Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe government squandered £10bn of taxpayer money on personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic. A UK Covid-19 inquiry report found that nearly two-thirds of the £14.9bn spent on PPE was wasted due to overbuying and acquiring substandard equipment. The report criticised Boris Johnson’s government's 'VIP Lane', which prioritised PPE suppliers with political connections, as "inherently biased" and "misguided". This 'VIP Lane' allowed referrals from politicians and senior officials, leading to favourable treatment for certain companies. Inquiry chair Heather Hallett stated the system should not be repeated, although the inquiry did not explicitly identify cronyism or corruption. In fullCovid inquiry latest: UK wasted £10bn on poor-quality PPE during pandemic, damning report findsMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
How Boris Johnson’s government wasted £10bn on PPE during Covid pandemic
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe government squandered £10bn of taxpayer money on personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic. A UK Covid-19 inquiry report found that nearly two-thirds of the £14.9bn spent on PPE was wasted due to overbuying and acquiring substandard equipment. The report criticised Boris Johnson’s government's 'VIP Lane', which prioritised PPE suppliers with political connections, as "inherently biased" and "misguided". This 'VIP Lane' allowed referrals from politicians and senior officials, leading to favourable treatment for certain companies. Inquiry chair Heather Hallett stated the system should not be repeated, although the inquiry did not explicitly identify cronyism or corruption. In fullCovid inquiry latest: UK wasted £10bn on poor-quality PPE during pandemic, damning report findsMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
