Britain | Public spending

Boris Johnson’s profligacy problem

Britain’s government is gaining a reputation for waste

IF BRITONS GET a covid-19 vaccine next spring, the government wants them to thank Kate Bingham (pictured). A big shot in venture capital, she is the head of the government’s vaccines taskforce, a body which has placed early orders for 340m vaccine doses. She has also been in the limelight for less favourable reasons: her taskforce spent £670,000 ($883,000) on public relations advisers, she was accused of divulging sensitive information to an investor conference—and, to cap it all, she is married to a Tory minister.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Chumocracy”

Suddenly, hope

From the November 14th 2020 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Britain

Stock price information displayed on a board at the London Stock Exchange.

Britain’s brokers are diversifying and becoming less British

London’s depleted stockmarket is forcing them to change

Sculpture by Charles Jencks of DNA double helix Cambridge University.

What a buzzy startup reveals about Britain’s biotech sector

Lots of clever scientists, not enough business nous


Illustration of Kier Starmer facing away next to the stripes of the Union Jack and the stars of the EU flag

Britain’s government lacks a clear Europe policy

It should be more ambitious over getting closer to the EU


The Rachel Reeves theory of growth

The chancellor says it’s her number-one priority. We ask her what that means for Britain