Rishi Sunak blasts Michelle Mone over 'shocking' PPE claims
7 December 2022, 13:26
Rishi Sunak blasted allegations surrounding Baroness Michelle Mone as "shocking" amid an investigation in £200million PPE contracts.
The bra tycoon has taken leave of absence from the House of Lords while two lobbying probes are under way.
The House of Lords sleaze watchdog has launched an investigation into claims she pressured ministers during the pandemic to award government contracts to PPE Medpro, a firm she allegedly has links to.
Meanwhile the UK's National Crime Agency has launched a potential fraud investigation into the company.
At PMQs Rishi Sunak blasted allegations surrounding the baroness as "shocking".He told MPs: "Let me say, like everyone else I was absolutely shocked to read about the allegations.
"It is absolutely right that she is no longer attending the House of Lords and therefore no longer has the Conservative whip."
MPs and peers are not allowed to use their political positions to Lobby on behalf of private companies who they receive money from.
Lawyers for Baroness Mone say she's "not connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity" and deny accusations she profited from the pandemic contracts.
A spokesman for the peer said: "With immediate effect, Baroness Mone will be taking a leave of absence from the House of Lords in order to clear her name of the allegations that have been unjustly levelled against her."
Isle of Man-based PPE Medpro and a UK subsidiary were formed in May 2020, weeks before being awarded contracts to supply 25 million sterile gowns and masks.
The Guardian has revealed earlier this year how gowns bought by the government for £122million had been purchased from a Chinese manufacturer for £46million. But the gowns were never used by the NHS after being rejected following an inspection.
Files leaked to the newspaper suggested Lady Mone, married to financier Douglas Barrowman, was involved with PPE Medpro. But she has made clear she had no role or function in the company.
The company was added by Lord Agnew’s office to the Government’s “VIP lane,” which is said to have given companies a ten times greater chance of being awarded a PPE deal.
Mr Sunak defended the fast-track lane, claiming it was necessary in order to urgently get PPE to hospital staff.
The PM said: "What everyone was doing at the time was working as hard and as quickly as they could to get the PPE needed for our frontline workers, including our nurses.
"There was an independent procurement process and ministers were not involved in the decision making. But it was right. It was right that people gave their ideas about where to get them from."
Yesterday, Labour brought forward a motion in the Commons forcing the government to publish documents relating to the contracts.
Tory MPs didn't oppose the move, so emails and texts between the Baroness and ministers relating to PPE will published.
