Starmer Pledges Crackdown on Cronyism and Higher Standards in Public Life
• Labour leader Keir Starmer to pledge crackdown on cronyism and restore standards in public life • Plans include tougher sentences for fraud against public purse, such as with Covid business loans • Seeking to set tone for general election campaign and rebuild trust in politics • Considering scaling back 5-year lobbying ban for former ministers over concerns it could be excessive • Starmer highlighting scandals like Michelle Mone to argue change needed to clean up politics