Baroness Mone, sometimes known as Lady M, has maintained a low profile in the aftermath of an alleged controversy involving PPE during the pandemic that has enveloped the House of Lords.
She is not unfamiliar with the limelight. Michelle Mone secured a peerage in 2015 thanks to her carefully managed public image, which included a book deal, regular television appearances, and a prolific Instagram presence.
In recent weeks, however, Baroness Mone, or “Lady M” as she is commonly known, has been keeping a low profile.
The lingerie entrepreneur and Conservative peer are at the center of an alleged controversy that has engulfed the House of Lords due to a series of devastating allegations.
She is accused of attempting to “bully and hector” ministers into handing public PPE contracts worth more than £200 million to a business named PPE Medpro during the pandemic and benefitting from the arrangement, which she vehemently rejects.
Lady Mone, who has taken a leave of absence from the House of Lords, claims she wishes to clear her name, but she has been conspicuously silent thus far.
On the Isle of Man, the 154-acre home she shares with her husband Douglas Barrowman is undergoing preparations for the holiday season.
Christmas trees, wreaths, and other holiday decorations surround the residence, but the workers, who have been instructed not to communicate with journalists, claim they have no idea where the couple is.
It is a tranquil section of the island, and the guarded property may provide Mone with some protection from the mounting scandal; nonetheless, the matter will not go away.
The House of Lords is investigating if Mone violated any regulations, while the National Crime Agency has opened a fraud investigation on PPE Medpro, whose gowns were deemed useless after failing NHS inspections.
There will be several official reports, but Lady Mone’s representatives have called it a “witch hunt.”
Michelle and her husband, Douglas, are the center of the storm. According to HSBC files, accounts associated with Barrowman and afterward Mone received millions of pounds in transfers from PPE Medpro.
PPE Medpro is identified as an “entity” of Barrowman’s family office on the Isle of Man, the Knox family office.
Anthony Page, finance director of one of its trusts and registered owner of PPE Medpro, prepared it.
Mr. Page kept a low profile at his home near the island’s geographic center.
Neighbors expressed amazement at the news of his involvement in the incident, describing him as “a very kind family man.”
The situation requires “appropriate examination”
Residents told us that news typically spreads quickly on the Isle of Man, but the newest disclosures were met with resignation. A notion that this is just another controversy at Westminster.
Frank Schuengel, a councilor for Douglas South Ward, stated, “It’s a major issue in the United Kingdom, maybe more so than in the United States, where there is no House of Lords. It is irrelevant since we have our government.
This is not the type of politics I would engage in, but I am confident there will be processes and inquiries.
“It is regrettable when a politician does not act how you would expect all politicians to act.
“However, I believe it is being investigated, and if something is amiss, one would expect that to be uncovered by any investigation.”
Others had already made up their minds, while others wished to refrain from leaping to conclusions before investigations are complete.
On Strand Street, the principal shopping thoroughfare in Douglas, a local citizen said, “It’s disappointing.” I believe that anyone who engages in such conduct just lacks morality. Thus, it is a poor example. Hopefully, more will be revealed.”
Another said, “I think it’s horrible. During the epidemic, there were numerous inconsistencies around the PPE supplies. Regarding Michelle Mone… and the surrounding circumstances, I believe a thorough inquiry is required.”
“Corruption at the most senior levels”
The attorneys for Mone assert that she referred the company to the authorities in a “single, straightforward, and brief action.”
They argue that she and her husband, Douglas, had no involvement with PPE Medpro or in the process by which the company was awarded its government contract.
Before a series of devastating emails appeared to show her persuading ministers to award PPE Medpro federal contracts, she was shown to have exerted pressure.
During the height of the pandemic, she allegedly wrote to former health secretary Matt Hancock, stating, “I am going to blow the lid off of this.
“I detect rat odor here. It involves more red tape, inefficiency, and bureaucracy than usual. That is anticipated! I feel that there is corruption at the highest levels and that a cover-up is occurring… Do not claim that I did not warn you when Panorama or Horizon airs an exposé documentary on this subject.
I propose an equal playing field for everyone.
Later, PPE Medpro was handed two contracts for over £200 million without competition. The entire procedure is currently under close examination.
Lady Mone anticipated this, but she probably did not anticipate being at the center of it.
