The Conservatives have squandered £100 billion of taxpayer’s cash in four years, a brutal report released ahead of the autumn statement has revealed.
Campaign group Best of Britain has compiled a round-up of “crony contracts”, “duff deals” and “outrageous outgoings” to arrive at the eye-watering sum, which dwarfs the GDP of Bulgaria, Croatia and Uruguay.
Coming in at an average of £25 billion a year, almost all of the cash has been blown during the time Rishi Sunak has either been chancellor or prime minister.
It includes the 140 million thrown away on the Rwanda asylum deal, which was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court last week, and money spent on the doomed HS2 project, which has been significantly scaled back.
Commenting on the report, Best of Britain chief executive Naomi Smith said: “The notion the Tories are safe with money has been blown out of the water. It’s disgraceful the Government continues to squander public money while so many struggle to feed their families and heat their homes.”
Unsurprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic is the source of huge financial wastage.
Just under £15 billion vanished on unused or unusable PPE, storing it and ending contracts – and up to £10,000 of furlough cash went to Koru Kids, a childcare firm in which the PM’s wife, Akshata Murty, has shares.
Spending also includes £35.2 million of contracts won by Centerprise International, whose board includes Michael Keegan, husband of then-health minister Gillian. The Government said he had no role in the decision.
Labour’s Darren Jones said: “ Rishi Sunak is wasting taxpayer cash while services crumble.” And Smith added: “This fiscally inept and morally bankrupt Government must go.”
The Government said: “We are keeping spending under control and rooting out waste. This includes accelerating productivity reforms and creating an independent body to stamp out public sector fraud.”
Related: Government asylum plans a ‘betrayal’ of national interest – Davey