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Film

25th Mar 2021

Hugh Grant says UK government are ‘exploiting pandemic to enrich their friends’

Claudia McInerney

Hugh Grant

‘It’s always heartwarming to watch this government exploit a pandemic to enrich their friends’

Hugh Grant has long critiqued the UK government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even before Boris Johnson’s Conservative government won the election in December 2019, Hugh Grant told James O’brien on LBC that “we are facing something very dark and scary” and said he is “worried for the country” if the Conservatives win.

The 60-year-old actor took to social media yesterday to accuse the UK government of “exploiting” the Covid-19 pandemic as a way of financially benefitting their friends and donors.

Grant retweeted a Tweet from the Citizens, which said: “Firm awarded £16.2m across multiple Covid-19 contracts has extensive links to the Conservatives.

“Softcat Plc not only boasts a Tory-donating director, but life-peer and mega-donor Lord Nash holds shares in them.”

Commenting on the links between the political party and the firm that was awarded over £16m worth of Covid-19 contracts, the actor said: “Always heartwarming to watch this government exploit a pandemic to enrich their friends and donors.”

The actor has become known for his public scrutiny of the Conservative government in recent years.

Last week, Grant praised the running of the NHS, in comparison to the way European countries are run.

He said: “Recent events have proved what I always suspected. Britain and in fact Europe should be run by the NHS.”