How the Tories normalised corruption - report

[Judi Lynn]

In the past, corruption brought down politicians. But today, it’s a business model.

T.J. Coles by T.J. Coles October 14, 2020

Corruption used to be scandalous. Then it became par for the course: the Expenses Scandal (2009), LIBOR (2012), the Panama Papers (2016), FinCEN (2020) etcetera.

But this time, it’s different. We’re in a pandemic and lives are at stake. Instead of awarding contracts to experienced and reliable public companies, the government is looting the Treasury and awarding its donors. It is doing so with almost no accountability or oversight.

In 2009, New Labour established a PPE stockpiling system, but the Tories left it to rot. In June 2019, the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group warned that stockpiles needed replenishing. The warnings were ignored. Beginning March this year, the government downgraded guidance on flu vaccine administration, hospital gowns, and masks instead of comprehensively dealing with shortages.

Since then, the UK has spent more on PPE than any other European country, yet with 60k dead it has by far the highest death-toll, both overall and one of the highest per capita. In Europe, over 60 percent of PPE contracts were awarded to companies without bidding (untendered). But in the UK, the figure is over 70 percent.

More:
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/how-the-tories-normalised-corruption-report/14/10/

[Karadeniz]

1. Sounds familiar!