Covid Bereaved Families Intensify Pressure on PM Over Michelle Mone Peerage
Families who lost loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take decisive action by stripping Baroness Michelle Mone of her peerage. This call comes amid a growing political storm, with the Prime Minister having already ordered officials to draft legislation to remove the title from former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, following revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Mounting Public Outcry and Petition Support
The demand from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK is backed by significant public sentiment. More than 87,000 people previously signed a petition calling for Baroness Mone to lose her title due to her connections with PPE Medpro. This company was ordered last year to repay over £122 million to the UK Government for supplying faulty personal protective equipment.
A spokesperson for the bereaved families group stated emphatically: "We are calling on the Government to use this moment to finally strip Michelle Mone of her peerage, something that should have happened long ago. Bereaved families must be listened to; no one who profited during the pandemic, with links to companies that sold faulty PPE and put lives at risk, has any place in the House of Lords."
They further emphasised that this issue transcends political lines, highlighting the tragic loss of more than 230,000 lives in the UK. "This is about accountability, not politics. MPs and peers must do the right thing, and they must do it now," the spokesperson added.
Legal Victory and Denials of Wrongdoing
Last year, the government secured a legal victory against PPE Medpro, a consortium led by Baroness Mone's husband, businessman Doug Barrowman. The firm had been awarded government contracts by the previous Conservative administration. Both Baroness Mone and her husband have consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that their involvement was transparent and declared from the outset.
Political Debate and Legislative Complications
Within Labour ranks, opinions are divided on how to proceed. Some Labour MPs argue that the legislation being designed to strip Lord Mandelson's peerage "must be extended" to apply to Baroness Mone. They advocate for a systemic solution, stating: "There should be a process for removing titles... But it shouldn't be about diverting attention from Mandelson; it should be about how to fix a broken system."
Conversely, another Labour MP cautioned that explicitly including Baroness Mone could be a strategic misstep. They explained: "It sets a precedent in any event without naming Michelle Mone, and by the Government naming Mone, it detracts from the issue that the PM is grappling with. It's cleaner if we just crack on with the Mandelson scenario and the precedent is set because it then applies to all peers."
Defence from Baroness Mone's Camp
In response to the bereaved families' demands, a spokesperson for Baroness Mone issued a robust defence. "Baroness Michelle Mone has maintained her innocence from day one and has not done anything wrong," they asserted. The spokesperson detailed that her involvement was fully transparent, with interests declared from the outset, and that she and her husband were approached for help due to their manufacturing expertise.
The statement shifted blame towards broader governmental failures, noting: "Baroness Mone was not responsible for the £10.9 billion overspend by the UK Government during the pandemic. She was not involved in the management of the pandemic, public spending decisions, or the tragic loss of lives that occurred."
It further criticised procurement decisions, such as stockpiling five years' worth of PPE with a two-year shelf life when only a few months' supply was needed, arguing these were outside her remit. "It is deeply unfair that Baroness Mone and her husband continue to be treated as scapegoats for wider systemic failures," the spokesperson concluded, while extending condolences to bereaved families.
This unfolding situation places significant pressure on the Prime Minister to navigate complex legal, ethical, and political waters as calls for accountability grow louder.
