Mone under fire... again
Tory peer’s leaked email says she would not benefit from £203m PPE deal... 5 months before £29m went to her trust
BARONESS Michelle Mone told the Government she was not entitled to “any financial benefit” from £200million in VIP Lane PPE deals, leaked emails show.
Yet months later £29million in profits from PPE Medpro, a consortium led by her husband Doug Barrowman, were reportedly transferred to a trust set up for Mone and her children.
The couple’s spokesman said the emails were “taken out of context” and they “deny any wrongdoing”.
But the emails, leaked to the Guardian, raise questions about whether Mone was fully transparent before PPE Medpro won deals.
She is being investigated to see if she broke Lords rules by failing to register an interest in the firm and lobbying for it to get Government contracts.
Separately, the National Crime Agency is investigating the pair for fraud over the deals.
The emails between Mone and the Cabinet Office are from May 22, 2020 – 10 days after PPE Medpro was set up and weeks before it won two deals to supply masks and gowns worth £203million. Mone had approached ministers about supplying PPE and was referred to the priority VIP Lane.
She told a civil servant: “I have no conflicts in helping the company achieve orders through the NHS. I am neither a shareholder nor am I entitled to any financial remuneration or financial benefit.”
She confirmed Barrowman “put the consortium together” and “significantly negotiated down the prices available to the NHS on PPE.” Three months
I have no conflict of interest... my role is to help NHS save lives BARONESS MONE to CIVIL SERVANT
after deals were awarded, Barrowman received £65million in profits, according to leaked documents. A spokesman for the couple told the Guardian: “There were over a thousand communications with HM Government/ Department of Health and the small number you quote are taken out of context. Doug and Michelle deny any wrongdoing.”
In a film funded by PPE Medpro in December, Mone admitted she and her children are beneficiaries of a trust which holds around half of the PPE profits. She also said she “made an error” by “lying” about links to PPE Medpro. The Department of Health is suing over a £122million contract for 25million gowns it says were not sterile. PPE Medpro is fighting the case.