I made Mone peer ’cause she was a proud Scot
Ex-prime minister insists Covid PPE scandal has nothing to do with him
DAVID Cameron has said he handed Michelle Mone a peerage as she was a “proud Scot” and a “proud Conservative”. The Foreign Secretary was speaking in East Kilbride yesterday when he was asked about his role in elevating the controversial businesswoman to the House of Lords in 2015. Mone is at the centre of a massive row over the links she and husband Doug Barrowman had to a PPE firm which made millions in profit during the Covid pandemic.
PPE Medpro was awarded contracts worth £203million in 2020 by the UK Government after she approached Tory ministers offering to help source personal protection equipment for the NHS.
Mone initially denied having any “association” with the firm but admitted last year this had been a lie.
She and Barrowman deny any wrongdoing.
Cameron was asked if he took any responsibility after nominating her for a peerage.
The former PM said: “Well obviously, Michelle Mone is responsible for what she does.
“Yes, I did nominate her for a peerage because at the time from what I could see she was a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, a proud Scot, a proud Brit, and a proud Conservative.”
The Record previously revealed how Mone has claimed she remains a member of the Scottish Conservatives despite a denial from the party.
But SNP MSP Collette Stevenson said: “What makes the situation even murkier is that Baroness Mone says she is still paying membership fees to the Scottish Tories – what are they doing with this money and why haven’t they returned it?
“These questions need urgent answers. The Tories must set the record straight.”