Tory MPs locked in libel dispute

Andrew Bridgen (who was expelled from the Conservative Party last year) has sued the former health secretary and current Conservative MP Matt Hancock for libel. 

Bridgen published a tweet which linked to an article about Covid vaccines, along with a statement which said: "As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust". Shortly after the tweet was published, the Conservative Party withdrew the whip from Bridgen. 

Hancock then published a tweet which included also included a link to himself asking a question in parliament, and which said: "The disgusting and dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories spouted by a sitting MP this morning are unacceptable and have absolutely no place in our society".

Bridgen took exception to Hancock's tweet, and sued him for libel. Hancock has since made an application to the court to have Bridgen's claim struck out, on the basis that no proper case for libel had been set out in the claim, particularly as Bridgen was not named in Hancock's tweet. Hancock's barrister argued in court that a reasonable reader of his tweet would not realise that it related to Bridgen.

Bridgen's barrister, resisting the strike out application, pointed to the fact that nobody on Twitter appeared to be at all confused about who Hancock was referring to. 

The court's judgment has not yet been delivered but there is speculation amongst lawyers as to what the result will be. Bridgen and Hancock's tweets were published in very quick succession, and there was a great deal of media coverage concerning Bridgen's stance and the removal of the whip from him. It therefore seems likely that Hancock's strike out application will fail, but that Bridgen will probably be ordered to amend his claim, to make out his case more clearly. 

If you have been the victim of libel, or if someone has accused you of libelling them, you should take legal advice as quickly as possible. Libel claims are technical and difficult claims to plead correctly (as Bridgen has found) and so it is important that you speak to an expert about how to proceed. 

To have a conversation with one of our expert libel lawyers, contact us today to find out how we can help.