Department for Health & Social Care
Testing Contract(s): Ciga Healthcare Ltd
An Open & Candid Investigation - October 2023
Contents
- Background
- Irwin Armstrong
- Catherine Baxendale
- Toby Baxendale
- Political Donations
- Operation Moonshot
Background
Ciga Healthcare is based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Pre pandemic they specialised in diagnostic tests, with Suresign pregnancy kits one of their main products.
Ciga Healthcare was awarded two contracts by the DHSC, both to supply Rapid Antibody Tests. The awards were made on the 20th March 2020, both without competition. The awards were not published until January 2021. The actual contracts are missing from Contracts Finder. Total value was £5.3 million and they ran from 20th March to 15th July 2020.
On the 30th March 2020, DHSC spend shows a payment of £6.62 million to Ciga Healthcare. I assume this is the contract award plus VAT. It was one of the first Covid contracts awarded and as Ciga Healthcare are a diagnostics test supplier, it would seem to make sense. Ciga Healthcare was very well connected to the Conservative government through the shareholders of the following related companies:
Ciga Healthcare is based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Pre pandemic they specialised in diagnostic tests, with Suresign pregnancy kits one of their main products.
Ciga Healthcare was awarded two contracts by the DHSC, both to supply Rapid Antibody Tests. The awards were made on the 20th March 2020, both without competition. The awards were not published until January 2021. The actual contracts are missing from Contracts Finder. Total value was £5.3 million and they ran from 20th March to 15th July 2020.
On the 30th March 2020, DHSC spend shows a payment of £6.62 million to Ciga Healthcare. I assume this is the contract award plus VAT. It was one of the first Covid contracts awarded and as Ciga Healthcare are a diagnostics test supplier, it would seem to make sense. Ciga Healthcare was very well connected to the Conservative government through the shareholders of the following related companies:
- Ciga Healthcare was owned by Irwin Armstrong.
- Ciga Healthcare Holdings & Ciga Healthcare LLC were part owned by Armstrong, along with investors Toby & Catherine Baxendale.
Irwin Armstrong
Irvwin Armstrong is the honorary Vice President of the Northern Ireland branch of the Tory Party, he was previously the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tories. You may know him better from this clip! He is the man who asks Boris Johnson the question, in this much viewed and vaunted Brexit video, which was filmed at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Tories.
Irvwin Armstrong is the honorary Vice President of the Northern Ireland branch of the Tory Party, he was previously the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tories. You may know him better from this clip! He is the man who asks Boris Johnson the question, in this much viewed and vaunted Brexit video, which was filmed at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Tories.
Catherine Baxendale
Catherine Baxendale was on the selection panel for the controversial appointment of Richard Sharp as Chairman of the BBC. She was shortlisted to be a Tory parliamentary candidate for the Hitchin & Harpdenden constituency in 2017, losing out to Bim Afolami.
Catherine Baxendale was on the selection panel for the controversial appointment of Richard Sharp as Chairman of the BBC. She was shortlisted to be a Tory parliamentary candidate for the Hitchin & Harpdenden constituency in 2017, losing out to Bim Afolami.
Toby Baxendale
Toby Baxendale is a director of Legatum Institute Foundation, The founders of the Legatum Institute think tank. Toby was a director at the incorporation of another think tank, the Cobden Centre, alongside Tory MP Steve Baker & latterly with brexiteer & ex Tory MEP Daniel Hannan. He is also a director of the Church Revitalisation Trust alongside brexiteer, Hedge Fund and GB News owner Paul Marshall.
Toby Baxendale is a director of Legatum Institute Foundation, The founders of the Legatum Institute think tank. Toby was a director at the incorporation of another think tank, the Cobden Centre, alongside Tory MP Steve Baker & latterly with brexiteer & ex Tory MEP Daniel Hannan. He is also a director of the Church Revitalisation Trust alongside brexiteer, Hedge Fund and GB News owner Paul Marshall.
Political Donations
Both Toby & Catherine have also both donated 50k each to the Tories as part of David Cameron's leaders group.
Another contract award that highlights the many contracts awarded to UK companies early in the pandemic that had links to the Tories.
We again state that we are not suggesting anything untoward by any of the people named above.
Both Toby & Catherine have also both donated 50k each to the Tories as part of David Cameron's leaders group.
Another contract award that highlights the many contracts awarded to UK companies early in the pandemic that had links to the Tories.
We again state that we are not suggesting anything untoward by any of the people named above.
Operation Moonshot
One footnote, Ciga Healthcare were also involved in Operation Moonshot, alongside Abingdon Health and other diagnostic companies. A contract that never materialised, following the sourcing of Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) from Innova Medical Group and others. There is a story awaiting to be told around the whole, much vaunted at the time, Operation Moonshot!
One footnote, Ciga Healthcare were also involved in Operation Moonshot, alongside Abingdon Health and other diagnostic companies. A contract that never materialised, following the sourcing of Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) from Innova Medical Group and others. There is a story awaiting to be told around the whole, much vaunted at the time, Operation Moonshot!
