When wheels get greased in government?
INSTANCES of alleged illicit fingers in the procurement pie and other misdemeanours are nothing new in British political history.
Back in 1912, a government contract awarded to telegraphy firm Marconi signalled trouble when it transpired that a group of ministers held financial interests in the company. One of these was a certain David Lloyd George, who later went on to become PM.
Sleaze dogged John Major’s government like a bad smell. His “Back to Basics” campaign morphed into “Basic Instinct” as the tabloids uncovered one serious cabinet
indiscretion after another.
It all culminated in the “Cash for Questions” scandal when a couple of MPS were outed for accepting payment to table parliamentary questions
on behalf of a high profile businessman.
A few years later, “Loans for Lordships” reported how Tony Blair had exploited a loophole whereby loans to
political parties provided at commercial interest rates were exempt from declaration rules.
A number of those who lent funds to Labour coincidently gained peerages.
Some weeks ago, a clerical mishap revealed how a former Tory parliamentary candidate and party donor brokered a £100m government deal to buy protective gear. A court had earlier decided Health Secretary Matt Hancock had acted unlawfully for failing to publish details of the deal as required.
A government spokesperson insisted that ministers have no part in deciding who gets contracts.
Unfortunately, there’s no knowing if the civil servant who gave that assurance won’t be working for the contractor in a few months’ time.