'They All Knew': Michelle Mone Hits Back At Rishi Sunak Over PPE Row

Michelle Mone has hit back at Rishi Sunak as a bitter war of words erupted over her involvement in a row over a multi-million pound personal protective equipment (PPE) contract.

The lingerie tycoon said the Cabinet Office, the NHS and ministers “all knew” about her links to her husband’s firm, PPE Medpro, when it agreed a £202 million deal with the government at the start of the pandemic.

Mone has admitted lying to journalists about her involvement in the controversy, and that she stands to benefit from the £60 million profit the company made.

The government is now suing the company for breach of contract, while the National Crime Agency has launched an investigation.

In his first public comments on the row, Sunak said: “We take all of these things incredibly seriously and that’s why the government is taking legal action.

“And because there’s a criminal investigation ongoing I can’t comment any further.”

But reacting on X (formerly Twitter) Mone said: “What is Rishi Sunak talking about?

“I was honest with the Cabinet Office, the government and the NHS in my dealings with them.

“They all knew about my involvement from the very beginning.”

Mone also hit out at Michael Gove - who was her initial point of contact with the government - and Sir Chris Wormald, the most senior civil servant in the Department of Health.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said “the government needs to come clean” about the controversy as he called for Mone - who was made a Tory peer by David Cameron in 2015 - to be kicked out of the House of Lords.

She is currently taking a “leave of absence” from the upper chamber.