Michelle Mone says ‘I wasn’t trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes’
Baroness Michelle Mone has been slammed after admitting that she stands to benefit from the tens of millions of pounds of profit from PPE sold to the UK government during the pandemic by a company fronted by her husband, Doug Barrowman. In an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on her eponymous Sunday morning show on BBC One today, the couple apologised for initially denying their role in the deal for more than three years.
However Michelle remained unrepentant telling Laura: “I don’t honestly see there is a case to answer. I can’t see what we have done wrong.” The underwear tycoon had previously denied benefitting directly from the contracts, which yielded profits of around £60 million. She has now admitted that she and her children were beneficiaries of financial trusts where the money is held.
Justifying it, she said “of course” she stands to gain from the contract. “If my husband passes away before me, then I am a beneficiary, as well as his children and my children,” she explained.
Claiming that her life had been “destroyed” by the allegations about their PPE profits, she insisted: “We’ve only done one thing, which was lie to the press to say we weren’t involved.”
READ MORE: Michelle Mone breaks silence over PPE row, with admission of ‘regrets’
Viewers were outraged by the chat and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent their fury with many comparing it to Prince Andrew’s infamous interview with Emily Maitlis.
A viewer with the handle @mrdavemacleod commented: “Michelle Mone doing a car crash interview worthy of Prince Andrew #bbclaura.”
@AaronPorter agreed writing: “Lady Michelle Mone showing about as much self-awareness as Prince Andrew here. Astonishing. #bbclaurak.”(sic)
@jessphillips said: “Watching this Michelle Mone interview with my husband – they are trying to claim they don’t benefit based on weird rich people’s problems and obsession with inheritance. Dancing on the head of a pin.”(sic)
@kate1978 pointed out the bigger picture, saying: “Michelle Mone moaning that she’s been through hell for the £60m she profited through the PPE contract she didn’t declare. Let’s think about the families that lost loved ones and the NHS staff that entered a battlefield wearing bin bags. But also does she sweat? #bbclaurak.”
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@Anna_Soubry fumed: “No Michelle Mone the reason you’re being interviewed on #BBCLauraK is because you’ve been caught out lying & profiteering off the tax payer & now playing the victim in a desperate attempt to rebuild your reputation. Instead a car crash interview exposing you n Barrowman for what…”(sic)
Meanwhile @Anna_Soubry chimed in: “How on earth did Michelle Mone end up in the House of Lords. Utterly sick of the abuse & undermining of our democracy by shoving people in the HoL for abs no good reason. And FWIW I don’t believe a word of what she & her husband are spouting on #BBCLauraK.”
This isn’t the first time Michelle has defended herself against allegations .
Earlier this month she said she had been made a scapegoat by the Government for its own PPE failings as she broke her silence about her links to the PPE Medpro firm, currently under investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The peer also took aim at former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, admitting she was “not a fan of his”.
The Tory peer and Ultimo bra tycoon made the remarks during a YouTube documentary centered on the controversy surrounding “VIP lane” contracts during the coronavirus pandemic. PPE Medpro was awarded Government contracts worth more than £200 million to supply personal protective equipment after she recommended it to ministers.
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