High Court Finds Baroness Mone’s Company Violated £122 Million Covid Contract: What You Need to Know

A company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman must pay £122 million in damages. A judge ruled that the company, PPE Medpro, violated a government contract for providing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid pandemic.

The UK Department of Health and Social Care sued Medpro. They claimed that the surgical gowns supplied didn’t meet health standards. The judge found that Medpro failed to prove the gowns had been sterilized as required.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves mentioned that it’s beyond her power to strip Baroness Mone of her peerage. She expressed a wish that Mone wouldn’t return to the House of Lords and committed to recovering the money for public services like schools and hospitals.

The government scrambled for PPE during the pandemic, leading to the rapid establishment of PPE Medpro. The firm secured its initial contracts through a so-called “VIP lane,” reportedly thanks to recommendations from Mone. The government ordered 25 million gowns, but many turned out to be non-compliant.

In inspections, out of 140 gowns tested, 103 failed sterility checks. This prompted legal action in 2022, with Medpro asserting that they had followed the contract’s terms. Mone had previously denied profiting from the contracts but later admitted that she stood to gain significantly.

Justice Cockerill, who presided over the case, emphasized that Medpro was required to provide proof of sterilization and that they had not done so.

Moreover, the company argued it could repurpose gowns or sell them as non-sterile. However, the judge noted the NHS didn’t require these gowns and underscored that Medpro wouldn’t be allowed to sidestep the contract’s requirements.

Baroness Mone reacted to the ruling, calling it a predictable win for the establishment. A spokesperson for Barrowman criticized the verdict as a “travesty of justice,” claiming that Medpro had convincingly demonstrated its compliance during the trial.

Mone’s background adds another layer to this story. She rose to fame in the late 1990s with her innovative bra design and was appointed as the government’s “entrepreneurship tsar” under then-Prime Minister David Cameron. However, her reputation has been tarnished amid these allegations, and she took a leave of absence from the House of Lords in December 2022.

In parallel with this case, the National Crime Agency is investigating suspected criminal offenses related to Medpro’s procurement practices. As public interest escalates, debates about accountability in public contracts continue.

The court’s order to Medpro to pay £122 million adds urgency to the situation, especially since the company appointed administrators just before the ruling. Much remains uncertain about how the payment will be handled, given Medpro’s previous financial reports.

For further insights on the implications of government contracting during emergencies, you can explore resources from the National Audit Office here.

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