On Monday, Lord Agnew decided to expose the government’s fraudulent Covid loan claims scheme. From his experience as counter-fraud minister, Lord Agnew highlighted that the loan scheme had been in chaos, full of schoolboy errors. In his scathing speech, he declared the government’s record as guardian’s of the public resources is desperately inadequate! The Treasury had shown little or no interest in the level of fraud, refusing to 'lift their game' when the fraud was highlighted to them. Among other fraudulent claims, over 1000 loans went to companies who were not even trading at the start of covid. Agnew estimates the cost of the fraud is £29 bn a year or 5p on income tax. Faced with the horrors of this scheme, Lord Agnew felt his position was untenable so resigned. Coupled with the recent of the PPE VIP channel one wonders where this immense waste of public money will end!
