The government is suing PPE Medpro for a whopping £122 million (plus costs) for breach of contract over the supply of protective gowns during the pandemic. The company joined the government’s VIP lane at the peak of the virus in 2020 on the recommendation of Tory peer Baroness Mone, with the Guardian later alleging Mone had trousered millions from the firm’s profits via an offshore trust. A trust which received a cool £29 million…

Today a spokesperson for DHSC said:

 “We can confirm that we have commenced legal proceedings in the High Court against PPE Medpro Limited for breach of contract regarding gowns delivered under a contract dated 26 June 2020. We do not comment on matters that are the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.”

PPE Medro immediately hit back, accusing the government of “utter incompetence“:

“PPE Medpro will demonstrate to the courts that we supplied our gowns to the correct specification, on time and at a highly competitive price. The case will also show the utter incompetence of DHSC to correctly procure and specify PPE during the emergency procurement period. This will be the real legacy of the court case and it will be played out in the public arena for all to see.”

They’re not going down without a fight…