BORIS Johnson's government has been urged to impose a windfall tax on PPE and other companies which made vast profits from the coronavirus pandemic to help foot the bill for the crisis.

The call was made by the SNP MSP Shona Robison, who is chair of the party's social justice and fairness commission, set up by the First Minister to build an case of independence which combats poverty and inequality.

Her intervention came as she updated SNP members on the work of the commission as they attended the party's annual conference, which is being held online.

"The past few months have demonstrated that change is possible, and that our ambition is constrained only by what we collectively consider desirable," said Robison, the former health secretary.

"As we hope to emerge from the constraints of this unprecedented global pandemic let’s emerge with the hope and confidence that together, now and with independence, we can change our society for the better, for all, forever.

"Conference, I believe it is essential that those businesses, which have benefited the most through the pandemic also contribute to recovery, with the focus of that recovery on supporting those individuals and families who have been impacted most."

She added: "So instead of freezing public sector pay, scrapping the proposed increase to the national minimum wage and failing to extend the £20 uplift to universal credit, the UK Government must instead look to those with the broadest shoulders and consider a windfall tax on those businesses’ which have seen excess profits during the pandemic, raising much needed revenues to help ensure a fairer and more socially just recovery from this pandemic."

Firms which supply face masks as well as other PPE to hospitals, care homes and other organisations have made billions of pounds from the pandemic.

The awarding of the massive contracts have been controversial with work going to companies with previous connections to Conservative party figures.

Earlier this month a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) pointed to cronyism and ineptitude in the UK Government's £18billion rush to source PPE during the crisis.

The NAO report found more than 1,300 contracts worth £10.5billion were awarded by the UK Government with no competition whatsoever - increasing the chance of money being wasted.

It looked at 8,600 contracts awarded by the UK Government between January and July, worth £18billion and were mostly for PPE, of which £17.3billion were new contracts rather than contract extensions.

Neil Gray MP, a fellow member of the commission, added: "We can see from the spending review that when we have our independence referendum we are going to have a choice of two futures – Brexit Britain with austerity on stilts where those on the lowest incomes will pay the biggest price once again – or building a good, fairer, wellbeing society with independence. 

"Our children can’t afford to take the chance any longer – they need independence."

Since its formation in 2019, the social justice and fairness commission has examining how to build the case for independence by showing how with the full powers of being an independent nation Scotland can tackle poverty and create a fairer society.

Over the past year, the commission has launched consultations on providing a universal basic income and reforming social care.