
Baroness Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'establishment cover-up'
Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman have accused the Covid inquiry of an "establishment cover-up" after their second attempt to be given an official role in the inquiry was rejected.The couple claimed they were the targets of a "politically motivated witch hunt" after the inquiry's chairwoman, Baroness Hallett, refused their application to be made "core participants".PPE Medpro, a firm led by Mr Barrowman, was awarded government contracts worth more than £200m after Baroness Mone recommended it to ministers.If approved, the official status would have allowed the couple to access inquiry documents, make statements and apply to ask questions of witnesses.
Baroness Hallett first rejected their approach in February, saying it came 468 days after the deadline for applications, and she did not accept they had a large enough role "in the matters to be investigated by the inquiry".She had previously said her main focus is on the approach of ministers and the government, rather than Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suppliers.
'Sensitive evidence'
The Covid inquiry is conducting four weeks of hearings looking at deals to buy £15bn of PPE during Covid.The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been investigating PPE Medpro since May 2021 over suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement process.To date no charges have been brought and the Crown Prosecution Service has not been instructed in the case. Baroness Mone, 52, and Mr Barrowman, 59, have both denied wrongdoing.A special inquiry hearing about the company will take place behind closed doors next week after Baroness Hallett said she was satisfied there was a risk of prejudice to the ongoing NCA investigation if "sensitive evidence" was made public.In a joint statement, Baroness Mone and her husband said the decision to hear evidence in private was "a blatant betrayal of transparency and justice" and accused the NCA of waging "a ruthless smear campaign".The couple said: "While the inquiry refused to exclude PPE Medpro, it handed the NCA the power to dictate the proceedings behind a wall of secrecy, ensuring that only their version of events is heard – while we are denied the right to defend ourselves."In a social media post, Baroness Mone said she did not realise that the company would be "specifically profiled" by the inquiry until the end of February."Until then, it was understood that discussions were general, covering overall PPE procurement, not targeting any individual entity," she added.The couple's statement was released after their second approach to be made core participants was rejected.Baroness Hallett said allowing the application to proceed would have led to a "further diversion of resources" and have caused "significant disruption" to the inquiry's timetable.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Nando's confirms first Ayrshire restaurant set to open 'later this year'
Nando's will be coming to Ayrshire later this year after the firm confirmed they would be opening a new outlet in Kilmarnock. A popular chicken restaurant chain is set to open its first outlet in Ayrshire 'later this year'. Nando's have confirmed that they are set to bring their famous flame-grilled peri-peri chicken to Kilmarnock. Previously, Ayrshire's foodies and fans of the South African chain have had to travel to Glasgow to for their peri-peri fix with the Silverburn outlet the closest to the county. Nando's have not confirmed exactly where their new Kilmarnock eatery will be but it is believed that they are interested in the former Tony Macaroni restaurant next to the Odeon cinema on Queen's Drive. The building, which was previously a Frankie and Benny's, has been empty since July 2024 when Tony Macaroni unexpectedly closed the restaurant. Frankie and Benny's had pulled out of the venue in 2020 as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry. In response to an enquiry from Ayrshire Live, Nando's said they were "excited" to be opening in Kilmarnock and that they would "share more details soon". Founded by Fernando Duarte and Robert Brozin in Rosettenville, South Africa, Nando's is a Portuguese and Mozambican inspired restaurant chain which primarily serves peri-peri chicken. Named after Fernando's son Nando, the restaurant chain currently operates more then 1,000 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide.


Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Families urged to apply for cost of living cash worth up to £600
The Household Support Fund is a cost of living scheme that is run by local councils - it is a pot of cash awarded to local authorities, which they then distribute to residents Families are being urged to check if they can claim up to £600 in cost of living payments through the Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund is a cost of living scheme that is run by local councils. It is a pot of cash awarded to local authorities, which they then distribute to residents. The help provided normally comes in the form of one-off payments that don't need to be paid back, or vouchers for food or energy. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council is issuing cash grants, which vary depending on the size of your household. Here is the help available: Up to £300 for households with one or more adults Up to £500 for households with one child Up to £600 for households and two children or more Get cost of living tips straight to your WhatsApp! As the cost of living crisis continues to burn a hole in people's pockets, the Mirror has launched its very own Money WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest cost of living advice and money-saving tips straight to your phone. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. To be eligible for the grant, you must be over 18, living in Richmond and be struggling from the impact of rising costs of food and energy or continue to be impacted by COVID-19. This can include: Reduced pay or lost job Benefits issues Struggling to afford food, energy costs and other essentials, including white goods Extra costs as a result of COVID-19 Richmond Council is also encouraging individuals to apply if: There are community care needs They have serious health problems There is a risk to a child's wellbeing Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money You can apply by contacting Citizens Advice Richmond by freephone on 08082 787873. If you're not a Doncaster resident, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you through the Household Support Fund. For example, City of Doncaster Council is providing help to households that are in receipt of one of benefits including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit which includes the housing element and means-tested free school meals. If you're in a household with one dependent child, you will get a £100 payment for food, while £200 will be paid for two dependent children, and £300 for three dependent children. The council described a dependant child as one you are receiving Child Benefit for. A single payment will be made for energy bills to households that meet the eligibility criteria. Hull City Council is giving £200 to pensioner households. Meanwhile, low income families will get a £40 school uniform grant, as well as food vouchers in school holidays for those eligible for school meals. Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to all households where a child is aged between two and 19 and is eligible for free school meals. Meanwhile, households with pensioners who are in receipt of council tax support will get £100 in bank payments or food vouchers this year.


NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Senior U.S. and China envoys to meet for showdown trade talks in London
HONG KONG — Senior U.S. and Chinese officials will meet in London on Monday in an effort to de-escalate the bitter trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies that has roiled the global economy, with China 's restrictions on critical minerals high on the agenda. The U.K. is providing a venue for the discussions but will not be involved in them directly and the exact time and location of the meeting remains unknown. 'We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks,' a U.K. government spokesperson said. The effects of the U.S.-China trade rift are already apparent, with China on Monday reporting a 34.5% decrease in exports to the U.S. in May — the biggest drop since February 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, CNBC reported. Investors were relieved last month when U.S. and Chinese representatives meeting in Geneva said they had reached a preliminary agreement to suspend most of the tit-for-tat tariffs they had imposed on each other's goods, which had reached as high as 145%. But in recent weeks both countries have accused each other of violating the agreement. The new round of talks comes four days after President Donald Trump and Chinese Xi Jinping held a lengthy phone call that Trump said focused mostly on trade. The call, which Trump said lasted about 90 minutes, was the first between the two leaders since Trump returned to office, though they spoke a few days before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Trump, who had complained a day earlier that Xi was 'extremely hard to make a deal with,' said in a Truth Social post that the call 'resulted in a very positive conclusion' for both countries. He told reporters Friday that Xi had agreed to resume the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets to the U.S. after imposing export controls on the products, which are crucial components for electronics, automobiles and other industries. Trump said his administration was 'very far advanced on the China deal' and that the meeting on Monday was about 'clarification.' The U.S. side will be represented in London by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while the Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier He Lifeng. Bessent, Greer and He were all in Geneva last month.