CAMPAIGN group We Own It has demanded an end to outsourcing to stop the dodgy deals being struck between ministers and their close friends and party donors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The call came after the Sunday Times published a “chumocracy” analysis of outsourced contracts and jobs handed out during the pandemic showing the close ties between government and those who benefit.

The paper’s report concluded that usual transparency rules have been cast aside by ministers during the pandemic with some lobbyists having privileged access to information – which has then been shared with clients – and £1.5 billion worth of contracts awarded to companies linked to the Tories.