Tory Owns Up Singing Mone-y Mone-y

There was considerable scepticism before the interview aired yesterday, especially because the Police are already investigating. But in the event, two misguided souls shafted themselves for all to see: Tory peer Michelle Mone and husband Doug Barrowman were lightly grilled by BBC host Laura Kuenssberg, and put themselves in the Prince Andrew class. No sweat.

Phwoar! Look at those trusts!

Why they consented to the interview is a mystery: Ms Mone had already instructed lawyers to go after anyone asking inconvenient questions, with threats of subsequent legal action. But now she ‘fessed up: she had been telling porkies. But she had done nothing wrong. She was the victim of press intrusion. Her life had been made into some kind of living hell.

Well, excuse me for not giving a rat’s arse about Lady Moaning and Doug Barrowboy being inconvenienced. They took advantage of the Tory VIP Lane to supply tens of millions’ worth of PPE for use during the Covid Pandemic, which turned out not to be fit for use. They made around £60 million in profit, except they didn’t, because it went into a trust, not their bank accounts.

Here’s Ms Kuenssberg’s take: “Michelle Mone has admitted that she stands to benefit from tens of millions of pounds of profit from personal protective equipment (PPE) sold to the UK government during the pandemic by a company led by her husband, Doug Barrowman … the couple apologised for denying their role in the deal for more than three years”. There was more.

“But a defiant Baroness Mone said: ‘I don't honestly see there is a case to answer. I can't see what we have done wrong.’” Ho yus? “PPE Medpro was awarded government contracts worth more than £200 million to supply PPE to the NHS during the pandemic”. However, “Millions of gowns the company supplied were never used but the couple say these were supplied in accordance with the contract”. And now there is a lawsuit.

“PPE Medpro is being sued by the UK government for £122m plus costs for ‘breach of contract and unjust enrichment’”. AND “Having previously denied gaining directly from the contracts, which yielded profits of around £60m, the former Conservative peer and lingerie tycoon admitted she and her children were beneficiaries of financial trusts where the money is held”.

The nuances of the VIP lane explained

Barrowboy was yet more shameless. “Mr Barrowman said that Baroness Mone ‘was always going to benefit, and my family will benefit in due course… her family benefit, my family benefit … That's what you do when you are in a privileged position of making money,’ he said”. Well, whoopee-do, eh?

The adverse comment was not long in arriving. David Conn of the Guardian, one of those on the receiving end of legal threats, had been told “You have now been placed on notice on numerous occasions of our client’s position in relation to PPE Medpro. She has no involvement in the business”. Which was a flat-out lie. There were other denials [HERE]. And there was more.

Former BBC Newsnight man Meirion Jones pointed out “She got a VIP contract for £122M of PPE because her mates were in power - none of which was usable. She & her husband made £60M profit on that which they have lied about ever since & Michele Mone says ‘I can't see what we've done wrong’ That's the problem with these people”. David Osland explained that.

“It's a good job Michelle Mone isn't a black mother wrongly accused of dodging a £2 bus fare, or she'd certainly have been arrested by now”. Peter Jukes of Byline Times linked to the telling headline “£2 Billion in Contracts Awarded to Conservative Associates … deals worth billions have been awarded to top Conservative Party associates during the Coronavirus crisis”.

Tom Scott spelled that one out. “Why is more attention not being paid to the fact that Michelle Mone's husband, Doug Barrowman, is a major donor to the Conservative Party? This is a party that operates in a way that would be very familiar to major organised crime groups”. Barrowboy had bunged the Tories a cool £170,000. He scratches their back, PPE Medpro goes in the VIP Lane.

Taxpayer funds bought the useless PPE, and were spent disposing of it. The sole beneficiaries made £60 million profit. Done nothing wrong? You wish.

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