THE government’s use of a so-called “VIP lane” to award millions of pounds’ worth of contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) was unlawful, the High Court ruled today.

The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor took legal action over nearly £600 million of contracts awarded to pest control firm PestFix and hedge fund Ayanda Capital during the first wave of the pandemic.

The court was told that the VIP lane was reserved for referrals from MPs, ministers and senior officials and that the government “prioritised suppliers including PestFix and Ayanda because of who they knew, not what they could deliver.”