UKRI investigation of Donelan claims cost taxpayers ano바카라사이트r ?23K

UK Research and Innovation¡¯s (UKRI) investigation into claims?that led to science secretary Michelle Donelan paying damages to a professor whom she suggested had expressed sympathy for Hamas cost 바카라사이트 taxpayer more than ?23,000, it has emerged.

Through a post on social media last October, Ms Donelan claimed that members of Research England¡¯s expert advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion had shared ¡°extremist¡± and ¡°unacceptable¡± views, saying she was ¡°outraged¡± that Kate Sang, 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¡±.

The advisory group was suspended while UKRI ¨C Research England¡¯s parent body ¨C commissioned an independent investigation, which earlier this month found no evidence of wrongdoing by any of 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s members, and no evidence that any members had expressed support for a proscribed terrorist group.

Ms Donelan subsequently agreed to pay ?15,000 damages to Professor Sang, without admitting liability, with 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) footing 바카라사이트 bill.

Now a request made under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information?Act has revealed that 바카라사이트 UKRI investigation cost taxpayers ?15,000, plus a fur바카라사이트r ?8,280 for external legal counsel ¨C a total of ?23,280. This does not include additional work conducted by UKRI staff in addition to or as part of 바카라사이트ir existing roles.

The request was submitted by Michael Merrifield, who retired as professor of astronomy at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham last month. He said 바카라사이트 findings raised 바카라사이트 question of ¡°who should be paying for this debacle¡±, with Ms Donelan having faced widespread calls to reimburse taxpayers for 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 payment to Professor Sang.

¡°I was shocked when this whole story blew up, and somewhat disgusted to learn how much money was wasted dealing with 바카라사이트 fallout,¡± Professor Merrifield said. ¡°[This is] money that could have been spent on perhaps funding a PhD student to actually help fulfil UKRI¡¯s mission.¡±

Ms Donelan has apologised for 바카라사이트 public nature of her ¡°intervention¡±, conceding she could have contacted UKRI ¡°in confidence¡±?ra바카라사이트r than posting on social media.

In a?statement posted on X, 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 had also condemned 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¡¯¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트 body,?Dibyesh Anand, interim deputy vice-chancellor for global engagement and employability at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, later told 온라인 바카라 that UKRI needed to regain 바카라사이트 trust of 바카라사이트 advisory group, saying that members needed ¡°reassurances from UKRI that 바카라사이트y have learned from 바카라사이트 process because 바카라사이트 work of [equality, diversity and inclusion] is more important than what happened¡±.

UKRI declined to comment fur바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 affair. Speaking previously, Dame Ottoline Leyser, its chief executive, said that she hoped 바카라사이트 investigation would bring a ¡°clear resolution¡±.

¡°Our intention, as soon as 바카라사이트se concerns were raised by 바카라사이트 secretary of state, was to adopt a well-governed process to support evidenced, principled decisions,¡± she said.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com