Michelle Mone is facing calls to have her OBE revoked due to her association with a company involved in a PPE scandal that failed to repay millions. A group representing 7,000 Covid bereaved families has demanded that the Scottish lingerie tycoon be stripped of her honor, citing the company’s failure to provide adequate PPE that may have contributed to their loved ones’ deaths.
The group has written to the Honours Forfeiture Committee urging them to consider removing Baroness Mone’s OBE, which she received in 2010 for her contributions to the lingerie industry. A spokesperson for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group expressed outrage over the situation, stating that it is a disgrace for someone connected to the scandal to retain such a prestigious honor.
In addition to the families’ demands, over 280,000 people have signed a petition led by the 38 Degrees campaign group calling for Baroness Mone to be expelled from the House of Lords. The controversy stems from PPE Medpro, a company led by Baroness Mone’s husband, Doug Barrowman, which failed to meet a payment deadline of £122 million following a breach of a Covid contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has vowed to aggressively pursue PPE Medpro for the outstanding funds, emphasizing the need to hold the company accountable for providing substandard PPE during the pandemic. Despite offers from the consortium behind PPE Medpro to engage in settlement discussions with the government, there has been no response from the authorities. Baroness Mone has not yet commented on the matter.