Tory donors won £180m deals for PPE
TORY supporters reportedly bagged at least £180million worth of deals to supply the Government with PPE.
Twelve contracts handed out to three firms with links to Conservative Party members or donors were identified in an investigation by the Sunday Times.
Meller Designs, which supplies home and beauty products to M&S, won seven deals worth £65m for gowns, gloves, masks and sanitiser.
The firm is co-owned by David Meller, who donated £65,000 to the Tories in the past decade – including funding for Michael Gove’s failed Tory leadership bid.
Cabinet Office Minister Mr Gove is now in charge of PPE procurement.
The Department of Health said: “Proper due diligence is carried out for all government contracts. We have a robust process in place that ensures that orders are high quality.”
Meller Designs said: “We are extremely proud of the role we played at the height of the crisis.”
P14 Medical, run by Steve Dechan, a Tory councillor in Gloucestershire, won two contracts worth £120m to supply face shields. He said: “We’ve had zero complaints.”
Clipper Logistics – founded by Steve Parkin, who has donated more than £500,000 – was tapped for a £1.3million contract to distribute PPE. The firm declined to comment.
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves said: “People will rightly want to know if any business gained any advantage over others as a result of party political links.”
Lib Dem leadership contender Layla Moran said: “We need assurances that political cronyism was not put ahead of public health.”