Gemma Abbott

Neil O’Brien MP was factually inaccurate - repeatedly - about the use of the VIP lane for PPE procurement in the Commons yesterday

Here's the link to Hansard: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-11-24/debates/5FBBA997-5B35-49D7-810F-0A5B402A832A/Covid-19PPEProcurement

And here are some corrections - (bear with my attempt at a Mastodon thread)... 🧵

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane

Nov 25, 2022 at 3:31pmWeb
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

First up - VIP lane referrals did NOT go through the same process as everyone else - that’s *precisely* why the High Court found the VIP Lane to be unlawful

In particular:

- VIP treatment sped up the process, which meant offers were considered sooner in a context where timing was critical

- VIPs’ hands were held throughout

You can read the judgment in the relevant case here: https://goodlawproject.org/update/high-court-vip-lane-ppe-unlawful/

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane

BREAKING: High Court finds Government PPE ‘VIP’ lane for politically connected suppliers ‘unlawful’ - Good Law Project

Over a year of hard work has paid off today. The High Court has ruled that the Government’s operation of a fast-track VIP lane for awarding lucrative PPE contracts to those with political connections was unlawful.  In a challenge brought by Good Law Project and EveryDoctor to the behind closed door VIP lane worth billions […]

Good Law Project
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

Secondly, O'Brien claimed that due diligence was “done on all those cases in the same way” - also untrue

There *was* an 8-stage due diligence process for contracts awarded from 4th May 2020 - but TWO THIRDS of the contracts awarded before this process was put in place went to VIPs!

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/06/at-least-46-vip-lane-ppe-deals-awarded-before-formal-due-diligence-in-place

At least 46 ‘VIP lane’ PPE deals awarded before formal due diligence in place

Two-thirds of contracts awarded before ‘eight-stage process’ was put in place were given out after referrals from ‘VIP lane’

The Guardian
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

Thirdly, if Neil O'Brien wants us to believe that PPE Medpro went through a standardised due diligence process, well, he might want to double check the party line

Because back in May, Edward Argar was able to say only that “due diligence checks were appropriate given the circumstances” for PPE Medpro

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane #PPEMedpro #MichelleMone

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/may/02/labour-says-government-refusal-to-publish-ppe-firms-contracts-reeks-of-cover-up

Labour says government refusal to publish PPE firm’s contracts ‘reeks of cover-up’

Angela Rayner says dealings with firm linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone need same scrutiny as Owen Paterson’s lobbying for Covid test contracts

The Guardian
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

Lastly, Neil O’Brien wants us to believe that VIPs were referred by MPs across the house

But as we showed at Good Law Project, no other political party *successfully* referred companies via the VIP Lane

Which seems an almighty coincidence!

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane #PPEMedpro #MichelleMone

https://goodlawproject.org/conservative-politicians-vip-lane/

LEAKED: The Conservative politicians who referred companies to the PPE 'VIP lane' - Good Law Project

A leaked document has revealed which Conservative MPs and Peers funnelled companies through a ‘VIP lane’ for lucrative PPE contracts, without competition. A staggering £1.6 billion worth of contracts were awarded as a result of referrals from just ten politicians at the heart of the Conservative party. The leaked list of the 47 companies in […]

Good Law Project
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

So, there were multiple factual inaccuracies on the VIP lane in the Commons yesterday - I wonder if Neil O'Brien will correct the record?

Because as
Spotlight on Corruption reported, 59% of all money awarded to VIPs was spent on PPE unfit for purpose

Failure by Government ministers to be accurate now only worsens the stench that surrounds pandemic procurement

#UKPolitics #PPE #CovidProcurement #VIPLane #PPEMedpro #MichelleMone

https://www.spotlightcorruption.org/half-of-vip-lane-companies-supplied-ppe-worth-1-billion-that-was-not-fit-for-purpose/

Show threadSteve Hunt 🇪🇺🔶 #RejoinEU #FBPENov 25, 2022
@gem_abbott shocking... VIP lane PPE three times more unfit for use than non-VIP lane
Show threadAwatha #FBPE #FBPA #FBPPRNov 25, 2022

@deepfriedsteve @gem_abbott

VIP
Very Inferior Products.

Show threadKim Spence-Jones #FBPENov 26, 2022
@gem_abbott Link to Spotlight on Corruption’s report here:
https://www.spotlightcorruption.org/half-of-vip-lane-companies-supplied-ppe-worth-1-billion-that-was-not-fit-for-purpose/
Half of VIP lane companies supplied PPE worth £1 billion that was not fit for purpose - Spotlight on Corruption

Spotlight on Corruption has established that 25 of the 50 companies in the government’s ‘VIP lane’ supplied PPE worth £1 billion that was not fit for purpose.

Spotlight on Corruption
Show threadGareth KitchenNov 25, 2022
I recall that the very existence of a VIP lane was denied for long enough.
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022

@gruff when it came to the PPE VIP lane - it was never flatly denied, but Govt did fail to mention it in screeds of legal correspondence with
Good Law Project (despite their legal duty to put their cards face up on the table), until a leak forced them to own up

They did, however, completely deny the existence of the VIP lane for testing - calling our claims "completely false". SURPRISE! We were right.

https://goodlawproject.org/revealed-for-the-first-time-full-list-of-vip-test-and-trace-firms-given-priority-treatment/

Revealed for the first time: full list of VIP Test and Trace firms given priority treatment - Good Law Project

The names of 50 firms given a fast-track ‘VIP lane’ route to securing lucrative Test and Trace contracts have at last been revealed, following our longstanding Freedom of Information battle with Government. For over a year, we have worked to uncover the identities of the politically-connected companies, all which have links to Conservative Ministers, Peers […]

Good Law Project
Show threadGareth KitchenNov 25, 2022
Ah, yes, it was the leak, that’s what I remember….. It’s all a blur now, I guess you were right in the vortex. It was brilliant work.
Show threadGemma AbbottNov 25, 2022
@gruff I think if I were ever to wake up in the middle of an anxiety dream and find I actually *was* on Mastermind, I think the Government’s rotten Covid procurement, with a particular focus on the PPE VIP lane, would have to be my specialist subject 😆
Show threadGareth KitchenNov 25, 2022
@gem_abbott I remember looking through one of the documents that GLP published. It was line by line descriptions of what the Govt. legals had been working on and their billing. I guess it must have been part of that leak.

At some point the bundle document must have become corrupted and they billed a few hours for fixing it.

The line item was something like "Fixed corruption. 2 hours" which I screen captured and highlighted.

It got quite a few likes on twitter and Jo Maugham liked it too. lol.
Show threadJonathan TraceNov 25, 2022
@gem_abbott scandalous
Show thread🤖 VS 🤖 Nov 25, 2022
@gem_abbott great work Gemma! Keep up with it!
Show threadBoris BarbourNov 25, 2022

@gem_abbott

^ Read the whole thread.

Absolutely shameless profiteering during a national emergency. The inadequate supply of quality PPE forced health workers to risk their own lives and those of their patients. Just sickening.