Tried and Tested

Outside the dank orifices of the Cummings administration itself, there are few who have endorsed the Government's handling of the pandemic with such forensic enthusiasm as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition; which makes it all the more laudable that one or two members of the shadow cabinet are expressing suitably nuanced concern over yet another handout from the British taxpayer to those brilliant boffins at Serco. Since Serco are mostly famous for tracking the movements of dead people, their qualifications when it comes to keeping the statistics onside need hardly be belaboured; and naturally, given the company's record of public service under both right wings of our great democracy, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition did not condemn the hiring outright. The shadow health secretary, from whom much has undoubtedly been heard somewhere or other during the past few months, merely gave vent to a bit of an urge about the technicalities of the process. His friendly reminder to the Government was co-signed by the Blairite thuggette Rachel Reeves, who is doubtless worried that the Conservatives are not being tough enough on the freeloading furlough-surfers.