Speaking to leading sector news outlet, PR Week, the Chair of the Whitehouse Consultancy, Chris Whitehouse, has criticised the award of major public relations, communications and media contracts to private firms without them first being advertised and open to competitive tender. The scheme was introduced by Dominic Cummings, controversial advisor to the Prime Minister, Boris Johns. Chris says:
“These are deeply disconcerting developments. Public procurement should always be, and be seen to be, open, transparent and competitive, so that suspicions of cronyism are not nurtured and value for money for the taxpayer is delivered. It’s truly shocking that contracts of this scale have been let on the sly. The PRCA should make urgent representation to the Cabinet Office to ensure that such behaviour ceases forthwith.”
The full text of the PR Week article can be found here.
The Whiteouse team are experts in providing crisis communications, public relations and public affairs advice and political analysis to a wide range of clients, not only in the United Kingdom, but also across the member states of the European Union and beyond. For more information, please contact our Chair, Chris Whitehouse, at chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com