Tory Peer to Depart Lords Following Standards Investigation Into PPE Deals
Conservative peer Peter Gummer, known as Lord Chadlington, has announced he will leave the House of Lords after a standards investigation found he committed multiple breaches related to £50 million in Covid PPE contracts. The inquiry also determined that Chadlington failed to cooperate fully with previous examinations of his conduct.
Five Breaches of Conduct Rules Identified
Martin Jelley, the House of Lords standards commissioner, concluded that Chadlington breached conduct rules on five separate occasions. The investigation focused on Chadlington's introduction of a company in which he held financial interests to government officials as a potential PPE supplier during the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020.
The commissioner specifically found that Chadlington "did not act on his personal honour" by not cooperating with earlier investigations that had cleared him of wrongdoing. This failure to cooperate itself constituted a breach of paragraph 9 of the Lords code of conduct.
VIP Lane Contracts and Company Collapse
Chadlington introduced SG Recruitment, a small loss-making agency, to government contacts through what became known as the "VIP lane" for politically connected suppliers. Within weeks of the introduction, the company secured two PPE contracts totaling £50 million with the Department of Health and Social Care.
Despite receiving these substantial government contracts, SG Recruitment later collapsed into liquidation in December 2023, owing £1.1 million in taxes to HMRC. The Department of Health had already rejected the PPE supplied under the first £24 million contract as "unusable" while having paid the company in full.
Third Investigation Reveals Previously Undisclosed Evidence
This was the third investigation into Chadlington's involvement with SG Recruitment. Previous inquiries in 2022 and 2023 had cleared him, but the latest examination considered new evidence including text messages and emails published by the Covid inquiry.
These communications revealed that Chadlington had sought assistance from former Prime Minister David Cameron, who provided contact information for Andrew Feldman, a Conservative peer advising the DHSC on PPE procurement. Chadlington then emailed SG Recruitment's majority owner David Sumner introducing him to "my friend Andrew Feldman" who could help with PPE procurement.
Chadlington had not disclosed this email to either of the two previous Lords commissioner investigations. Within a week of the introduction, SG Recruitment received its first £24 million contract for coveralls, followed by a second £26.1 million contract for hand sanitiser a month later.
Financial Interests and Professional Connections
The investigation confirmed that Chadlington held multiple financial interests in the company, serving as chair, paid director, and shareholder in SG Recruitment's parent company, Sumner Group Holdings, which was registered in Jersey.
Chadlington is a significant Conservative figure who previously headed a multinational public relations conglomerate, advised former Prime Minister John Major, and maintains close friendships with senior Tory figures including David Cameron.
Response and Consequences
Following a 12-month suspension upheld by the conduct committee after Chadlington appealed, the peer announced he would retire from the House of Lords and resign from the Conservative party. In a statement issued through his lawyers, Chadlington stated: "I wholly reject the findings of this appeal and of the commissioner."
He added: "Although the committee have acknowledged that I did not act dishonestly, it is important that I make clear that I never profited from an introduction, properly made with honourable intent, at a time of unprecedented national crisis."
Labour peer George Foulkes, who had previously complained about Chadlington's conduct, welcomed the decision, noting it was unfortunate the peer had not cooperated with earlier investigations. The Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group, whose complaint prompted the latest investigation, stated the outcome showed "those who abused their position during the pandemic can be held to account."
The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of PPE procurement during the pandemic, particularly through the VIP lane that prioritized politically connected suppliers, with multiple investigations continuing to examine the allocation of billions in emergency contracts.
