AROUND £64 billion of public cash has been “wastefully spent or dubiously allocated” since Boris Johnson became prime minister, according to figures from a campaign group.
Best for Britain’s “Scandalous Spending Tracker” keeps tabs on the taxpayer money they claim has been frittered away by Johnson’s administration.
It includes £200,000 which was spent on installing traffic cones for Brexit traffic at Dover – which were only in place for one day - and the £163,000 spent on Union flags in just two years.
At the more costly end of the scale it lists the £4.3bn lost to Covid support fraud which Rishi Sunak allegedly wrote off, and the £8.7bn wasted on bad PPE deals.
The campaign group said that, after adding the £11bn which Sunak cost the taxpayer by failing to take out insurance on the national debt, the total “wastefully spent or dubiously allocated” now stands at just under £64bn.
Sunak had also already made the list after billing the taxpayer more than £1.3m for polling and focus groups on his image.
Best for Britain said that the tracker does not include the £31bn which the Conservatives’ Brexit is estimated to have cost the UK economy.
Cary Mitchell, Best for Britain’s chief operating officer, said: “At a time when people are struggling to feed their families and heat their homes, this Government’s carelessness with public money is utterly appalling and exposes their dishonesty when they say tax rises and cuts are needed.
“The law-breaking Johnson and Sunak are completely out of touch but our outdated electoral system keeps them in power with a minority of votes. Opposition parties must work together at the next election to ensure that they are removed.”
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
