Blogger drops libel case against Jeremy Corbyn
Richard Millett had sued the former Labour leader after he commented on “Zionists” who “don’t understand English irony” during an interview on the BBC.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A pro-Israel blogger who was suing former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for libel has dropped his case.
Corbyn was due to give evidence in a two-week-long trial starting next month but, on Tuesday, the parties released a joint statement announcing that the case had been discontinued.
The statement said: “The libel claim brought by Richard Millett against the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP has been settled.
“Mr Corbyn has paid no damages, has made no apology and has given no undertakings concerning repetition of the words complained of. No costs have been paid by either party to the other as part of this settlement, save in respect of an outstanding order of the Court of Appeal from April 2021.”
Millett launched the action against Corbyn following remarks the ex-leader made during an interview on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show in 2018. He was still Labour leader at this time.
Corbyn was asked if he was an antisemite and shown a recording of a speech he made in 2013 in which he referred to “Zionists” who “don’t understand English irony”, judges previously heard.
In response, Corbyn referred to two people having been “incredibly disruptive” and “very abusive” at a meeting in the House of Commons the same year, at which Manuel Hassassian – then Palestinian ambassador to the UK – was speaking.
Millett argued that, although he was not named by Corbyn, he was defamed because national media coverage before the broadcast made him identifiable to viewers as one of those referred to.
In April, the Court of Appeal rejected a challenge brought by Mr Corbyn against a High Court judge’s findings over preliminary issues in the case, while the Supreme Court refused permission to appeal the following month.
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