Baroness Michelle Mone, a former member of the UK Conservative Party, has admitted in a recent interview with the BBC that she stands to benefit from the profits made by the personal protective equipment (PPE) company, PPE Medpro. The company gained a lucrative contract with the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to this admission, both Baroness Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman, consistently denied any involvement with PPE Medpro. When confronted with accusations by journalists, their lawyers responded with allegations of defamation and libel. Responding to BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg’s comments that Mone and Barrowman had been untruthful, Mone stated they “should have told the press straight up” and denied any attempt to deceive.
Now, the couple has publicly acknowledged their involvement with the company. The news sparked a considerable negative public reaction, with reports indicating that Mone herself had advocated for government contracts worth over £200 million for the company. As a result, she is alleged to have benefited from £29 million in profits.
The contracts awarded to PPE Medpro were part of the UK government’s “VIP lane” system for PPE suppliers during the pandemic, with preferential treatment given to politically connected companies. This approach was declared unlawful by the UK High Court in 2022 for violating the “obligation of equal treatment”.
Furthermore, the UK government has initiated legal proceedings against PPE Medpro intending to reclaim the full £122 million granted to the company for alleged contract breaches and unjust enrichment. An additional investigation into Baroness Mone’s conduct is currently being undertaken by the National Crime Agency.