: The UK has suffered the
worst economic crisis in the G7. The Prime Minister has more
chance of persuading the public that he did not hold any parties
than he has of persuading them that the economy is booming. High
taxes are not just the result of low growth. Under this
Government we have seen a pandemic of waste and fraud, from the
Prime Minister’s yacht to Government contracts for mates of
Ministers. They have treated taxpayers as an ATM for their mates
and their lifestyles. Now we find that they have written off £8.7
billion on personal protective equipment and the Chancellor is
writing off £4.3 billion in fraud. That is enough to cover the
tax hike he is inflicting on working people. Why did this
Government block the National Crime
Agency from investigating all the billions they
lost to fraud?
The Prime Minister: Of course we despise fraud and those who
steal from the taxpayer, which is why we have already recovered
£743 million in lost furlough money and £2.2 billion that was
stolen in bounce back loans, and we will go on. But I have to
tell you, Mr Speaker, that I am proud of what this Government and
this country did: securing record quantities of PPE in record
time, and furloughing and looking after the entirety of British
business and society in the way that we did.
Once again, Captain Hindsight comes to this House and attacks the
Government for doing exactly what he urged us to do 18 months
ago. Mr Speaker, it so happens that I have been rustling in my
notes and I have found a letter dated 22 April 2020—which I will
place for your convenience in the Library of the House—from the
shadow Chancellor, the hon. Member for Leeds West (), to the Secretary of State
for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my right hon. Friend
the Member for Surrey Heath (), suggesting that we could
secure PPE supplies from a theatrical costumier and get
ventilators from a professional football agent. No wonder fraud
was running at £21 billion a year under Labour. I am proud of
what this Government did to secure PPE and I am proud of the way
we protected this country.
