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Matt Hancock's pub landlord tells LBC he made 'zero profit' from PPE deal
2 December 2021, 12:12 | Updated: 2 December 2021, 15:53
Matt Hancock constituent who received Covid contracts speaks to LBC
Matt Hancock's pub landlord tells LBC that he made 'zero' profit from a PPE contract he was awarded worth £40 million.
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James O'Brien was taking calls on the scandal surrounding the awarding of PPE contracts to those close to Conservative MPs after it emerged that many companies embroiled in the scandal were able to remain anonymous over rules relating to the awarding of contracts via subcontractors.
Alex Bourne is the head of Hinpack Ltd., who manufacture pizza boxes and plastic cups, and spoke to James O'Brien.
Read more: Covid contract scandal: Revelations 'just scratch the surface' of saga
Mr Bourne, who is a pub landlord in the former Health Secretary Matt Hancock's constituency, took exception to an interview with Jolyon Maugham on James' show and phoned in to "set the record straight".
Mr Maugham led the way in exposing the names of businesses who gained contracts during the pandemic and campaigned to remove redactions on government documents which hid the identities of companies and individuals which were given contracts.
Jolyon Maugham 'sickened' by Covid contracts scandal
The businessman believed he was being wrongly implicated in a debate around cronyism, revealing that he barely knew the Health Secretary and only got involved in PPE supply to help the country through a difficult time.
Mr Bourne insisted that the media coverage of the ordeal had demonised him and assured James that there no cronyism in the deal, describing in detail the channels he went through to secure the deal.
He told James he was looking forward to the public inquiry into the management of the coronavirus pandemic where he could provide clarity on the matter.
Read more: Labour unveils plans for new sleaze watchdog
He also shared his disappointment at being repeatedly referred to in the media as "the pub landlord", arguing that it was snobbish and suggested that a pub landlord would not be capable of fulfilling such a contract.
Watch the amazing moment above.
Matt Hancock's representatives were approached and declined to comment.
