A recent review by anti-corruption charity Transparency International UK has raised significant concerns about contracts worth over £15.3 billion awarded by the Conservative government during the Covid-19 pandemic. The charity identified 135 “high-risk” contracts that exhibited at least three red flags indicating potential corruption.
The findings revealed that £4.1 billion worth of contracts went to firms with known political connections, and £4 billion worth were fast-tracked through a controversial “VIP lane” that prioritized companies recommended by MPs and peers. The VIP lane practice was later ruled unlawful by the High Court.
In its analysis of 5,000 contracts, Transparency International UK found that nearly two-thirds of high-value contracts, totaling £30.7 billion, were awarded without any competitive bidding process. This raised further concerns, as normal procurement safeguards were suspended during the pandemic, with the government justifying the decision as necessary to accelerate the supply of vital medical equipment, such as personal protective equipment (PPE).
However, the charity argued that the suspension of safeguards was often unjustifiable and contributed to significant financial waste, including the purchase of unusable PPE. Of the £48.1 billion spent on private sector contracts for the pandemic response, £14.9 billion was written off by the Department of Health & Social Care, with £1 billion attributed to unfit PPE.
Daniel Bruce, Chief Executive of Transparency International UK, expressed alarm at the systemic weaknesses and political choices that enabled cronyism to thrive, stressing that these issues eroded public trust in political institutions. The charity has urged the authorities to investigate the high-risk contracts and called for greater transparency and accountability as the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry continues.
The findings have been submitted to the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Committee, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urging the government to act on the lessons learned and prevent similar issues in the future.