Matt Hancock accuses Michelle Mone of 'wild accusations' to try to help firm ... trends now
Matt Hancock has claimed that he felt pressured by Michelle Mone's 'extraordinarily aggressive' lobbying to try to help a firm win a contract to supply Covid lateral flow tests.
In his explosive Pandemic Diaries, the former health secretary accuses the Tory peer of sending him a 'threatening' message complaining the company she was helping had not secured a lucrative deal.
Mr Hancock says in his book, which is being serialised on The Mail+ and in the Daily Mail, that by the end of the email she had 'worked herself into a complete frenzy' and was throwing around 'wild accusations'.
The allegations will come as a fresh blow to the former lingerie tycoon – nicknamed 'Baroness Bra' – who is already facing questions over whether she benefited financially from the profits of a different company.
She is under investigation by the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards for allegedly failing to declare an interest in the firm PPE Medpro which won a £200million Government contract at the height of the pandemic.
Matt Hancock has claimed that he felt pressured by Michelle Mone's 'extraordinarily aggressive' lobbying to try to help a firm win a contract to supply Covid lateral flow tests
In his explosive Pandemic Diaries, the former health secretary accuses Michelle Mone of sending him a 'threatening' message complaining the company she was helping had not secured a lucrative deal.
But now Mr Hancock has revealed that the baroness demanded his 'urgent help' with a second company – which he has not named – in June last year.
In his diaries he writes: 'Baroness Michelle Mone has sent me an extraordinarily aggressive email complaining that a company she's helping isn't getting the multi-million-pound contracts it deserves.
'She claims the firm, which makes lateral flow test kits, 'has had a dreadful time' trying to cut through red tape and demanded my 'urgent help' before it all comes out in the media.
'I am going to blow this all wide open,' she threatened.'
The former health secretary then says Baroness Mone complained the US company Innova had secured a 'monopoly position' by winning several contracts which meant other companies couldn't 'get in the game'.
In his book, Mr Hancock adds: 'By the end of the message, she seemed to have worked herself into a complete frenzy and was throwing around wild accusations. 'I smell a rat here. It is more than the usual red tape, incompetence and bureaucracy. That's expected! I believe there is corruption here at the highest levels'.'
He continues: 'She concluded by urging me to intervene 'to prevent the next bombshell being dropped on the Government'.
'I read the message again, stunned. Was she threatening me? It
