UK court: Government VIP lane for COVID contracts unlawful

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s High Court has ruled that the government acted unlawfully when it used a so-called “VIP lane” to award lucrative contracts to suppliers of personal protective equipment during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Two groups brought the legal action against the Department of Health and Social Care. They alleged its use of the “High Priority Lane,” reserved for referrals from lawmakers and senior officials, gave unfair advantage to some suppliers. The contracts included one worth about $464 million to pest control firm PestFix and another worth some $344 million to the hedge fund Ayanda Capital. Judge Finola O’Farrell said Wednesday that giving the companies preferential treatment as part of the VIP lane was unlawful.