Labour’s Rachel Reeves to set out plan to recover Covid fraud billions

The Labour Party has said if they win the next general election, a Labour government would create an anti-corruption commissioner to recoup billions of pounds lost to fraud and waste during the pandemic. 

Rachel Reeves will set out the plan in her speech at Labour’s conference on Monday. 

She is expected to put the cost to the taxpayer of Covid fraud at £7.2bn. 

Reeves, the shadow chancellor, will also pledge to speed up the planning process for critical infrastructure if the party comes to power. 

Labour’s proposal to recover money lost as a result of fraud and waste during the pandemic would bring together HMRC, the Serious Fraud Office and the National Crime Agency.