Shameless Baroness Michelle Mone was seen at a luxury alpine resort the day after the Government announced it was suing scandal-hit firm PPE Medpro.
While nurses and ambulance staff are forced to picket in the cold and rain because they cannot afford to pay their bills, our exclusive pictures remind us how the other half live.
The former lingerie tycoon looked relaxed in exclusive French ski resort Meribel, where she was staying at a hotel with suites costing up to £6,000 a night.
The Tory peer is believed to have flown out with billionaire husband Douglas Barrowman last week, according to a source.
The five-star Le Kaila Hotel sits at an altitude of 1,500m in Meribel centre. It boasts a Michelin-star restaurant, while champagne at the bar costs up to €16,748 (£14,600).
The Tory peer, 51, was pictured for the first time since standing aside from the House of Lords.
One onlooker said: “She looked like she’d been having a great time and didn’t have a care in the world.”
Mone has taken a leave of absence while her conduct in lobbying for PPE Medpro to supply surgical gowns during the pandemic is probed by the Lords Commissioner for Standards.
On Monday the Department for Health said it was suing the firm for £122million. Mone did not comment when approached by the Mirror.
Mone and Barrowman insist they had no role at PPE Medpro Limited and deny wrongdoing. She vows to clear her name of “unjust” allegations.
Mone was yesterday seen checking on luggage, including a Louis Vuitton suitcase, as it was loaded into a car.
She was carrying a grey bag, believed to be a Hermes Birkin worth up to £40,000, more than the average nurse’s annual wage. She also appeared to be in a Moncler black puffa jacket worth around £1,695.
Mone and Barrowman enjoy a lavish jetset lifestyle. Their home on the Isle of Man, a nine-bed pile with a pool and spa, was described by an estate agent as “one of the finest homes in the British Isles”.
Their £20m London townhouse is for sale, as is Barrowman’s £66m villa on the Caribbean island of St Barts. A 130ft yacht linked to Mone, called Lady M, was for sale in September at £10.25m.
The ex-Ultimo boss has spoken of her love for skiing in the past. Last Christmas, she posted snaps from neighbouring resort Courchevel.
She said: “Had a great time with my family on the slopes this weekend – really gets you in the Christmas spirit!”
PPE Medpro has said the breach of contract will be “rigorously defended”.
