UK approves accountability law after Covid PPE waste
British MPs have approved a law forcing public authorities to tell the truth in investigations, a direct response to the £10bn wasted on flawed Covid procurement that exposed systemic cronyism.
British lawmakers have approved the long-delayed Hillsborough law, introducing a legal duty for public officials to tell the truth and cooperate with investigations. The legislation cleared the House of Commons on the same day the Covid-19 inquiry published a devastating report on government procurement failures.
Inquiry chair Heather Hallett found that Britain entered the pandemic dangerously unprepared, leaving health and care workers without adequate protection. Her investigation concluded that £10bn of personal protective equipment spending was wasted due to flawed purchasing arrangements, resulting in avoidable infections and deaths.
While Lady Hallett stopped short of endorsing claims of institutionalised corruption, she confirmed the Conservative government operated a hidden "VIP lane" that favoured suppliers with political connections. A criminal investigation into PPE Medpro means related findings remain unpublished. Nevertheless, families like Naomi Fulop’s maintain that inadequate equipment allowed the virus to kill vulnerable loved ones.
The new legislation is a direct product of the same grassroots campaign that forced a reckoning over the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 97 Liverpool football supporters ultimately died. It mandates that public authorities act with candour and grants bereaved families funded legal representation, equalling the footing of the state bodies they face.
The bill carries significant political weight, forming part of Sir Keir Starmer’s legacy as the next prime minister, Andy Burnham, prepares to take office. However, the government recently attempted to exempt the security services, which faced criticism in the Manchester Arena inquiry.
Under a compromise, independent inquiry chairs—rather than the agencies themselves—will retain the power to withhold national security evidence. The legislation still faces scrutiny in the Lords.
For the broader public sector, the law represents a structural shift in the relationship between the state and its citizens. As Bishop James Jones noted, the legislation aims to dismantle "the patronising disposition of unaccountable power." By requiring full explanations for decisions, the legal framework is designed to deter reckless government actions before catastrophes occur.
