More than £12billion of taxpayers’ money is being spent on the test and trace system.
So far the only people it has benefited are the private firms charged with running it.
One of the contractors, Serco, is set to report a boom in profits because of the lucrative deal.
There is no clearer example of a reward for failure. The figures speak for themselves.
The number of people in England being contacted under the programme last week fell to a record low of 62.6% – far below the 80% needed for the system to be effective.
Yet in Wales, where test and trace is in public hands, they have a contact rate of 94%.
The Government’s obsession with free markets is costing us money and letting people down. Contracts have been handed out to firms with links to the Tories without proper scrutiny or any care for value for money.
It means some private consultants are being paid more in three days than a nurse earns in a year. This is disgraceful when we are talking about people’s lives and livelihoods.
It is time to sack Serco and put test and trace back in the hands of local public health teams.
Brexit bluster
Boris Johnson’s tough talk on Brexit yesterday impressed absolutely no one.
Even the most inexperienced negotiator could see what the PM was playing at.
Mr Johnson needed to sound pugnacious because he has acted weak. He vowed to walk away if there was no deal by the end of this week, then failed to carry out the threat.
The reality is that a deal is still possible. To get it over the line requires compromise by both sides and some hard bargaining.
The Prime Minister needs to drop the brinkmanship and work towards getting an agreement that will save jobs and protect business.
Space Odditea
Astronauts have fixed a space station air leak with the help of a teabag.
Even in space a cuppa comes in handy but you have to be careful of the flying saucers.
