More than 65,000 individuals have endorsed a demand for the removal of Michelle Mone’s peerage and expulsion from the House of Lords. Advocates representing grieving families have expressed outrage that Baroness Mone continues to hold a position in the Lords, especially in light of her association with scandal-plagued PPE Medpro, which has been instructed to repay over £122 million to the UK Government for delivering substandard products.
A recent ruling by the High Court found that PPE Medpro breached its agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care by supplying 25 million surgical gowns that did not meet sterility requirements. Responding to criticisms from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Baroness Mone vehemently stated that she has no intention of resuming her role as a Conservative peer in the House of Lords.
Although removing her peerage would necessitate an act of Parliament, Baroness Mone retains the option to resign from her position in the Lords. She clarified in a letter to Badenoch that she voluntarily took a leave of absence, leading to the loss of the Conservative whip. In response to accusations of using inflammatory language, Baroness Mone defended her actions, emphasizing that her involvement in providing PPE was in line with other Conservative MPs and peers.
Denying any financial gain from PPE Medpro, Baroness Mone criticized the government for what she perceives as a targeted attack against her, suggesting a vendetta. Despite her denials, it was revealed that she and her husband benefited from significant profits generated by the company. The controversy surrounding Baroness Mone’s ties to PPE Medpro has sparked widespread condemnation, with bereaved families asserting that her position in Parliament is disrespectful to those who lost their lives during the pandemic.
The Mirror initially exposed the connections between Baroness Mone and PPE Medpro, which secured lucrative contracts for supplying protective equipment during the health crisis. In a subsequent development, the couple confessed to misleading the media regarding their involvement in PPE Medpro, established by a group led by Mr. Barrowman. Criticizing the court’s decision, Baroness Mone characterized the ruling as a biased outcome in favor of the government.
Mr. Barrowman echoed similar sentiments, denouncing the judgment as a distortion of facts and implying a predetermined outcome in favor of the Department of Health and Social Care and the government.