Company Linked to Baroness Michelle Mone Set to Pay Millions

By Sadie Morgan and Sophia Malekos

Editors: Max Smolarski and Ciara Teefey

Amid the lockdowns during COVID-19 pandemic, PPE Medpro (a company founded by Doug Barrowman, husband to Baroness Michelle Mone) was contracted to supply medical equipment, including 25 million hospital gowns to the Department of Health and Social Care. The gowns were later tested and found to be “faulty”.

Political campaign group Led by Donkeys painting Michelle Mone's yacht with the name 'Pandemic Profiteer'. Credit: Led By Donkeys via Twitter

At a High Court hearing on October 1^st, Justice Cockerill ordered that the company should pay back a total of £122 million for breaching their contract. Additionally, the government aimed to sue for a further £8 million to cover costs of storing and transporting the gowns, but Justice Cockerill dismissed this claim.

PPE Medpro was ordered to pay over £23 million in interest, an amount that is set to continue to increase by 8% per year until the money has been repaid in full. Furthermore, £39 million in taxes has also been ordered to be repaid, leading to a total of over £180 million. A spokesperson for Mr Barrowman reported the case to be a ‘travesty of justice’.

At first Baroness Mone denied personally gaining any profit from this contract, however, she later admitted to having profited £60 million from the original contract. Despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves claiming the government will ‘do everything’ to get that money back, none has been repaid so far. 

PPE Medpro has since entered a state of insolvency, leaving many to question how and when they will ever begin to pay back this debt. Many argue this money could be extremely beneficial if put towards public services such as the NHS and schools.