By Lucy Ashton
Tory peer Baroness Mone is facing investigation by the Lords standards watchdog over the awarding of Government contracts worth more than £200m to a PPE supplier.
The Lords Standards Commissioners said they are investigating potential breaches of the peers’ code of conduct in relation to her alleged involvement in procuring contracts for PPE Medpro (PPEM).
The move follows a complaint by Labour peer Lord Foulkes after a report earlier this month by the Guardian into the awarding of the contracts in the early days of the pandemic.
Lady Mone has consistently denied any “role or function” in the company, and her lawyers have said she is “not connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity”.
According to a statement on the commissioners’ website, the investigation covers potential breaches of provisions in the code of conduct banning peers from accepting financial inducements for exercising parliamentary influence and requiring them publicly to declare all relevant interests.
Lady Mone was made a life peer by David Cameron in 2015 after selling an 80% stake in her Ultimo lingerie company.
Picture above: PPE was in huge demand at the start of the pandemic.