Baroness Mone facing legal action following 'threats' to sue newspaper over PPE coverage
Representatives for Baroness Mone say it is "laughable" that the New European is seeking to sue her in a row over its coverage of the PPE procurement scandal.
Wednesday 20 December 2023 19:31, UK
Baroness Michelle Mone is facing possible legal action by a newspaper which is seeking to recover the money it spent responding to her "threats" to sue over its reporting on the personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement scandal.
The New European newspaper said it was planning to begin its case, in conjunction with the legal campaign group the Good Law Project, against the Tory-appointed peer in the new year.
A statement on its website said: "An action of this sort is highly unusual but The New European and Good Law Project believe it is necessary to put those making baseless defamation claims at risk.
"High net-worth individuals cannot be given a free hit against media organisations or campaigners to silence their reporting."
Baroness Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman, have hit the headlines over their associations with PPE MedPro after it was awarded multi-million-pound contracts by the government for PPE during the pandemic.
The pair continually denied any involvement with the firm, but leaked documents showed she had recommended PPE MedPro to Cabinet Office ministers - including the now Housing Secretary Michael Gove - which saw the company added to the so-called "VIP lane" and given two contracts totalling more than £200m.
The National Crime Agency is investigating PPE Medpro, while the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has since issued breach of contract proceedings over a 2020 deal on the supply of gowns, saying they failed to meet the standard required - something Baroness Mone and Mr Barrowman deny.
The firm is defending the legal action.
In an interview with the BBC at the weekend, Baroness Mone admitted she stands to benefit from the deal between the government and the firm, which was awarded contracts worth more than £200m to supply PPE after she recommended it to ministers.
She stands to benefit from its £60m in profits that have been placed into a trust by her husband.
She also conceded she made an "error" in publicly denying her links to the firm but insisted that lying to the media was "not a crime".
The Baroness, who took a leave of absence from the House of Lords in December 2022 and has been without the Tory whip since then, has said ministers knew about her involvement with PPE Medpro "from the very beginning".
She also accused Mr Gove of overseeing "huge waste in PPE contracts" and argued she has been made a "scapegoat" for government failings.
Asked about the scandal on Tuesday, Mr Gove gave no comment on Baroness Mone's allegations but confirmed he would cooperate with the NCA's investigation.
"If there are further questions to ask about PPE procurement, and I believe the government has a strong record, then I am more than happy to do so with the COVID inquiry," he said.
Matt Kelly, editor-in-chief of The New European, said: "We were forced to spend several thousand pounds of costs in legal fees responding to her mendacious threats. We want our money back.
"More than that, we want to establish a future deterrent against wealthy individuals willing to lie to stymie honest reporting.
"We look forward to seeing Mone in court in the new year."
Read more:
Michelle Mone: Who is she and what is the PPE controversy swirling around the Tory peer?
Michael Gove confirms he cooperated with criminal inquiry into Mone PPE scandal
The New European also said it believed that other publications and freelance reporters "have also spent time, money or both dealing with defamation threats connected to their reporting of PPE Medpro".
"The case will seek to establish whether there is a legal mechanism to recover those costs where deceit is proven," it said.
A statement provided by Baroness Mone's private office said: "The New European published inaccurate and untrue stories about Baroness Mone.
"It is now laughable that they want to sue her; this is nothing more than a shallow attempt to generate their own publicity and fuel a media furore in a pathetic attempt to boost their poor readership numbers.
"Baroness Mone's legal team are looking forward to receiving their letter and will seek back from them all legal costs wasted in responding."