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George Osborne faced fury today after handing the woman paid to defend a series of banking scandals a plum job advising the Treasury on tax laws.

Former banking lobbyist Angela Knight was unveiled as the new chair of the Office for Tax Simplification.

The ex-Tory MP was head of industry body the British Bankers’ Association from 2007 to 2012 when the Libor and PPI scandals erupted.

And after stepping down in 2012 she took up another highly-paid post lobbying for the shameless ‘Big six’ Energy companies .

She will now be paid to advise Mr Osborne on how to “simplify the tax system” by “proposing areas to review and recommending changes”.

(Image: Getty Images)

Shadow Treasury Minister Richard Burgon said: “Angela Knight has made a career out of defending the indefensible.

“Be it bankers being paid eye-watering bonuses, energy companies charging customers scandalous prices - and maybe worst of all John Major’s government!

“There are questions to be asked of the Chancellor over such a highly-politicised appointment.”

In her role of chief executive of the BBA Ms Knight spent years defending fatcat bankers amid fury at their role in the financial crash.

“The banking industry didn’t run the country,” she said defiantly in 2011. “We weren’t in charge of the regulator.”

The BBA was also responsible for Libor, the inter-bank lending rate system which was revealed to have been rigged unscrupulous bankers.

In 2008 Ms Knight defended it as a “reliable benchmark.”

Tonight Tory Treasury Minister David Gauke said he was delighted to hand her the new £10,000-a-year advisory role at the heart of Government.

“Angela’s talent and experience make her the ideal person to help us meet our commitment to make taxes simpler,” he gushed.