A New Low?

[drmorgans]

 

Michelle Donelan has admitted she was wrong and paid undisclosed damages after falsely accusing Professor Kate Sang of supporting terrorism. Donellan also wrongly accused Dr Kamna Patel of sharing extremist content online.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68486206

Nice to know PM Sunak has full confidence in Donelan, an excellent minister apparently. The payment to Prof Sang came from the Department of Science (i.e. the taxpayer).

 

[jno]

what on earth gets cabient ministers to talk nonsense like this? Surely they have a huge staff to do a bit of fact-checking? I know many people use social media to write the first culture-war thing that comes into their heads, but people in authority should have more sense.

[naomi24]

//Prof Sang had earlier shared a Guardian article about government plans to clamp down on pro-Palestine marches and called the plans "disturbing",//

 

I'd be interested in why she thinks that's disturbing.

[Old_Geezer]

Possibly because it's a step towards limiting free speech ? But there again, in this country even free speech has it's limits. Free action considerably more so.

[ToraToraTora]

She was no doubt told to apologise and end it now rather than have a legal battle in election year. She was probably correct but there are bigger issues in play here.

[douglas9401]

Wallet at the ready, Tora?

[drmorgans]

 

Or maybe she was wrong, realised she had to apologise and the department paid up?

 

[Ken4155]

SHE has admitted SHE was wrong, so why has the taxpayer had to foot the bill for Donelan and the academic's legal fees?

And, seeing as how it's taxpayer's money, why is the full amount not been revealed?

[youngmafbog]

Unclear from the document how the accusations were put. If on official capacity then I guess the Department has to pay.

Just guessing though.

[jno]

good grief, here's another dingbat in the same mess - demanding that a student be arrested for having a cuddly blue octopus. I hope she's paid the damages herself. It's bad enough these people taking offence over nothing at all, but demanding expulsion and arrest is just hysteria.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/mar/06/tory-peer-jacqueline-foster-pays-damages-university-challenge

[drmorgans]

 

The Donelan payment was (according to the media) £15k.

 

[Gromit]

// Ms Donelan - who has been secretary of state for science, innovation and technology since February - spoke of her "disgust and outrage" at the appointments and called on UKRI to remove both women from the group.

A months-long investigation by UKRI found no evidence that either Prof Sang or Dr Patel had breached their roles' terms of reference or the Nolan principles. //

She posted her false accusations in a letter on her X account (formerly Twitter), not on Government notepaper. This was evidently her personal post, not a Governmental Science Department official comment. So why am I paying the bill to keep her out of the Libel courts?
And if her untrue remarks are not going to cost her financially, how is she going to learn from the mistake ?

[ToraToraTora]

good to see the lefty terror supporting network is in full swing.

[jno]

she was only participating in UC for Christ Church because the Taliban team was refused admission to the country. Obviously.

[drmorgans]

 

The episode of University Challenge was recorded in March last year, before Hamas attack on Israel.

 

[Gromit]

// the lefty terror supporting network //

You did read that the allegation was false and she apologised? How are things in your genocide supporting network ?

[ToraToraTora]

Use your loaf gromit, she owned up etc to get rid of the issue, this is GE year me old china, get with the program.

[Spungle]

This should be docked off her own wages.  I can't see why the taxpayer should be left to pick up the tab for this.

[drmorgans]

 

So Ms Donelan gave an insincere apology and we had to pay £15k for the privilege. But there've been questions in parliament, widespread media (TV, radio and internet) coverage. Yet another dishonest, ill thought through and ineffective Terrible Tory Toff policy.

P.s. Penny Mordaunt defended Ms Donelan by saying she'd returned a ministerial payout (£16k) when she lost her post after Bozo resigned. She'd been in post less than two days! Snouts, troughs etc.