A company led by a former business associate of Scottish Tory peer Michelle Mone has landed a £122million contract to supply PPE to the NHS just seven weeks after it was established.
Anthony Page quit as the secretary of the company that deals with the Glaswegian entrepreneur's "brand" and started PPE Medpro on the same day.
Just over a month later, PPE Medpro won a UK Department of Health contract – not advertised to other bidders – to supply 25 million gowns for health staff.
Page is also a director of finance firm Knox Group, founded by Baroness Mone’s fiance Doug Barrowman, the Mirror reported.
“Another hugely lucrative PPE contract has been awarded to a firm with no obvious qualification beyond links to very substantial donors to the Conservative Party," said Jolyon Maugham of The Good Law Project.
A spokeswoman for Baroness Mone said: “Baroness Mone has no comment as she has no role or involvement in PPE Medpro.
"Mr Barrowman is also not involved in the company PPE Medpro and is not a Director or Shareholder.”
Mr Barrowman confirmed that Anthony Page and Voirrey Coole are directors of Knox House Trust, which “provides Corporate Services and Trust Services to hundreds of clients”.
His spokesman added: “He cannot comment on the individual client entities.”
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing and the Department of Health said: “Due diligence is carried out for all government contracts.”
