Baroness Mone faces expulsion from House of Lords

Calls are growing for Baroness Michelle Mone, known as the 'Baroness Bra', to be expelled from the House of Lords. The Conservative peer has come under scrutiny for her involvement in a scandal surrounding the sale of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the UK government. Mone's husband, Doug Barrowman, leads the company that sold the PPE, and it has been revealed that Mone stands to benefit from millions of pounds in profit from the deal. The National Crime Agency is currently investigating the company, PPE Medpro, while the Department of Health and Social Care has taken legal action over a breach of contract.

Labour MP calls for Gove to answer questions

Cabinet Minister Michael Gove is also being urged to answer questions regarding his role in the scandal. Mone revealed in an interview that she had contacted Gove at the start of the pandemic to request help with the supply of PPE. Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to Gove, calling for him to address questions about his involvement and the role of the government. Thomas-Symonds criticized the government for its handling of public money and procurement during the pandemic, calling it "shocking recklessness" and "a sorry tale of incompetence".

Possible expulsion from House of Lords

Baroness Mone's future in the House of Lords is now in question. Minister Lord Callanan has suggested that she should not return to the House, and Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant has called for her expulsion. Peers can be expelled or suspended from the House of Lords under certain conditions, such as breaking the code of conduct or non-attendance for a significant period of time.

Mone admits to benefiting from the deal

Baroness Mone has admitted that she stands to benefit financially from her husband's company's sale of PPE to the government. She previously denied profiting from the deal but has now acknowledged that she is a beneficiary of her husband's financial trusts, which hold around £60 million in profit from the PPE contract. Mone claims that she and her husband have been made "scapegoats" for the government's failures in PPE procurement.

Gove urged to provide transparency

Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds has called on Michael Gove to provide transparency and answer questions about his involvement in the PPE scandal. He argues that the government owes the public maximum transparency and is calling for an urgent statement to be made to Parliament before the Christmas recess.