In the space of little more than two years, Boris Johnson has wrecked any notion of decency or moral authority in the seat of power. As if illegally proroguing parliament, lying to the Queen and the House of Commons or enabling corruption with VIP lanes for cronies wasn’t bad enough – now we have something even more scandalous as if that was possible. A shadow government of ultra-wealthy donors is shaping public health and economic policy.
Late last night, Government published its list of the firms given red-carpet treatment in its lucrative ‘VIP’ lane – and the politicians and party donors who referred them.
Government was forced to release the names following a successful and long-running Freedom of Information battle by Good Law Project.
A leaked document has revealed which Conservative MPs and Peers funnelled companies through a ‘VIP lane’ for lucrative PPE contracts, without competition. A staggering £1.6 billion worth of contracts were awarded as a result of referrals from just ten politicians at the heart of the Conservative party. The leaked list of the 47 companies in the VIP lane, first seen by Politico, can be found here.
The New Dark Age 