The SNP accused the UK Government of “endemic cronyism”, offering contracts to “rich friends” and using public funds for polling on the state of the Union during a fractious debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
In an opposition day debate calling for the public inquiry into covid 19 and how the government handled the pandemic to be brought forward, Conservative MPs spoke of the “pride” they felt in the Government’s response and denied the investigation needed to be conducted before spring of next year.
The SNP’s motion for the inquiry to begin immediately was rejected by 365 votes to 263, with the work now not likely to commence until 2022.
The Conservative government accused the nationalists of “smear” and said they were “manufacturing grievance” to advance the cause of Scottish independence.
Covid cases surge again with almost 3,800 new infections recorded
“Endemic cronyism”
Opening the debate, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the UK Government of “being asleep at the wheel” in allowing the delta variant to spread in a third wave.
He also continually asked why the government had used public money to conduct polling on the Union and how it was viewed by people in Scotland.
Mr Blackford said: “This Tory government funnelled cash for the frontlines into the pockets of their rich friends.
“The pandemic has led to opportunism, for greed and for covid profits above accountability, because this Tory Government is guilty of funnelling covid cash from the frontline into the pockets of its rich friends.
“We are talking about endemic cronyism during a global pandemic. The misuse of funds, Covid profiteers raking in billions of pounds for services which have often been too sub standard or irrelevant to the fight against this virus.
“Billions of pounds whilst millions in our society have been excluded from any help from this Government. The SNP is saying today enough.
“No more dodgy dealings, no more undeclared meetings, no more billion-pound contracts to friends. The Prime Minister promised an inquiry into the UK Government’s handling of the pandemic, it must start right now.
“For the UK Government to funnel funds earmarked for emergency Covid spending into party political research is jaw dropping and morally reprehensible.”
“Manufactured grievance”
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Conservative MP Andrew Bowie said: “I have become well used to the SNPs tactic of mixing rank opportunism with righteous indignation and manufactured grievance.
“But in terms of gall…the sheer brass neck of the Scottish National Party, the party in Government in Scotland…the party responsible for public health north of the border…to come here, to this place today and put forward a motion on, of all things, Covid 19 on a day, in a week when Scotland was declared by the WHO of having six of the top 10 Covid hotspots in Europe takes some beating.
“All while the Cabinet Secretary for Health is having a wizard time at the Harry Potter studios.
“During a national crisis, the Health Secretary takes a holiday. Maybe, he was looking for a spell to magic his way out of the mess he has inherited from his predecessor.”
He added: “But this motion really takes the biscuit, it takes the hypocrisy we are so used to from those benches and from that Government in Edinburgh to whole new levels of, for me, incredulity.
“For a party that refuses to hold a public enquiry into Covid in Scotland to call for an enquiry in this place, for a party that wants to see an end to the UK and uses opportunity afforded to emphasise the differences between our nations, that seeks to break up this country to suddenly suggest that it would be untoward for the Scottish Government to hold their own enquiry before the the UK Govt did the same is quite a change of tack from a party that usually grabs any chance to show they are ‘leading’ the UK.
“For that same party to come here today to complain about the process of issuing emergency covid 19 contracts and the conduct of government
“This from a party that itself awarded over half a billion pounds in covid contracts without tender with no competitive process – including but not exclusively for call centres, PPE, housing and care home places, IT support , hand sanitiser and consultancy work.”
Alba MP Neale Hanvey accused Mr Bowie of talking with “braggadocious glee” and that he “celebrates the increased rate of Covid cases in Scotland.”
Raising a point of order, Mr Bowie responded: “Mr Hanvey has distorted what I said only a few minutes ago.
“Never once, never once did I express any glee at the record number of cases on the SNP’s hands in Scotland, not once.
“I expressed my concern at what is happening in Scotland and he should withdraw that comment.”
“Marred by brazen cronyism”
Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Fleur Anderson said: “Government procurement in the past 16 months has been marred by huge waste to the taxpayer and brazen cronyism.”
“That’s not to say that the vaccine rollout has been an enormous success and if that’s all we’re going to hear from members of the Government party during this debate, then that’s not going to be really getting into the heart of this debate because at the same time as we were rolling out the vaccine also, these crony Covid contracts were being made, and there are questions that have to be answered.”
Possible early election
Orkney and Shetland Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said it was important to start any public inquiry sooner in case of an early general election.
He said: “The reason I think it is particularly important we have an early start is we read in many newspapers the intention of the government is to go to the public in a general election as early as 2023.
“An inquiry that starts now might have a fighting chance of bringing a preliminary decision to this house and the public before that point.
“One that starts in spring 2022…is almost certainly still going to be doing its work during a 2023 general election.
“But the point is in March last year this house gave unprecedented powers to this executive. Powers which for the most part have been unused, but still they insist on holding on to them.
“Once powers are taken from parliament the executive is always very reluctant to give it back – you can go back to the requirement of people to carry identity cards in 1939, which lasted until the 1950s.
“I would suggest the moment passed (on the executive holding these powers) in September last year and certainly had by March this year when they were renewed for a second time.”
SNP accused of “smear”
Parliamentary under-secretary for health, Jo Churchill MP, said Mr Blackford’s accusations were “largely just smear”.
She added Mr Blackford was “well aware of the public contract regulations, which existed before the pandemic, which allowed the Government to procure at speed in times of emergency”.
“And I would very gently say these were the same systems that happened in Scotland, and in Wales,” she said.
“”We have an unprecedented global crisis and quite rightly people have to use existing regulation which allows them to flex in order to deliver for their populations.”
“I am proud of the work of the vaccine taskforce and Kate Bingham – her team worked ceaselessly.”