DAMNING revelations about the collapse of Carillion in Wednesday’s night’s Dispatches are further proof that we need a public inquiry into how the government awards contracts, union Unite said yesterday.

The Channel 4 programme featured senior business analysts describing Carillion as acting like a “Ponzi scheme.”

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “As information continues to emerge about the collapse of Carillion, the need for a public inquiry grows.

“Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and companies in the supply chain have gone to the wall, through no fault of their own and yet no-one has been held responsible.

“Rather than learn from its huge errors which contributed to Carillion’s collapse, the government is acting as though it is business as normal.

“There is a growing concern that the government’s inaction could result in further collapses of outsourcing giants resulting yet again in workers losing their jobs and the taxpayer picking up the tab.”