So, Lady Mone, why haven’t you spoken in the Lords?
Tycoon’s four-month silence
SHE’S not normally backward at coming forward – and could s carcely be described as publicity shy.
So it has come as a surprise to political commentators that Michelle Mone has yet to speak in the House of Lords – more than four months after she was sworn in as a member.
Lady Mone became David Cameron’s small business tsar in September last year, with a brief to conduct a review into small business start-ups in disadvantaged communities.
She has since travelled across the country to talk to people about small business ownership and will produce a report for Mr Cameron and Business Minister Sajid Javid.
It was claimed in a Sunday newspaper the former Ultimo chief ’s uncharacteristic silence may have been because she lost her voice.
But she has looked in good health on holiday in Barbados and selling jewellery on shopping channel QVC. Yesterday she took to Twitter to deny the claims. She tweeted: ‘Can you please stop with your lies! I haven’t lost my voice & I’m waiting on my slot. I’ve been working on Gov review.’
Her spokesman Jonathan Sanders said: ‘She hasn’t lost her voice. That’s ridiculous. She will be speaking soon. She is waiting for the report to come out and when it comes out, that will be her debut.
‘I’d like to add that she does speak every single week, up and down the country.’
Lady Mone has been criticised by opposition parties for failing to represent small businesses – especially as she has been active in votes in the Lords, including controversially voting in favour of cutting tax credits.
Scottish Labour business spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: ‘Michelle Mone being shy and retiring in the House of Lords must come as a big surprise.
‘ It’s disappointing that she appears to see her role as being to just turn up and vote for the UK Government’s policies. There will be many small business people out there disappointed to learn that someone who they thought was a strong-minded entrepreneur has not been using the seat they were given in the House of Lords to speak up for them.’
Online l i nks to Lady Mone’s written and oral contributions on her House of Lords profile page read ‘ page cannot be f ound’ yesterday.
By contrast, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shaista Ahmad Sheehan, who was sworn in only two days after Lady Mone, is listed as having spoken on five separate dates.
When it f i nally comes, Lady Mone’s maiden speech may well be a lengthy one. On January 20, she posted on Twitter from the Caribbean to say she was still composing it.
Lady Mone is currently dating professional golfer Stefan Soroka and has jetted off to Barbados, where he works at the Sandy Lane hotel, three times in as many months to be with him.
In January, she posted a picture of the two of them, alongside the caption: ‘You can turn your life around. Sold Ultimo, new businesses are doing exceptionally well & after 3 years madly in love.’
She has also referred to the golfer as ‘my guy’ in a tweet with a ‘kissing’ emoticon.
Lady Mone, or Baroness Mone of Mayfair, is keen on sharing her personal philosophy with her million Twitter followers. On Friday, she tweeted: ‘If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t you’ll find an excuse.’
Other advice includes: ‘If you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness,’ and, ‘The best revenge when people criticise you is to prove them wrong with massive success.’
‘I’m waiting on my slot’