Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender

[patman post]

could it be Boris,s sell by date approaching.?

There's already speculation that Boris won't stand for a second term. But I can't see him being pushed out until he's ready.
He's achieved PM, perhaps The Lords then UK President or an international appointment is next...

[patman post]

The link in the opening post includes:
'Cabinet Office spokesman said that all the focus group work did relate to the government's COVID-19 messaging, and that the references to Brexit in the government's official disclosures were misleading. [And explained] Cabinet Office accounts department did not immediately open a "cost code" classification for expenditure relating to the crisis, so the payments were initially allocated to an existing cost code, which included communications about Brexit.'

Seems plausible — I've done similar by allocating and authorising new task payments under  existing budget lines to speed things up. Cabinet Office personnel may get a slap on the wrist for not adhering strictly to procedure, but they'll likely get away with it...

[Good old]

Been happening since time began though hasn't it....jobs for the boys, contracts for the pals.

The ONLY way I'd condone it is by saying that C19 and research into it has had, by necessity, to be very fast moving since the beginning, maybe these guys had the wherewithall to get moving faster on it?

It's has happened since time began, it's no longer allowed. So there should be no possibility of a shrugging of shoulders. The only way C19  touches this ,would be in the unlikely event that  C19 prevented a tender system to be used. Because the work being paid for has little to do with C19

[Good old]

Been happening since time began though hasn't it....jobs for the boys, contracts for the pals.

The ONLY way I'd condone it is by saying that C19 and research into it has had, by necessity, to be very fast moving since the beginning, maybe these guys had the wherewithall to get moving faster on it?

I dare say that Cummings will come up with something, although he is such an arrogant numbnuts that he will probably screw it up.




I reckon that our Dominic is approaching his sell by date and that pretty soon Boris will start looking around for another kingmaker

That's his party piece, coming up with unlikely, take it or leave it explanations. That no one rally believes ,yet most accept.
Can Boris, live through the next few years without the Brexit, mastermind pulling him along?  Even if Boris, thought he could, Cummings  may well have the shite, and the shovel to throw it with,  which will confirm his place as the cabinet puppet master.
With Cummings, and Gove, hovering, could it be Boris,s sell by date approaching.?

[Borchester]

Been happening since time began though hasn't it....jobs for the boys, contracts for the pals.

The ONLY way I'd condone it is by saying that C19 and research into it has had, by necessity, to be very fast moving since the beginning, maybe these guys had the wherewithall to get moving faster on it?

I dare say that Cummings will come up with something, although he is such an arrogant numbnuts that he will probably screw it up.

I reckon that our Dominic is approaching his sell by date and that pretty soon Boris will start looking around for another kingmaker 

[Good old]

It is activity of this sort that leads to some to question  Cummings stated wishes to have the influential upper echelons of the Civil Service, adjusted to something more to his liking. Maybe the sort of people he would be rid of  would object to this kind of deal?

[papasmurf]

Been happening since time began though hasn't it....jobs for the boys, contracts for the pals.

The ONLY way I'd condone it is by saying that C19 and research into it has had, by necessity, to be very fast moving since the beginning, maybe these guys had the wherewithall to get moving faster on it?

The problem is it has NOTHING to do with Covid-19 research.

[Bright Young Thing]

Been happening since time began though hasn't it....jobs for the boys, contracts for the pals.

The ONLY way I'd condone it is by saying that C19 and research into it has had, by necessity, to be very fast moving since the beginning, maybe these guys had the wherewithall to get moving faster on it?

[Good old]

Cummings ,would probably say the accepted protocol is time consuming and therefore not practical.  For his purposes it probably isn't. Always worrying when governments grease friendly palms, without competition.  The main media, seem slow to this one.

[cromwell]

References to brexit were misleading.......really,looks iffy to me.

When people are providing anything for govt it should be open and any connections to those serving that govt should ring alarm bells not tills ringing.

[papasmurf]

This smells of corruption:-

More at link:-

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/revealed-key-cummings-ally-given-840000-covid-contract-without-competition/

10 July 2020

Key Cummings and Gove ally given COVID-19 contract without open tender

The Cabinet Office has awarded an £840,000 contract for researching public opinion about government policies to a company owned by two long-term associates of Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings, without putting the work out for tender.

Public First, a small policy and research company in London's Tufton Street, is run by James Frayne - whose work alongside Cummings dates back to a Eurosceptic campaign 20 years ago - and Rachel Wolf, a former advisor to Gove who co-wrote the Conservative Party's 2019