Tory minister's libel case costs taxpayer £34,000
The Independent|April 12, 2024
The taxpayer paid more than £34,000 to cover the costs of a libel case that saw science secretary Michelle Donelan reach a settlement with an academic she had accused of expressing support for Hamas.
CHRISTOPHER MCKEON
Tory minister's libel case costs taxpayer £34,000

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology had already confirmed it had paid £15,000 to settle the libel action brought by Prof Kate Sang “without admitting any liability”. However, in a letter to Labour’s shadow science secretary Peter Kyle, the department’s permanent secretary Sarah Munby admitted the full cost was more than twice that figure, with another £19,385 spent on legal costs.

The figure includes £7,785 of costs incurred by the Government Legal Department and another £11,600 spent on external counsel, with neither figure including VAT. The full bill for the taxpayer could be even higher once the costs of a separate investigation by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are factored in.

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