Matt Hancock accused of ‘cronyism’ after his sister’s firm was awarded £300,000 NHS contracts

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MATT Hancock has been accused of “cronyism” after it emerged his sister’s firm had been handed NHS contracts.

The revelations piled more woe on the Government, which is facing claims of lobbying and “double-jobbing” by top civil servants.

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Mr Hancock did not declare his connection until he was given his own slice of the firm this year

The Health Secretary has revealed he was handed a 15 per cent stake in the shredding firm Topwood Limited, run by sister Emily Gilruth, which was given £300,000 contracts by NHS Wales.

And it got on a register as a potential supplier for the NHS in England in 2019 — the year after Mr Hancock became Health Secretary.

Mr Hancock did not declare his connection until he was given his own slice of the firm this year.

A government spokesman said: “Mr Hancock has acted entirely properly.

“All declarations have been made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

“No conflict of interest arises.”

But Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has written to civil service boss Simon Case, wanting action.

He wrote: “No stone must be left unturned in tackling the culture of cronyism that surrounds this Government.”

Topwood Limited, run by sister Emily Gilruth, was given £300,000 contracts by NHS Wales

 

Meanwhile, thousands of civil servants are expected to have sent emails to bosses informing them of any other jobs they have, as a deadline to do so loomed.

Tonight, it was claimed by the Financial Times that ex-PM David Cameron allegedly pitched the services of Earnd — an offshoot of finance firm Greensill — to the German government.

Mr Cameron has already come under fire for sending Chancellor Rishi Sunak texts begging for millions in bailout cash for Greensill, which later collapsed.

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