Rachel Reeves has started the appointment process for a Covid corruption commissioner tasked with getting back “what is owed to the British people”.
The Chancellor told MPs the commissioner will report to her, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Parliament on their work to chase down fraudsters who prospered during the pandemic.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is examining how £15 billion of taxpayers’ money was spent on personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, amid claims of fraud and waste.
It will also examine how the balance was struck between the need to find PPE at a time of urgent need and the responsibility to provide value for money and transparency.
Ms Reeves, speaking during the King’s Speech debate, told the House of Commons: “The past government hiked taxes while allowing waste and inefficiency to spiral out of control.
“Nowhere was this more evident than during the pandemic, especially when it came to PPE, because the former prime minister (Rishi Sunak) when he was chancellor signed cheque after cheque after cheque for billions of pounds worth of contracts that did not deliver for the NHS when it needed it – and that is simply unacceptable.
“So today I can announce that I am beginning the process to appoint a Covid corruption commissioner to get back what is owed to the British people.
“Because that money, today in the hands of fraudsters, belongs in our public services and we want that money back.
“The commissioner will report to me, working with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and their report will be presented to Parliament for all members to see.
“Because I will not tolerate waste, I will treat taxpayers’ money with respect and I will return stability to our public finances.”
Ms Reeves also used her speech to accuse the previous Conservative government of having “stored up problems” in Whitehall for her colleagues “to pick up the pieces and clear up the mess”.
At one stage Ms Reeves challenged Tory MPs to defend the 2022 mini budget presided over by former prime minister Liz Truss.
“Well, if any member on the opposition benches would like to dispute that fact today, I’d be more than happy to give way.”
Tory former minister Mark Francois described mandatory housing targets as “Stalinist”, with Ms Reeves replying: “I’ve been compared to a lot of things but never compared to Joseph Stalin.”
Opening the debate, shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt defended the Conservatives’ record on the economy against “dubious claims” made by Ms Reeves.
Mr Hunt said: “The most dubious claim that we have heard of all is this nonsense about the worst economic inheritance since the Second World War, which everybody knows is just a pretext for long-planned tax rises.
“You can see what nonsense this is from a simple comparison to the last time we had a change of party running the government in 2010.
“Inflation then was 3.4% compared to 2% today. Unemployment was at 8% compared to 4.4% today, growth was forecast at the time to be one of the slowest in the G7 compared to the fastest today.
“Instead of an economy where markets and the pound were facing meltdown, she has inherited one in which the ONS said growth was going gangbusters.”
