Keir Starmer is calling on the National Crime Agency to investigate £11.8billion Covid fraud

Exclusive:

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, the Labor leader said: “It’s a staggering figure and it’s extraordinary that the Government is not lifting a finger to get it back

Keir Starmer is calling for the National Crime Agency’s gangbusting police to be called in to investigate £11.8billion Covid fraud.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror, the Labor leader said: “It’s a staggering figure and it’s extraordinary that the Government is not lifting a finger to get it back.

“They are concerned if they involved the NCA it would reveal how poorly their systems have been operated

“But that’s almost exactly the amount they hope to raise from their increase in Social Security, which ails so many families struggling with bills.

“The money will not go to social services or the NHS but to make up for what they have lost to fraud and bad contracts.”

He said a Manchester criminal gang used Covid loans to swipe cars for shipment worldwide.

An NCA probe is a key part of the emergency budget Sir Keir called for from Chancellor Rishi Sunak last night to deal with the cost of living crisis.

The UK is expected to have the lowest growth and highest inflation of any of the most industrialized G7 nations next year.

And Sir Keir said the Chancellor left a “yawning chasm” in last month’s Spring statement because she failed to tackle record energy bills, petrol prices and increases in food costs.

His call comes the week the 1.25% increase in Social Security hits payroll packages

He also wants to see:

• A windfall tax for oil and gas producers to cut household electricity bills by up to £600.
• A rebate of up to £5,700 for businesses to help struggling businesses funded by a tax on online giants.
• Scrapping the Social Security Migration.
• Rapidly upgrading home insulation saves households £400 on bills.

We used The Mirror’s social media accounts to bring you the questions we should be asking the Labor leader.

The most popular was a date for the long-awaited results of Martin Forde QC’s leaked inquiry into anti-Semitism within the Labor Party.

But Mr Forde says this has had to be postponed again due to an investigation by an information commissioner.

Dave Barlow wanted to know if the Labor leader would support replacing the current first past post voting system with proportional representation.

Sir Keir told him: “During an acute cost of living crisis, with prices through the roof, our absolute focus is to show that only Labor is on the side of the people.”

dr Simon J Stewart asked: “What will Labor do to get our NHS back to the level of service it needs?”

Sir Keir said: “Labour will provide the NHS with the staff, equipment and modern technology needed to treat patients in a timely manner.”

And Ashley Giles asked how Sir Keir planned to persuade Labor voters, who left the party in 2019, to support him.

The Labor leader said: “With a relentless focus on the issues that matter to them.

“The Labor Party has changed. I turned it inside out. Everything we do is about winning back people’s trust and winning the next election.”