Michelle Mone should be stripped of peerage, says Badenoch

Baroness Michelle Mone, a Glaswegian entrepreneur, is facing calls from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to have her peerage revoked. The reason behind this is a recent court ruling that ordered Mone’s company, PPE Medro, to repay £122m to the UK government for breaching a Covid contract. Badenoch expressed her stance on the matter, stating that the evidence presented against PPE Medpro was compelling enough to warrant the removal of Mone’s title. Mone, who was appointed as a Tory peer by David Cameron in 2015, lost her party membership following the controversy surrounding the contract for medical gowns.

The controversy surrounding Mone and PPE Medpro escalated further when the court ruling was made, with Mone describing it as an “establishment win for the government” that was predetermined due to the magnitude of the case. Despite being on leave from the House of Lords, Mone’s fate lies in the hands of Parliament, with the SNP urging the UK government to take action on her peerage. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, expressed reluctance to see Mone return to the House of Lords, although she emphasized the limits of her authority in stripping Mone of her title.

Looking towards the upcoming Scottish Parliament election in May, Badenoch highlighted the competitive landscape, stating that while the SNP leads in polls, she believes that Scots are disillusioned with the party’s performance in areas such as education and the economy. Additionally, she dismissed calls for a second independence referendum as a diversionary tactic. As the Scottish Conservatives aim to maintain their standing as the largest opposition party at Holyrood, recent polls suggest a challenging road ahead to retain their position as the country’s fourth largest party.

Highlighting the importance of the North Sea oil industry, Badenoch emphasized the Conservative Party’s commitment to supporting the sector, particularly in Aberdeen where the industry plays a vital role. She expressed concerns over the region’s economic stagnation and advocated for bolstering industry rather than stifling it. The UK Labour government’s approach to banning new exploration licences was critiqued by Badenoch, who emphasized the significance of maintaining energy security and supporting the highly skilled workforce in the North East during the transition to sustainable energy sources

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