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UK politicians who referred PPE firms to ‘VIP lane’ to be named

Government agrees to reveal details of how companies were fast-tracked to win lucrative COVID contracts, after months of blocking transparency

By Jenna Corderoy and Martin Williams
UK politicians who referred PPE firms to ‘VIP lane’ to be named
Matt Hancock’s health department previously blocked the release of information on the ‘VIP lane’ | PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
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The UK government has said it will reveal the names of companies that won lucrative COVID contracts through a fast-tracked ‘VIP lane’ – and the ministers who recommended them.

The news follows a months-long transparency battle, after the Department of Health initially stepped in to block the VIP list’s release to openDemocracy.

The existence of a separate channel for politically connected firms wanting to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) has been the source of sustained criticism, with a number of companies linked to Conservative MPs receiving major government contracts.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0