The Mayor of Salford has written to Michael Gove asking him that the Government should change the rules to allow Councils to end contracts with Russian state-sponsored firms and exclude them from tendering processes.

Salford Council currently has a big contract with Gazprom for non-domestic gas.

UK local authorities, which have a statutory duty to find the cheapest deal on behalf of the public, paid £29m to Gazprom from 2016 to 2021, according to data firm Tussell reports the BBC

In the letter Paul Dennett writes that

state-owned and/or backed Russian organisations and services are still woven inextricably into the delivery of Local Government Services…at present their involvement in bidding for tenders and contracts is enshrined in UK public procurement regulations

He adds that:

“I do not wish for public money to be spent towards the income of the Russian state…However, at present under the current round of sanctions and/or rules, such considerations would seemingly not be considered legally relevant in assessing Gazprom’s suitability…”

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