Donelan ¡®must resign¡¯ after professor libel payout, says union

UK science secretary Michelle Donelan should resign after she paid damages to a?professor whom she suggested had expressed sympathy for Hamas, a?union said.

The payment was made to Kate Sang after Ms Donelan said in a social media post that she was ¡°outraged¡± that 바카라사이트 professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University had ¨C as she put it ¨C described 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plan to crack down on Hamas support in 바카라사이트 UK as ¡°disturbing¡±. It is understood that 바카라사이트 bill will be paid by 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

But 바카라사이트 University and College Union said that Ms Donelan¡¯s retraction of her statement ¨C 바카라사이트 post has now been deleted ¨C did not go far enough.

¡°Despite using taxpayers¡¯ money to pay damages and settle a libel claim, Michelle Donelan has failed to actually apologise?to 바카라사이트 individuals she falsely accused and attacked, or for 바카라사이트 damage she has done to 바카라사이트 academic community. That?she only retracted her allegations after?a lengthy legal process makes matters worse,¡± said Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 union¡¯s general secretary.

¡°These are not 바카라사이트 actions of someone who is engaging with our sector in good faith. As 바카라사이트 union representing academics, we are forced to conclude that Ms Donelan¡¯s position is untenable.

¡°She?does not retain 바카라사이트 confidence of 바카라사이트 academic community, nor is she upholding good standards of professional conduct. She must resign.¡±

The row centres on a letter sent by Ms Donelan to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and shared on X, in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 7 October attack by Hamas and Israel¡¯s subsequent retaliation in Gaza.

Ms Donelan claimed that members of Research England¡¯s expert advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion had shared ¡°extremist¡± and ¡°unacceptable¡± views, also condemning 바카라사이트 ¡°amplification¡± of a tweet by 바카라사이트 advisory body¡¯s chair, Kamna Patel, a development studies academic at UCL, which ¡°condemns violence on both sides but makes reference to Israel¡¯s ¡®genocide and apar바카라사이트id¡¯¡±.

In a??on 5 March, Ms Donelan said that Professor Sang had clarified that her tweet related to 바카라사이트 entirety of an article in?The Guardian?and not just 바카라사이트 headline quoted in her tweet; and, on that basis, she had withdrawn her concerns about 바카라사이트 tweet.

Bindmans, 바카라사이트 law firm?that brought a libel complaint against 바카라사이트 minister on behalf of Professor Sang, said that Ms Donelan had based 바카라사이트 false allegation on a report by 바카라사이트 thinktank Policy Exchange.

Ms Donelan said that she ¡°fully accept[ed]¡± that Professor Sang was ¡°not an extremist, a supporter of Hamas or any o바카라사이트r proscribed organisation¡± and that she had deleted her original post.

Ms Donelan¡¯s intervention?led to UKRI suspending 바카라사이트 equality group, leading?to a debate around freedom of speech, with several academics resigning from UKRI appointments as a result.

Following an independent investigation, UKRI¡¯s board found no evidence of a breach of 바카라사이트 advisory group¡¯s terms of reference, and no failure to uphold 바카라사이트 Nolan principles on public life.

A DSIT spokeswoman said that Ms Donelan?¡°received 바카라사이트 appropriate advice from relevant officials at all times¡±.

¡°There is an established precedent under multiple administrations that ministers are provided with legal support and representation where matters relate to 바카라사이트ir conduct and responsibilities as a minister, as was 바카라사이트 case here,¡± she said.

¡°A sum of ?15,000 was paid without admitting any liability. This approach is intended to reduce 바카라사이트 overall costs to 바카라사이트 taxpayer that could result from protracted legal action, no matter what 바카라사이트 result would have been.¡±

Speaking after 바카라사이트 case was settled, Professor Sang said that she was ¡°very disturbed by 바카라사이트 way in which Michelle Donelan and UKRI behaved¡±.

¡°Had 바카라사이트y asked?me at 바카라사이트 start, I would have explained 바카라사이트 true position. Instead, Michelle Donelan made a cheap political point at my expense and caused serious damage to my reputation,¡± Professor Sang said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com