The Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman have faced years of scrutiny over their involvement with PPE Medpro, a company that secured over £200 million in government contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both have consistently denied any association with the firm, which is now under investigation by the National Crime Agency for suspected fraud and bribery.
In May and June 2020, the government awarded PPE Medpro two contracts: £80.85 million for 210 million face masks and £122 million for 25 million sterile surgical gowns. The contracts were processed via the government's 'VIP lane', which fast-tracked offers from companies introduced by individuals with government connections. The Guardian revealed in December 2020 that Mone and Barrowman had introduced the company to ministers, including Lord Agnew and Michael Gove.
Despite evidence linking them to PPE Medpro, Mone and Barrowman repeatedly denied any involvement. In November 2021, a lawyer for Mone stated she had only taken 'the very simple, solitary and brief step of referring PPE Medpro as a potential supplier' and had no financial interest. However, leaked HSBC documents in November 2022 indicated Barrowman received at least £65 million from PPE Medpro's profits, with £29 million transferred to an offshore trust benefiting Mone and her children.
The National Crime Agency executed search warrants at the couple's homes in April 2022. The government has also launched a lawsuit to recover money from the contracts, as the surgical gowns were rejected and never used by the NHS. Mone announced a leave of absence from the House of Lords in December 2022, while the investigations continue.
