“Someone please ensure that they have the 530k within 24 hours from now and report back to me it’s been sent,” Cummings wrote to the chief executive of NHSX. “No procurement, no lawyers, no meetings, no delay please – just send immediately,” he continued. The funding request had the backing of the health secretary, Matt Hancock, who was copied in on the email chain at this point...
After a flurry of communication between top civil servants, money for Our World in Data was approved within days and put on NHSX’s budget, the Guardian understands.
… the grant was not even wanted by the not-for-profit in the form being offered… The group chose to follow its own due process and later applied formally to DHSC and was awarded a grant.
“What a waste of time when we were at that position in the pandemic. I think it was unethical, immoral, and an abuse of power,”
It’s interesting that (being from the Guardian), that article presents the story as being a scandal, with the implication that Cummings was being corrupt.
Datum about process over speed in the civil service and civil society (and also about OWID being far more savvy about optics than Cummings):
It’s interesting that (being from the Guardian), that article presents the story as being a scandal, with the implication that Cummings was being corrupt.