Baroness Michelle Mone and Husband Sued Over PPE Medpro Debt
Baroness Michelle Mone, a member of the House of Lords, and her husband, businessman Douglas Barrowman, are among those being sued in an effort to recover millions owed to the government by Barrowman's collapsed company, PPE Medpro, according to the BBC.
Last year, the government was awarded £122 million plus interest from PPE Medpro after a court ruled that the firm breached a contract to supply sterile surgical gowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the liquidation of PPE Medpro, joint liquidators from Interpath Advisory have initiated legal action against six individuals and five companies associated with the firm.
Mone and Barrowman have been contacted for comment.
Background of PPE Medpro and Government Contracts
PPE Medpro was established in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as the government faced challenges securing protective equipment for healthcare workers during the critical phase of the outbreak.
The company secured its initial government contract to supply masks through a so-called 'VIP lane', following a recommendation by Baroness Mone, who served as a Conservative peer in the House of Lords.
However, by the end of 2022, the government initiated legal proceedings against PPE Medpro, alleging that the medical gowns supplied did not meet the required healthcare standards.
In 2023, the High Court ruled in favor of the government, finding that PPE Medpro had failed to demonstrate that its surgical gowns, intended for NHS workers, had undergone a validated sterilisation process.
Despite the court ruling, the government faced uncertainty regarding the recovery of funds, as PPE Medpro had less than £1 million in assets and was placed into liquidation in December 2025.
Government Response and Legal Actions
At the time, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized PPE Medpro, stating:
"NHS staff and patients [were] put in danger with substandard kit whilst lining their own pockets with taxpayers' money at a time of national crisis."
He further pledged to pursue the company vigorously to recover the owed funds:
"We will pursue this company with everything we've got."
Although Barrowman and Mone were not directors of PPE Medpro and had long denied any association with the firm, Barrowman confirmed in a 2023 BBC interview that he was the ultimate beneficial owner of the company.
In the same interview, Mone acknowledged that she was a beneficiary of a trust which received some profits from PPE Medpro.
Individuals and Companies Involved in Legal Proceedings
The lawsuit targets include four former directors of PPE Medpro, among them Arthur Lancaster, an accountant and business associate of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Lancaster has been approached for comment.
The case was initially reported by tax expert Dan Neidle.
Additionally, it was revealed last year that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a claim for £39 million against PPE Medpro for unpaid taxes.
Official Statements and Investigations
The Department for Health and Social Care stated that the recovery of funds is the responsibility of the appointed liquidators and that ministerial intervention would be inappropriate. However, the government has emphasized its expectation that robust action be taken.
Interpath Advisory declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings.
Separately, the National Crime Agency is conducting a criminal investigation into PPE Medpro.
