THE TUC accused Tory ex-premier David Cameron today of being in denial about the huge damage caused by his austerity policies which left millions vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The charge came after the former prime minister, who was in office from 2010 to 2016, was grilled by lawyers and representatives of families bereaved by the worst public health crisis in a century.

Mr Cameron, who became the first politician to be questioned by the statutory probe after public hearings began last week, argued that years of brutal cuts to public services following the 2008 financial crash were needed to reduce national debt.

Having the “spare capacity to suddenly borrow” cash to fund initiatives such as the furlough scheme, which kept the economy afloat during three national lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, was “very much in my mind when we drew up the plan to reduce the budget deficit,” he told barrister Kate Blackwell KC.

Despite research suggesting austerity led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the Eton-educated ex-MP, who was heckled by shouts of “shame on you” as he left the London hearing, agreed with a statement from his chancellor George Osborne that the approach “had a material and positive effect” on Britain’s response to coronavirus. 

But the TUC, which has repeatedly slammed austerity as a “political choice,” condemned the comments.

General secretary Paul Nowak said: “David Cameron is in denial about the huge damage caused by his austerity policies. 

“The cuts he imposed massively damaged the readiness and resilience of our public services and shredded our social security safety net, leaving millions vulnerable.”

To date, at least 227,000 people have died in Britain with coronavirus, according to the government’s own figures. Countless more are suffering from poorly understood long Covid, while estimates suggest thousands of business were forced to close their doors for the last time. 

Mr Nowak urged the country to “learn the lesson that cuts have costs,” adding: “We must strengthen our public services and safety net so that we are never left exposed in the same way again.”

Doctors’ union the British Medical Association slammed Mr Cameron’s claim that austerity had not led to a depleted health service. 

The NHS budget rose by an average of 1 to 2 per cent a year in real terms during his six years in power, but this compared to a median 4 per cent increase previously, meaning it suffered a squeeze which led to fewer staff and beds per head than many comparable economies.

In a statement, the union’s council chairman Professor Philip Banfield said Mr Cameron’s administration had left the health service in a “parlous state.

“I have seen first-hand the damage wrought by years of austerity and a failure to prioritise the nation’s health.

“The UK was severely on the back foot when Covid took hold and this proved disastrous.”

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “The Conservatives failed to train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs, hollowed out the NHS ahead of the pandemic and patients today are paying the price.

“It’s not that the Conservatives didn’t fix the roof when the sun was shining, they dismantled the roof and ripped up the floorboards.”

When questioned on his own warning that the 2015 Ebola outbreak was a “wake-up call” to the threat of pandemics, Mr Cameron admitted it was a mistake to focus too heavily on influenza rather than a coronavirus-like pandemic.

And referring to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) when Covid-19 hit, he also denied being asked for funding to introduce a Hong Kong-style requirement for all hospitals to have at least three months’ supply of PPE in storage.