Matt Hancock’s neighbour has denied cronyism helped him secure a £40million NHS Test and Trace contract.
Alex Bourne (a former pub landlord) denied being given the contract, after sending a WhatsApp request to the former Health Secretary.
Mail On Sunday published the exchanges by email between these two parties from March 2013.
They contain Mr Bourne asking Mr Hancock to sign a contract with his food- and beverage manufacturing company in order for him to produce PPE for NHS.
Mr Hancock had just 3 hours to refer his company, but Mr Bourne claims it was helped by his past relationship to former Health Secretary.
It comes after Mr Hancock admitted he had ‘blown up every part of my life’ after he was caught on CCTV cheating on his wife with his most senior aide.
In June, the ex-health secretary was captured passionately kissing Gina Coladangelo (married aide to millionaire lobbyist) against the Whitehall door.
When it became clear that they were actually seeing one another, despite his being her aide, and breaking the social distancing rules Mr Hancock had set up for them both, he lost his job.
Matt Hancock’s neighbour Alex Bourne (pictured together) has denied cronyism helped him secure a £40million NHS Test and Trace contract
After sending an anonymous WhatsApp to former Health Secretary, he claimed he wasn’t given the contract (pictured Wednesday).
In a new documentary, Bourne claims that the Government contract his firm had with Mr Hancock was denied by an ex-army officer.
According to him, he received his number from his former neighbor and sent just a simple text message.
“I presented myself fully because… He hadn’t seen me on that stage for probably three years.
“And he replied kindly and asked me to send details to my email address at Parliament.” I obliged.
For many years, Mr Bourne was friends with Mr Hancock. His firm Hinpack Limited made cups and cartons before the pandemic.
Regular visitors to Mr Bourne’s Cock Inn pub, just a few miles from the former home of the MP in Suffolk were welcomed by the Minister.
In December, a company called Alpha Laboratories was given a £40.4million contact to manufacture swab sample collection tubes for the NHS.
The work was subcontracted to Hinpack Limited — but only after Mr Bourne contacted Alpha Laboratories himself, he claimed.
Before Alpha Laboratories, he said that his company had invested in medical manufacturing and made millions.
Bourne denied that he was friends with Mr Hancock.
Mail On Sunday, June 6th revealed the contents of Mr Hancock’s email conversation with him before the deal.
In his first message sent on March 30, 2020, Mr Bourne focused on ‘Surgical Mask Manufacturing’ — despite having no experience of supplying medical equipment.
‘Dear Matt. It was good to see you and that you were full of beans. He wrote. He wrote, “You and the rest of your staff are doing a great job. It’s a pleasure to have you as our guide through difficult times.
He explained that his company might be able help the department.
“We make and distribute surgical masks, so we understand the manufacturing process as well as distribution.
He stated that he was not seeking to make money from the business and would work for free to supply this product to NHS and other government departments.
‘If you are stuck for PPE and supply is not coping — we can make this happen very quickly.’
Three hours later Mr Hancock sent the message to Jonathan Marron (the then director general of community- and social care at Department of Health), writing that the message was for domestic production.
They refer to previous contacts, which could include telephone conversations.
Bourne thanked Bourne for his time on June 15, 2020. It was also disclosed that Bourne changed from wearing masks to performing testing.
He sent Mr Hancock, on June 30, a three page message entitled ‘Antigen Testing Problems/Solutions’. In it, he complained that the procurement process was too focussed on past performance and less on future possibilities.
Bourne, who accepted an invitation from Mr Hancock and other suppliers to participate in a Zoom session about’manufacturing supports for increased testing’ on August 25, agreed.