Bring in gangbusting cops to trace £11.8m lost to Covid crooks

KEIR Starmer is demanding that Boris Johnson calls in gangbusting police to urgently investigate £11.8billion of Covid fraud.

In his exclusive Sunday Mirror interview, the Labour leader said: “It’s extraordinary the Government is not lifting a finger to get it back.

“That’s almost exactly the sum they hope to raise from their National Insurance hike which hurts so many families struggling with bills.

Mr Starmer said one Manchester crime gang used Covid loans to ship stolen cars around the world but claimed the Tories “are worried if they brought the National Crime Agency in, it would expose how badly their systems were run”.

An NCA investigation is a key plank of the emergency budget he wants Rishi Sunak to make.

WINDFALL

He said the Chancellor left a “yawning chasm” in last month’s spring statement, failing to tackle record energy bills, petrol hikes and soaring food prices. The Labour leader also wants…

A windfall tax on oil and gas producers to cut home energy bills by up to £600.

A business rate cut of up to £5,700 to help struggling firms funded by a tax on online giants.

A U-turn to scrap the National Insurance hike, which is due to hit pay packets this week.

A rapid ramping up of home-insulation upgrades, saving households £400 on bills.

We used the Mirror’s social media to put your questions to the party leader. Most popular was a date for the long-awaited findings of a leak inquiry into antisemitism within Labour.

But Martin Forde QC, who is running the probe, says it has been held up again because of an Information Commissioner’s inquiry.

Dave Barlow asked if the Labour leader would switch UK elections to use proportional representation. He replied: “During an acute cost of living crisis… our absolute focus is on showing that only Labour is on people’s side.”

Asked by Ashley Giles how he can win back voters to Labour, he said: “With a relentless focus on the issues that matter to them. The Labour Party has changed. I’ve turned it inside out.”