Tory minister accused of cronyism after associate’s firm hired as adviser

Civil servants raised objections to health department giving contract to company run by close associate of Nick Markham

A health minister has been accused of cronyism after a close associate became a 1,500-a-day adviser on the 40 new hospitals" programme, despite officials raising a series of detailed objections including perceived conflicts of interest.

Nick Markham helped to ensure that the Department of Health and Social Care handed a 137,460 contract to iDevelop, a management consultancy run by Nigel Crainey. In doing so, he overrode concerns from civil servants who had warned that the contract was not needed and did not represent value for money and also that the two men's relationship meant that it posed reputational risk" for the department and the NHS.