AUSTERITY architects David Cameron and George Osborne have questions to answer over their damaging agenda which decimated public services and left Britain ill-prepared for the coronavirus pandemic, the TUC charged today.

Ahead of their appearance before the Covid-19 public inquiry on Monday, the former prime minister and ex-chancellor must explain why they “ignored warnings and pushed millions into poverty, despite the impact on the UK’s resilience and preparedness,” the union body stressed.

The pair, in office from May 2010 to July 2016, claimed funding cuts would put public finances on a “stable footing and help create strong economic growth.”

But the TUC warned that the widely condemned approach, which was largely continued by their successors before the virus hit in early 2020, affected safe staffing levels in public services, severely weakened the social security system and undermined workplace health and safety. 

It also “weakened the economy, led to higher public debt, pushed millions of people into poverty and led to the worst pay crisis for two centuries,” it added.

General secretary Paul Nowak said: “David Cameron and George Osborne have serious questions to answer.

“Make no mistake, austerity was a political choice and one that left the UK hugely exposed to the pandemic.

“Their policies weakened the foundations of our society by hollowing out our public services and shredding our safety net.

“Cameron and Osborne imposed brutal and unnecessary spending cuts in the face of widespread opposition and warnings from experts. And for what? They spectacularly failed to deliver on their promises of stable public finances and strong economic growth.”

Mr Nowak noted the different approach of other leading economies which “protected public services and used public investment to achieve fairer societies.

“If the UK had followed the same path, we would have been much better prepared when the pandemic hit.”

The government’s own figures show that more than 226,000 people have died in Britain with Covid-19 since the virus was first detected here in January 2020. 

The inquiry, which is set to run until at least 2026, was told by experts last week that Britain entered the worst public health crisis in a century with public services “depleted and health inequalities on the rise.”

The probe is being chaired by retired Court of Appeal judge and cross-bench peer Baroness Heather Hallett.