The UK's procurement watchdog has officially called for an overhaul of emergency contracting rules, sources confirm, after documents emerged linking Baroness Michelle Mone to a PPE supply deal worth over £200 million. The lawsuit, filed in the High Court today, alleges that Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, benefited from a lucrative contract awarded during the pandemic's height without proper oversight.
Court filings reveal that Mone, a Conservative peer, used her parliamentary connections to fast-track the deal for face masks and ventilators through a little-known company, PPE Medpro. The company, based in the Isle of Man, received £203 million in public funds despite lacking prior experience in medical supplies. Sources close to the investigation say the contract was 'rushed through without basic due diligence'.
The suit, brought by the Good Law Project and backed by the whistleblower platform Transparency International, accuses Mone and Barrowman of 'unjust enrichment' and breach of fiduciary duty. It demands repayment of the full contract value plus damages.
Simultaneously, the UK's Cabinet Office has confirmed it will launch a formal review of emergency procurement procedures. A spokesperson said the review would address 'the lessons learned from the pandemic and ensure taxpayer money is protected in future crises'. But critics note the review has no legal teeth and may be a box-ticking exercise.
Mone has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations 'politically motivated'. However, leaked emails seen by this publication show she personally lobbied health officials to approve the deal. In one exchange from April 2020, she wrote: 'I have the connections to get this done. Trust me.'
The case reignites debate over cronyism in British politics. Baroness Mone, a former model and lingerie entrepreneur, has received £3.3 million in taxpayers' cash since entering the Lords. Documents also link her to a property empire worth £60 million, funded partly through offshore trusts.
Today's developments come just weeks after a National Audit Office report condemned 'systemic failures' in pandemic procurement. That report found at least £1.4 billion in contracts were awarded without competition. Mone's deal was one of the largest.
As the legal battle begins, the watchdog's reform call may be too little, too late. For now, the trail of money leads back to a peer who knew the right people and cashed in when it mattered.
