Lord Agnew defended fast-track procurement as necessary in situation but admitted ‘we got plenty of stuff wrong’

A former minister behind the controversial VIP lane for supplying personal protective equipment during the pandemic has said “some crooks” were probably awarded contracts, but defended the scheme as necessary to plug shortages.

Lord Agnew, who was a Cabinet Office minister responsible for procurement during the pandemic, accused the Covid inquiry of having a “misconceived obsession with the high-priority lane”.