Doug Barrowman, the husband of Baroness Michelle Mone, has accused the government of making them scapegoats for its own failures in procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. Writing on X, he claimed they were being 'hung out to dry' to distract from ministerial 'incompetence'.
PPE Medpro, a company linked to the couple, was awarded contracts worth over £200m to supply PPE to the NHS via a VIP lane. The firm is now under investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and faces a £122m civil lawsuit from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for alleged breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Last month, the couple admitted they had lied about their involvement with the company.
Mr Barrowman said his family had received death threats and online abuse, and called for Sir Chris Wormald, the DHSC's top civil servant, to resign. He argued that no one had been held accountable for purchasing five years' worth of PPE when only four months of stock was needed. He also criticised the UK Covid inquiry for not reviewing PPE procurement until after the next general election.
He reiterated claims that ministers were 'using the arm of the NCA to threaten criminal proceedings unless we settle' the civil case. A DHSC spokesman declined to comment on ongoing legal matters. Baroness Mone is currently on a leave of absence from the House of Lords and is being investigated for not declaring her interest in PPE Medpro. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that the government takes the issue 'incredibly seriously'.
