As a certain member of the Royal Family found out a few years ago, giving a TV interview when you’re accused of serious wrongdoing doesn’t always turn the tide of public sentiment in your favour – a phenomenon which Michelle Mone experienced first-hand on Sunday.
Who is Michelle Mone?
The Tory peer released a documentary paid for by PPE Medpro earlier this week, defending her role in 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.
Mone has conceded she made an “error” in publicly denying her links to the PPE Medpro, but insists she has done nothing wrong otherwise. She reiterated her defence to Laura Kuenssberg this morning – only for her reasoning to go down like a lead balloon.
“I don’t think we have a case to answer. All we did was deliver a contract. Saying to the press ‘I was not involved’, to protect my family, is not a crime. People will realise that. Since I’ve walked into the House of Lords, it has been a nightmare.” | Michelle Mone
Watch Michelle Mone defend her PPE contracts here
No-one is buying the ‘victim’ rhetoric, it seems…
The guests on Laura Kuenssberg’s flagship politics show lined up to critique Michelle Mone. Broadcaster Susanna Reid found it ‘utterly remarkable’ that the Tory peer had ‘made millions’ from profiting off people’s desperation.
“She thinks she’s the victim? There is a reason she has press intrusion, she’s facing allegations of wrongdoing. It’s remarkable, she doesn’t see how sensitive this issue is. PPE was desperately needed. She’s in the House of Lords, making millions off desperation.” | Susanna Reid
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting was also perplexed by the interview, openly asking why Mone thought this was the best course of action. He also made it clear that a Labour government would do more to claw back ‘billions of pounds’ lost to COVID corruption.
“Who thought it was a good idea for her to do that interview? She lied about her involvement in a serious government contract. In the middle of a pandemic, she wasn’t helping anyone, she just saw it as an opportunity to make a quick buck.”
“To those who used the pandemic to get rich quick, we say we want our money back. Labour will appoint a COVID Corruption Commissioner to claw back up to £8 billion lost to PPE fraud. The government’s response has been pathetic.” | Wes Streeting