Rishi Sunak faced derision from Keir Starmer at PMQs today after saying he was “absolutely shocked” to hear allegations against Michelle Mone.
The Prime Minister distanced himself from the bra tycoon, who has taken a leave of absence as a Tory peer after claims she made millions from a firm given more than £200million in Covid contracts.
Baroness Mone announced yesterday she was temporarily stepping aside “in order to clear her name of the allegations that have been unjustly levelled”.
Critics said the “weak” PM should have acted against the Ultimo entrepreneur over alleged links to a firm given PPE deals.
Mr Sunak told MPs: “Like everyone else I was absolutely shocked to read about the allegations.
“It’s absolutely right that she is no longer attending the House of Lords and therefore no longer has the Conservative Whip.
“There’s a process in place. It’s right that process concludes, I hope it is resolved properly.”
Yet he did nothing himself to actually remove the whip from Baroness Mone.
She has chosen to step aside from the Lords of her own accord, so that means she doesn't have the whip by default.
She is also still a peer for life and could end her leave of absence if she wishes.
Keir Starmer alleged: “A Tory politician got their hands on hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and then provided duff PPE.
“And he says he’s shocked? He was the Chancellor - he signed the cheques! How much is he going to get back?”
The Labour leader had asked: “How did his colleague Baroness Mone end up with nearly £30million of taxpayers’ money in her bank account?”
Slamming Tory MPs, he added: “It’s obvious why they’re so opposed to Labour’s plans to clean up Westminster.
“They all voted for tax rises for working people while one of their unelected peers pocketed millions flogging dodgy PPE.”
The Lords’ standards watchdog is investigating the Conservative peer over her alleged involvement in procuring contracts for PPE Medpro.
But this inquiry has been paused during a National Crime Agency investigation.
PPE Medpro was awarded an £80.9m Government contract in May 2020 to supply face masks.
It was followed the next month by a £122m deal for 25 million surgical gowns, which Labour’s Angela Rayner claimed were rejected for use. The firm denied the kits were faulty.
Baroness Mone has denied any “role or function” in the company. But last week it was reported the peer and her children received £29m originating from profits of PPE Medpro.
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PA)Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said last night: “ Rishi Sunak was too weak to remove the whip and has left it to Baroness Mone to finally read the writing on the wall.”
The leave of absence means the peer will not attend sittings of the House, vote on proceedings and will not be able to claim any allowance.
Records show she has not spoken in the Lords since March 2020 and her last recorded vote was on April 26.
The clash came as Mr Starmer branded the PM a “wobbly blancmange” after he bowed to revolting Tory MPs, scrapping mandatory housebuilding targets and allowing onshore wind farms.
He said: “As always the blancmange Prime Minister wobbled. He did a grubby deal with a handful of MPs and sold out the aspirations fo those who want to own their own home. Was it worth it?”
Mr Sunak accused him of “engaging in the petty personality politics, not focused on the substance” and said Labour had failed to build enough affordable homes in London or Wales.
Just hours earlier, Health Secretary Steve Barclay dodged questions over whether the whip should be withdrawn.
He told Sky News: “Matters in terms of the whip are always for the chief whip and that's a long-standing convention.
“But she's taken a leave of absence from the House of Lords so she's not able to go to the House of Lords.
“And it's right that these issues are investigated and that's what the department is doing, and that's what the House of Lords authorities are doing."