Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Amazon’s secret talks on Brexit supply contracts
Tories ask web store giant how to spend public cash
AMAZON is advising ministers on how to buy goods and services after Brexit, while raking in millions of pounds in contracts itself.
The Mirror can reveal the US firm was on a “secretive” panel set up by the Cabinet Office to help shape public sector procurement in future.
Amazon has been awarded 82 central Government contracts, worth £225million, in the past five years and has a deal enabling local councils to buy supplies in one marketplace.
Amazon Business representatives attended two meetings last year with Oliver Dowden, then a Cabinet Office minister and now Culture Secretary.
This year it was represented at two meetings w h ere L ord Agn e w, minister for “efficiency and transformation”, was present. The Cabinet Office refused a request from the
Mirror to see the minutes s of the meetings.
Paul Monaghan, of the Fair Tax Mark, which highlighted Amazon’s involvement on the “secretive” panel, said it was “truly frightening”.
He said: “The manner in which Amazon is embedding itself into national and regional public procurement in the UK has long been cause for concern.
“We are close to the point where it will be impossible for anyone else to compete.”
Amazon has been criticised for its track record on paying UK corporation tax. TUC boss Frances O’grady said: “Amazon’s reward for its exploitative business model is a seat at the table on an influential Government board advising on public procurement, on top of the multi-millionpound Government contracts it receives.” In 2018/19, the Government spent £292billion buying goods, works and services from external suppliers.
PM Boris Johnson last year pledged to change procurement rules after Brexit to favour more small firms. Amazon declined to comment. The Cabinet Office refused to comment on the firm’s involvement, but said: “This panel is an important part of our engagement as we look to improve procurement rules.”