via the ‘VIP’ lane after its UK partner, a company trading under the name ‘Tried & Tested’ contacted Boris Johnson’s former advisor, Dominic Cummings.


Surescreen Diagnostics landed a £500m contract after Liam Fox MP referred the firm to Matt Hancock –

Surescreen subsequently donated £20,000 to Liam Fox.
Matt Hancock assisted Ecolog International onto the ‘VIP’ lane after being contacted by Genix Healthcare – a company that has donated £156,000 to the Conservative Party. Hancock’s Department paid Ecolog £38m in 2021, after the Government decided not to proceed with previously contracted Covid work.


Conservative Peer Lord Prior introduced a company called LumiraDx to Lord Bethell. The firm was awarded Covid contracts worth over £45 million.


Lord Bethell referred a company called OptiGene Ltd after being contacted by a Cabinet Office official – OptiGene were subsequently awarded a £322m contract, leading to a 1221% increase in profits to £41m.


Another Conservative Peer, Lord Lansley, introduced a company called Accora onto the ‘VIP’ lane.


Only Conservative Party Peers, MPs and donors appear to be named as referrers – no politician from any other political party succeeded in referring suppliers onto the Covid testing VIP lane.

 

[MajorR]

Great post, thanks for sticking on here. It stinks. Hope all this is remembered in 2 years time when we have a GE!!!

 

[Jack2jack]

The whole idea of VIP laning where public money is involved is absolutely hideous.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Hope all this is remembered in 2 years time when we have a GE!!!

Don't be silly, people will still vote in their droves for them, including Welshmen because the Tories aren't Drakeford, innit.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Surescreen Diagnostics, I've used this company for donkeys years in work (still do). Great supplier to us over the years. We bought our first covid testing kits from them as well, quite a while before the tests were available to the general public.

 

[Jack2jack]

In any other walk of life, setting up a contract to procure goods and services is a complex matter. You have to follow all the legalities, due diligence etc. It's not just a case of a bloke saying that John down the road can do something. How the heck can this situation arise, not withstanding, we are not talking of buying a plank of wood or something for a couple of quid. Of course it's all ok, because the Tories say so.

 

[K23]

In any other walk of life, setting up a contract to procure goods and services is a complex matter. You have to follow all the legalities, due diligence etc. It's not just a case of a bloke saying that John down the road can do something. How the heck can this situation arise, not withstanding, we are not talking of buying a plank of wood or something for a couple of quid. Of course it's all ok, because the Tories say so.

If you're wealthy and in a position of power and of a mind to abuse that power, it all becomes about money. A few bungs in the right places will enable you to do pretty much anything you want to. What disgusts me, and always has done, is that people who are already insanely wealthy way beyond imagination, feel compelled to corruptly engage in things that will make them even more huge sums of money, the need for which they would be totally incapable of justifying. At a period in our history when the rich/poor divide is greater than it has ever been during my lifetime, these enormous acts of corruption are beyond disgusting.

 

[Jack2jack]

If you're wealthy and in a position of power and of a mind to abuse that power, it all becomes about money. A few bungs in the right places will enable you to do pretty much anything you want to. What disgusts me, and always has done, is that people who are already insanely wealthy way beyond imagination, feel compelled to corruptly engage in things that will make them even more huge sums of money, the need for which they would be totally incapable of justifying. At a period in our history when the rich/poor divide is greater than it has ever been during my lifetime, these enormous acts of corruption are beyond disgusting.

Absolutely spot on K.
Greed and power, it's what makes the world go round, and it stinks.