More than half a billion pounds has been paid out by Scottish public bodies during the coronavirus crisis without any scrutiny. Analysis by the Herald on Sunday of public contracts show more than 160 were awarded by the NHS, Scottish Government, local authorities, and others directly to suppliers without any competitive process. Some of the firms given work directly include those with links to the SNP, as well as companies with no apparent track record of delivering the services they were paid for. The UK Government has come under fire for the same thing, with a lawsuit ongoing in the High Court to compel the government to publish all the details of the contracts awarded directly to firms without them being put out to tender.