The UK government and taxpayers have incurred significant expenses due to a libel case involving Science Minister Michelle Donelan. Reports have revealed that over £34,000 of taxpayer money was used to cover Donelan's legal fees and settlement costs after she accused a respected scientist of being a terrorist sympathiser without evidence. This figure is more than double the previously disclosed amount. Additionally, the government spent over £23,000 on legal services related to Donelan's letter to UK Research and Innovation about members of an advisory panel, bringing the total cost to more than £60,000. Taxpayers paid over £32,000 to cover Donelan’s libel settlement, and the legal costs paid by the taxpayer following Donelan's libel case were reported at £19k, with a £15k settlement.
Michelle Donelan's libel bills cost taxpayers £34,000 https://t.co/ib5nCsnckv
Legal fees double the cost to taxpayers of Michelle Donelan’s libellous attack on British scientists. It’s a slap in the face to hard working families that Tory ministers think this is good use of public money. It’s time for an election and fresh start https://t.co/vcThdkDta5
Minister's legal fees take total cost of libel case to £34,000 Read more🔗 https://t.co/ArTGY4c0xX
The taxpayer paid more than £34,000 to cover the costs of a libel case that saw Michelle Donelan reach a settlement with an academic she accused of expressing support for Hamas https://t.co/0tZAtlRRl8
Guardian now reporting the £19k legal costs paid by taxpayer following Michelle Donelan's libel case (plus £15k settlement too). Here's our story that first broke the news (Guardian info is from a different source to mine, so no issues journalistically). https://t.co/cqYY9nRKqU
£34k of taxpayers money spent on Michelle Donelan's legal fees after she called a respected local scientist a terrorist sympathiser on social media, without any evidence at all. Twice as much as previously thought. She should repay taxpayers money now. https://t.co/0I2WHM5TyR
Michelle Donelan used £34,000 of taxpayer funds to cover libel costs https://t.co/xmkjbt4Qz7
🚨 NEW: Taxpayers paid over £32,000 to cover Michelle Donelan’s libel settlement - more than double what the government said [@guardian]
EXCL: UK taxpayers have paid out more than £34,000 to cover cost of science minister Michelle Donelan’s libel case - more than double the sum the government previously admitted. https://t.co/19w0YeYt3O
Exclusive. The government spent more than £23k on legal services related to Michelle Donelan’s letter to UK Research and Innovation about members of an advisory panel, bringing the total cost of the incident to the government & UKRI to more than £60k. https://t.co/cqYY9nSigs