Tory peer Michelle Mone has been placed under investigation over her links to a firm that landed more than £200million of Government PPE contracts.
The lingerie tycoon’s alleged ties to PPE Medpro have come under intense scrutiny after it scooped two contracts worth a combined £203m to supply the NHS with face masks and surgical gowns.
Ultimo bra founder Lady Mone, 50, has repeatedly denied any association with the company, which she recommended to the Cabinet Office as a potential supplier in May 2020 at the height of the first coronavirus wave.
The House of Lords Commissioners for Standards today announced a formal investigation.
They will probe whether Baroness Mone has breached seven separate parts of the House of Lords Code of Conduct.
Baroness Mone said in a statement: “I completely refute these allegations.
“I was asked to help at a time of national emergency. I declared all necessary interests and have done nothing wrong.
“I will cooperate fully with any investigation.”
The paragraphs of the Code of Conduct over which Baroness Mone is being investigated are:
- That peers must comply with the Code;
- That peers “should act always on their personal honour in the performance of their parliamentary duties and activities”;
- That peers “must never accept or agree to accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence”;
- That peers “must not seek to profit from membership of the House by accepting or agreeing to accept payment or other incentive or reward in return for providing parliamentary advice or services”;
- That peers must register all relevant interests;
- That they must declare interests when speaking about relevant matters in the Lords;
- That they must not seek to “confer exclusive benefit” on outside people or firms in which they have a financial interest.
Leaked files this month appeared to suggest that the Conservative Baroness and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, were involved in PPE Medpro.
However, her lawyers said she “was not connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity”, had no “association” with PPE Medpro, and “never had any role or function in PPE Medpro, nor in the process by which contracts were awarded” to the company, according to the Guardian.
