Baroness Michelle Mone has accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of fuelling a “government vendetta” against her and her husband Doug Barrowman, following remarks reportedly made by Reeves at a Labour Party Conference fringe event this week.
In a strongly worded statement posted on LinkedIn, Mone said Reeves “openly confirmed” that the government is pursuing a personal and political campaign against her, after responding “Too right we do” when asked about allegations of bias towards Mone and PPE Medpro — the company at the centre of the £122 million sterile gowns dispute with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
“Rachel, thank you for confirming what Doug and I have long believed,” wrote Mone. “Your comment will now be passed to our legal team, who will find it highly useful in establishing the Government’s bias and position against us.”
Political tension spills into legal battle
The public fallout adds further fuel to the already explosive PPE Medpro case, which concluded its High Court hearings in July. The case has seen the government pursue PPE Medpro for alleged breach of contract during the Covid pandemic — claims the company vigorously denies.
As Business Matters exclusively revealed yesterday, the DHSC rejected two substantial no-fault settlement offers from PPE Medpro, including a complete remake of 25 million gowns or a £23 million cash settlement.
Now, Mone argues that Reeves’ reported comment provides clear evidence of political interference in what should be a neutral legal process.
“Such reckless words have consequences,” she added. “Do you really understand the implications of your actions and the hatred they incite? Shame on you.”
Mone also claims that following Reeves’ remarks, her social media has been flooded with threats and abuse, and is calling on both the Prime Minister to issue a formal apology, and Reeves herself to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
Taking direct aim at Reeves, Mone accused the Chancellor of presiding over “economic failure,” and claimed that Labour’s leadership was misleading the public on its tax plans.
“Your first 15 months in office have been a disgrace… Perhaps keep the IMF’s number on speed dial,” she wrote.
While the Labour Party has not issued a formal response to the accusations, the remarks attributed to Reeves are likely to add political complexity to a legal case that already sits at the intersection of procurement, accountability and high-profile reputations.
Legal observers say that if Reeves did make the remark as reported, it could complicate the government’s narrative that the DHSC’s civil claim against PPE Medpro is purely contractual and not politically motivated.
Mone and Barrowman’s legal team have long argued that the case is an attempt to scapegoat PPE Medpro for the DHSC’s wider PPE procurement failures, and shield senior government officials — past and present — from deeper scrutiny.
Justice Cockerill is expected to hand down her ruling on the DHSC’s claim in the next few weeks. The question now is whether this latest political intervention will cast a shadow over the judgment — or open the door to a fresh round of legal challenges from Mone and her legal team.
