MILLIONS of pounds is literally going up in flames after a Tory donor's firm was hired to burn unusable PPE - after earning a fortune to deliver it.
Clipper Logistics is being paid £4.5million to dispose of Covid kit bought at inflated prices by the Tories but found to be useless. Gowns, goggles and surgical gloves will be incinerated.
Two years ago Clipper - one of the UK's leading storage and delivery groups - received £11million of taxpayer cash to deliver PPE.
The arrangements have reignited claims of contract cronyism after it emerged Clipper's founder Steve Parkin, 62, has handed £730,000 to the Conservatives since 2017.
Labour has hit out at "grubby deals" which have cost taxpayers a fortune.
Ferrari-loving tycoon Mr Parkin - a former coal miner who reportedly paid Robbie Williams £1million to perform at a private party - is one of the Tories' biggest donors.
He is a horse breeder, has a private jet and a helicopter, and is in the "Leader's Group" of VIPS who wine and dine top Tories. Mr Parkin once called controversial ex-PM Margaret Thatcher "one of my heroes... a genius".
While there is no allegation of wrongdoing against Clipper or Mr Parkin, critics say the arrangement is further evidence of Covid
More than £3.5billion-worth Covid contracts were awarded to Tory donors and ministers' mates, Labour claims.
This story is from the January 15, 2023 edition of The Sunday Mirror.
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This story is from the January 15, 2023 edition of The Sunday Mirror.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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