At a recent literary festival in Charleston, the members of Led By Donkeys, Ben Stewart and Oliver Knowles, recounted an audacious act from 2023: the renaming of Michelle Mone’s yacht, Lady M, to “Pandemic Profiteer.” This whimsical endeavour included renting a modest boat under false pretenses for a seaside picnic, an attempt to affix a massive sticker to the luxury yacht, and a frenzied escape from security guards. Originally, their plan had been even bolder: to commandeer the yacht and navigate it back to the UK, delivering it to His Majesty’s Treasury as a symbolic indictment of profiteering during the pandemic. The audience, captivated by this thrilling tale, reflected on the striking imagery of justice the idea invoked—a fantastical dream of accountability in a world marred by exploitation.

The story’s roots run deep in the disturbing reality of Mone’s involvement with PPE Medpro, a company that profited immensely from the UK government’s procurement during the pandemic. Following widespread scrutiny, Mone acknowledged that she pocketed £28.8 million from contracts awarded to PPE Medpro, much of this amount held in a trust benefiting her and her family. Her husband, Doug Barrowman, infamously stated that they were “always going to benefit” from their privileged position, a sentiment that encapsulates the ethos of opportunism seen throughout this scandal.

In a landscape where accountability often seems elusive, Mone’s fall from grace has been striking. Details emerging from the BBC’s documentary, Rise and Fall, illustrate her current predicament: on leave from the House of Lords, stripped of the Conservative whip, and with £75 million in assets frozen by the National Crime Agency, all pending investigations into the ethical complexities of her actions. Mone has consistently denied any wrongdoing; however, the measures enacted against her symbolize a significant shift in public sentiment regarding pandemic profiteering.

While the legal ramifications of Mone’s actions could result in her being compelled to return ill-gotten gains, the worrisome truth remains that the funds are likely to be reallocated to unsatisfactory governmental expenses, such as defence budgets. In contrast, the renaming of her yacht carried a symbolic weight that transcended mere financial restitution. It conveyed a collective message: profiting from a national emergency is unconscionable. This act underscored the need for both governance grounded in competence and a business community that prioritises decency.

Led By Donkeys has consistently used provocative art and actions to foster awareness and resilience against societal despair. Their poignant installations—like the heart-wrenching display of 11,000 children’s outfits on Bournemouth beach—serve as visceral reminders of crises far more grave than government neglect. Such actions encapsulate not only a response to individual misdeeds but a broader condemnation of systemic failures that allow such injustices to flourish unchallenged.

At the end of Stewart and Knowles’s talk, the standing ovation they received was not merely a gesture of approval but a collective stand against negligence and avarice. It marked a moment where individuals came together, in full recognition of their shared responsibility to confront the injustices that permeate society, echoing a timeless call for accountability in times of crisis.

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Source: Noah Wire Services