OK - everyone should calm down.
This isn't a government intention to spend £70bn on an unknown consultancy.
But this is a slightly different type of scandal.
It's a Framework Agreement - a legitimate way of setting up easier purchasing through a pre-qualified and legal contract.

https://twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1554167326953570304

But this is an example of an evolution of Framework Contracts far beyond their original intent.
I'll explain. Over the years, government procures billions of pounds work of work from thousands of different suppliers. At some point, someone says 'wait'....

Oh god. I have worked in public services for 24 years. Now trying to make an enquiry for an elderly relatives. Switchboard. Option 1 - social care. Goes through to 'children and families'. Shome mishtake? Try again, no, that's right - Recorded message about recording my call... Then a recorded message about finding other councils. Then a recorded message about blue badges.
Then a recorded message about wellbeing alerts... telling me to hold the line.

@russgaskin @Academy_Change @AnnasQuestions @weaverworks @4SD_info @mikaelseppala @civiccollab1 @GarfieldFdn @ckayser @HelenBevanTweet I wrote a bit about this in February - a bit stream-of-consciousness but:
antlerboy.medium.com/what-does-the-… @russgaskin @Academy_Change @AnnasQuestions @weaverworks @4SD_info @mikaelseppala @civiccollab1 @GarfieldFdn @ckayser @HelenBevanTweet I notice that I am explicitly talking about 'the power to transcend paradigms' as both an 'adult development' type of issue and as 'greebling' - creating new worlds:
chosen-path.org/2021/04/22/the…