Former health secretary Matt Hancock has defended claims that his party awarded Covid contracts to friends and donors.
Mr Hancock, who was forced to resign from Government after being cayght breaking Covid rules while having an affair in his Whitehall office, unexpectedly interjected during a debate this afternoon.
Speaking during an SNP motion on Boris Johnson's involvement in so-called sleaze, Mr Hancock interrupted Labour's Anneliese Dodds to defend his party.
He demanded she withdraw claims about Tory sleaze, saying Labour MPs and donors were also among those who recommended companies to provide PPE and other help throughout the pandemic.
Mr Hancock said: "Is she really denigrating the efforts to get hold of PPE and does she not also know that history, which is that the Labour Party also put forward proposals and the Labour Party members and Labour donors also helped in that huge effort to get PPE.
"I'd be grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight on this and I hope that after I speak, she will withdraw these comments and the Labour Party will no longer use this argument.
"Because the the contract with Excalibur Healthcare which is run by a labour donor was introduced, from a Labour MP, through me, and this man who runs Excalibur help helped launch the Labour Party science manifesto.
"So now she can withdraw the allegations and what she should say is a big thank you to everybody who helped get the PPE."
Ms Dodds then referred to a "pub landlord" who she said was given a contract with "no experience", however Mr Hancock intervened again.
He said: "I just want to tell her and the House and put it formally on the record and I hope the Labour Party will also stop this slur.
"The gentleman in question never got, nor applied for, a contract from the Government or the NHS at all.
"It is a fabrication pushed by the Labour Party. It's a load of rubbish. What was happening though, was a huge range of people helping out in the national efforts, including members of the Labour Party."
Ms Dodds faced calls from the Tories to "withdraw".
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