Carol Vorderman, the former Countdown presenter, has faced a humiliating climbdown after deleting a series of 22 tweets about the chairman of the Conservative Party. The chairman, Greg Hands, accused her of being ‘defamatory’ and ‘damaging’. Vorderman had been critical of the Tory government’s handling of contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic, particularly the ‘VIP Lane’.
One of her targets was Greg Hands, whom she claimed was involved in a £25.8 million contract awarded to Luxe Lifestyles, a company with no history of supplying PPE. Vorderman has now accepted Hands’ assurance that his role was only to refer the company to officials on the Joint Action Coordination Team (JACT) and that there was no impropriety on his part. However, she has not issued an apology.
Vorderman’s tweets were labeled as defamatory and damaging by Hands. He welcomed her decision to delete them and set the record straight. He emphasized that he had no involvement in the awarding of any PPE contracts and urged her to issue an apology. Hands also clarified that the JACT was not a ‘VIP Lane’, but rather the government’s official collection point for such offers.
This incident is just the latest in a series of public disputes between Vorderman and leading Conservative figures. In January, Vorderman made allegations about government Covid contracts funding the lifestyle of bra entrepreneur Michelle Mone’s husband. The fallout between Vorderman and Mone has turned bitter, with Mone currently under investigation for failing to declare an interest when lobbying for PPE contracts.
Vorderman has also been involved in a feud with Tory MP Johnny Mercer’s wife, whom she accused of harassment. Mercer’s wife, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer, claims that Vorderman has been stirring up hateful comments towards them. Vorderman has shared a reel of tweets to support her claims of harassment.
In response to these allegations, a spokesperson for Luxe Lifestyle stated that the company’s contract to supply PPE was negotiated through MoD procurement officers and awarded based on a competitive process. The company had no direct contact with any minister and followed the government’s procurement process for PPE providers.
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