£8.7 billion of Tory corruption. Biggest scam by a UK Government?

[RileyOBlimey]

I couldn’t see a thread dedicated to this, apologies if I’ve missed it.

While we’re distracted by tories swigging booze while the country was in lockdown this story seems to have been sidelined.

A Government report tried to bury the waste of 8.7 billion quid on PPE that lined the pockets of tory donors. Much of this dramatic overspend was for products that were totally unfit for purpose.

I wonder what the press would do if a Corbyn Government did this?

It would be good to use this thread for listing those that have profited from this and their dodgy connections.

Covid: ITV News reveals £8.7 billion of losses on PPE in government accounts | ITV News

Political Editor Robert Peston has uncovered figures buried deep in a Health Department report which show losses on more than half 2020/21's PPE purchases. | ITV National News

www.itv.com

 

[platinumsage]

That article is garbage I'm afraid, no surprise from Peston who is not a credible journalist. Getting one lucky scoop about Northern Rock caused him to get promoted way beyond his competency.

I'm sure there's some interesting stuff somewhere about the whole PPE thing but the fact that PPE purchased at the height of the shortage cost more than it would have done if purchased at the end of that year certainly isn't "a jaw dropper" to anyone with a brain.

 

[Badgers]

Biggest scam?

The Corbyn lies and Brexit are having/going to have a bigger impact.

 

[Spandex]

the fact that PPE purchased at the height of the shortage cost more than it would have done if purchased at the end of that year certainly isn't "a jaw dropper" to anyone with a brain

That's not the whole story though is it?

• £0.67 billion - "PPE which cannot be used, for instance because it is defective."
• £2.6 billion - "PPE which is not suitable for use within the health and social care sector but which the Department considers might be suitable for other uses (although these potential other uses are as yet uncertain)."

And I'm not sure how this relates to the twenty-four PPE contracts, worth £1.6 billion, that were awarded to those with known political connections to the Conservative Party or the fourteen companies incorporated in 2020 that received contracts worth more than £620 million, of which 13 contracts totalling £255 million went to 10 firms that were less than 60 days old.

There's definitely a story here.

 

[RileyOBlimey]

That article is garbage I'm afraid, no surprise from Peston who is not a credible journalist. Getting one lucky scoop about Northern Rock caused him to get promoted way beyond his competency.

I'm sure there's some interesting stuff somewhere about the whole PPE thing but the fact that PPE purchased at the height of the shortage cost more than it would have done if purchased at the end of that year certainly isn't "a jaw dropper" to anyone with a brain.

An curiously aggressive response with an added straw man. Where did I claim PPE costs were not affected by the huge uptick in demand?

 

[platinumsage]

That's not the whole story though is it?

• £0.67 billion - "PPE which cannot be used, for instance because it is defective."
• £2.6 billion - "PPE which is not suitable for use within the health and social care sector but which the Department considers might be suitable for other uses (although these potential other uses are as yet uncertain)."

Yes it was difficult to source PPE back then, no surprise that some is not suitable.

And I'm not sure how this relates to the twenty-four PPE contracts, worth £1.6 billion, that were awarded to those with known political connections to the Conservative Party or the fourteen companies incorporated in 2020 that received contracts worth more than £620 million, of which 13 contracts totalling £255 million went to 10 firms that were less than 60 days old.

I'm not sure how it relates either, that's why it's a shit article.

There's definitely a story here.

As I said. But this article is the worst place to start. Almost a distraction.

 

[platinumsage]

An curiously aggressive response with an added straw man.

Aggressive? Really?

Where did I claim PPE costs were not affected by the huge uptick in demand?

Peston did, because he jumps on things without even basic thought processes

 

[Pickman's model]

Biggest scam?

The Corbyn lies and Brexit are having/going to have a bigger impact.

No the biggest scam is the claim we live in a democracy

 

[RileyOBlimey]

Aggressive? Really?


Peston did, because he jumps on things without even basic thought processes

He explicitly stated that it is understandable that there was extra costs in the chaos of the start of the pandemic. Why are you so keen to dismiss this atory?

 

[platinumsage]

He explicitly stated that it is understandable that there was extra costs in the chaos of the start of the pandemic. Why are you so keen to dismiss this atory?

How is this anything other than a completely mundane fact this was entirely to be expected?

"£4.7 billion - Adjustment to the year-end valuation of PPE due to the market price of equivalent PPE at the year-end being lower than the original purchase price."

Could you explain how that, or any of the other line items, are "shocking" and "jaw dropping"?

 

[platinumsage]

Have people forgotten this?

PPE is still a frigging joke in this country.

Looking how China has taken PPE seriously it is a a fucking scandal that workers in the UK have to wear the shit they are given. The two ambulance crews I had interaction with today had virtually nothing that might help reduce the spread of a virus. First crew (A Covid-19 special) one was...

www.urban75.net

A good place to start in criticizing the government would be in not having spent money on pre-pandemic stockpiles, or preferably, domestic manufacturing abilities.

 

[RileyOBlimey]

Have people forgotten this?

PPE is still a frigging joke in this country.

Looking how China has taken PPE seriously it is a a fucking scandal that workers in the UK have to wear the shit they are given. The two ambulance crews I had interaction with today had virtually nothing that might help reduce the spread of a virus. First crew (A Covid-19 special) one was...

www.urban75.net

A good place to start in criticizing the government would be in not having spent money on pre-pandemic stockpiles, or preferably, domestic manufacturing abilities.

Why are you so keen to sweep this discussion under the carpet?

 

[platinumsage]

Why are you so keen to sweep this discussion under the carpet?

Find a decent article about £8.7 billion ending up in the pockets of Tory donors and I'll happily shout it from the rooftops.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Saw this

Find a decent article about £8.7 billion ending up in the pockets of Tory donors and I'll happily shout it from the rooftops.

If you can't find any decent reporting on how the tories and their donors have conspired to use covid PPE as a giant cash cow at the expense of actually protecting anyone from anything then you've not been looking very hard.