Matt Hancock has been urged not to "rewrite history" when he's hauled before the Covid Inquiry this week.
The former Health Secretary, who lost his job after breaching his own rules by snogging his aide, will be grilled by the Inquiry on Tuesday on how prepared the NHS was for the pandemic.
Austerity chiefs David Cameron and George Osborne both gave evidence last week, where they denied that swingeing public sector cuts left the NHS weakened in the face of the virus.
Ex-Tory PM Mr Cameron was heckled by shouts of "shame on you" as he left the hearing in London.
Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett kicked off the probe earlier this month with a focus on how well prepared the UK was for the arrival of the deadly virus.
Mr Hancock, who was Health Secretary from 2018 to 2021, will be among figures called to give evidence this week, along with former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dame Jenny Harries and ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The former Health Secretary could face questions on NHS resources after Dame Sally Davies, the former Chief Medical Officer, told the Inquiry last week that the Government “disinvested” in public health, leaving the country lacking in “resilience” for the pandemic.
The lack of PPE stockpiles, the measly sick pay system and the fragmented nature of social care could also be on the table.
TUC Covid Inquiry lead Nathan Oswin said: “Politicians must be honest with the public about the devastating impact austerity had on our preparedness for the pandemic.
"That’s how we learn lessons and save lives in the future. David Cameron and George Osborne were in complete denial last week when they claimed spending cuts hadn’t damaged our public services – despite a wealth of expert evidence showing they had.
"Matt Hancock must not try and rewrite history.
"As Health Secretary he led a depleted NHS and a fragmented social care system that didn't have the resources and staffing they badly needed."
Mr Hancock is also expected to be among the major figures grilled in the autumn for the next part of the Inquiry, which will examine Government decision-making during the pandemic.
Boris Johnson and other top ministers will be hauled in to answer for mistakes made during the Covid crisis.
* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.
