Lord Chadlington Resigns Over PPE Scandal

0:00On March 6, a conservative peer known as Lord Chattelington is quitting the house of Lords after an investigation ruled he broke standards five times, over 50 million pounds in COVID personal protective equipment contracts. The pro-found he failed to cooperate with earlier reviews and violated rules on profiting from his position. Back in April 2020, Chattelington introduced a small recruitment firm where he held a financial stake to government officials as a potential, NHS supplier. The company quickly landed deals worth 50 million pounds through a fast track lane for connected firms, including contact with the health minister. The firm supplied unusable gear, with the health department rejecting items from the first 24 million pound contract yet still paying up. It later collapsed in late 2023, owing 1.1 million pounds in taxes. Previous inquiries in 2022 and 2023 had cleared him, but flagged his lack of full cooperation. His latest review by standards commissioner Martin Jelly confirmed breaches of conduct

1:01codes, leading to a 12-month suspension that he appealed. Unsuccessfully, Chattelington, an 80-year-old Tory donor and advisor to past leaders, called any errors honest and announced his retirement after 30 years. Along with leaving the party, bereaved families and critics see it as long overdue accountability for a pandemic procurement flaws.