Baroness Michelle Mone has accused the treasury head of employing “risky and provocative” words after a firm connected to her and her spouse was directed to compensate £122m for breaching a Covid-19 protective gear agreement.
At a side event at Labour’s conference this recently, Rachel Reeves reportedly joked that the administration had a vendetta against the baroness.
In a letter to the prime minister, Baroness Michelle Mone stated her remarks were “incendiary” and had “directly increased” the dangers to her personal safety. She claimed she had faced “threats and abuse” on social media since the chancellor’s comments.
On midweek, a court official decided that PPE Medpro’s gowns did not comply with official standards.
Background of the Case
PPE Medpro was formed by a group led by Baroness Michelle Mone’s husband, Barrowman. It was awarded a official contract to provide PPE after being endorsed by Peer Mone.
Since the legal ruling, the peer has faced multi-party calls for her to be stripped of her peerage. However, peerages can only be removed by an law of the legislature.
In the letter, Lady Mone demanded that the prime minister order an “urgent, independent investigation” into whether officials or staff had interfered with the National Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, and civil litigation process.
She also insisted that the treasury chief withdraw her comments.
Reaction and Security Concerns
Lady Michelle Mone informed Sir Keir: “I feel compelled to alert you to the dangerous and inflammatory statement made by your Chancellor of the Exchequer, Reeves.”
She stated the word grudge referred to “retaliation and conflict” and that the chancellor’s comments had made Baroness Michelle Mone and her family feel in danger.
She also said her online accounts had “been flooded” with threats and abuse, adding “we need only consider at the tragedies of MP Jo Cox and Sir David Amess to grasp the dangers of such careless language.”
- Jo Cox was the Labour Member of Parliament for her constituency and was killed in the year 2016.
- Sir David Amess was the Tory Member of Parliament for Southend West when he was killed in the year 2021.
Concluding Demand
Ending her message, Baroness Mone said: “PM, I ask you directly: do you stand by your treasury chief’s assertion that the administration has a vendetta against me? Or will you act decisively to end this campaign, protect my safety, and reestablish integrity to the administration?
“Inaction to take immediate action will leave me with no choice but to pursue all possible legal actions, including defamation, intimidation, and misfeasance cases, while also acting to guarantee my personal safety and that of my relatives.”
Political Responses
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch informed news outlets that what she had learned from the legal matter against PPE Medpro was “enough” for Baroness Michelle Mone to be removed of her peerage.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment.
But, a Treasury insider told media: “When both the Labour Chancellor and Conservative leader agree with each other you’ve failed the argument.”
Mone was appointed a Tory member by David Cameron in the year 2015, but had removed the party affiliation following the disclosures about the contract to supply medical gowns.
The High Court ruled that Medpro failed to demonstrate whether or not its medical garments, which were to be used by NHS workers, had been subject to a validated sterilisation process.
Following the decision, the judge said the £122m compensation amount must be paid by 4 PM on 15 October.
