Image: HM Treasury [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0], via Flickr
Revealed: Amount of taxpayers’ money spent by science secretary in settlement for “extremist views” allegations
Michelle Donelan agreed to pay £15,000 to an academic who made a libel complaint after the science secretary accused her of supporting Hamas.
Yesterday it emerged that Donelan had agreed to pay damages and costs to Kate Sang of Heriot-Watt University, a member of a UK Research and Innovation equality, diversity and inclusion advisory panel. The amount of the sum agreed was not initially disclosed.
A spokesperson for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has since told Research Professional News that “£15,000 was paid without admitting any liability”.
The science department also reiterated a statement indicating the cost has fallen to the taxpayer.
‘Established precedent’ for legal support
“This approach is intended to reduce the overall costs to the taxpayer that could result from protracted legal action, no matter what the result would have been,” the spokesperson said.
“There is an established precedent under multiple administrations that ministers are provided with legal support and representation where matters relate to their conduct and responsibilities as a minister, as was the case here. The secretary of state received the appropriate advice from relevant officials at all times.”
The revelations came after an investigation launched by UKRI last autumn exonerated two members of the advisory panel who Donelan named in an open letter. In the letter, Donelan expressed “disgust and outrage” at their social media posts.
Donelan accused Sang of “expressing sympathy or support” for Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation—allegations which the science secretary has admitted were false.
The independent inquiry by UKRI found no evidence for such allegations.
Donelan notes inquiry conclusion
Donelan said yesterday that she was “pleased to be able to withdraw my original concerns” over the tweet she had said suggested Sang was expressing sympathy and support for Hamas.
“I have never thought or claimed that Professor Sang, or any member of the board, committed a criminal offence. I fully accept that she is not an extremist, a supporter of Hamas or any other proscribed organisation and I note that an independent investigation has concluded that there is no evidence that she is,” Donelan said.
Sang said she proposed to donate part of the damages awarded to a charity.
The science secretary is facing calls for her to resign, and for a Cabinet Office inquiry into the matter.