Bottomley wins case
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Tory MP Peter Bottomley was yesterday awarded pounds 40,000 damages by a High Court jury for libel in an article in the Sunday Express.
Justin Walford, legal adviser to Express Newspapers, which was also ordered to pay an estimated pounds 250,000 costs of the eight-day trial, said an appeal was being considered because of questions raised over press freedom.
Mr Bottomley, 51, MP for Eltham, in south London, was accused in the article last January of betraying the paratrooper Private Lee Clegg, who was in jail for the murder of a joyrider in Northern Ireland, by appearing at a meeting with the leading Sinn Fein figure Martin McGuinness.
The former Northern Ireland minister whose wife, Virginia, is Secretary of State for National Heritage, said: "It would have been possible to have avoided this writ if we had come to some agreement . . . I don't mind criticism . . . but this stopped me doing what I have devoted my life to - ending the violence in Northern Ireland."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments