Mrs. Justice Cockerill issued a judgment against PPE Medpro, a company associated with Conservative peer Michelle Mone, for supplying unsafe personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court ordered PPE Medpro to repay the full £122 million that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had paid for gowns deemed unusable, which were procured as part of a broader effort by the government to address PPE shortages in summer 2020.
Cockerill’s 87-page ruling revealed issues not only with PPE Medpro but also with Uniserve, a logistics company awarded contracts totaling £1.4 billion for PPE supply and transport. Based in Upminster, Uniserve was initially commissioned to transport ventilators and later secured a freight contract for importing extensive PPE shipments from China. Over time, it was awarded multiple contracts processed through a “VIP lane” that expedited approval for politically connected suppliers.
Cockerill concluded that Uniserve was responsible for inspecting the PPE before shipment but found a “degree of doubt” regarding whether those inspections were conducted, particularly concerning labelling that indicated the gowns were not sterile. Despite government approval for shipment, it was only after the gowns arrived in the UK that officials identified these significant compliance issues.
Liddell, Uniserve’s owner, claimed the DHSC had not mandated inspections at the time of the contract and suggested that logistical aspects of the operation were managed through subcontractors. This situation raised broader questions about the government’s procurement strategies, particularly the spending of billions while lacking basic quality checks.
Uniserve’s government contracts attracted scrutiny, prompting inquiries into how the company gained access to such substantial contracts. The DHSC indicated that Theodore Agnew, a Conservative peer, played a pivotal role in introducing Uniserve to the VIP lane, although he claimed unfamiliarity with the company during a public inquiry.
Additionally, Julia Lopez, the MP for Upminster and a former Cabinet Office minister, had connections to Uniserve, which have spurred questions about potential conflicts of interest and the nature of procurement. Despite denials of inappropriate conduct, the rapid expansion of Uniserve amid the pandemic raises concerns about the transparency and integrity of government contracting processes.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/08/billion-pound-ppe-contractor-uniserve-tory-mp