Lee Anderson - Lawsuits Work Both Ways

Still fulfilling the role of deputy chairman of the Tory party, despite the distraction of being a host on Gammon Broadcasting™ News (“Bacon’s News Channel”), and enjoying the odd bit of punditry, Lee Anderson, still to convince anyone that meals can be served for just 30p a go, has also found time to familiarise himself with legal actions for defamation.

Yours for 30p in twelve months' time (apologies to Private Eye)

30p Lee, as he was christened by Steve Bray, reached for the services of his lawyer recently when one of those Google-served clickbait adverts made a claim about him that will not be repeated here. 99% of those seeing the clickbait - rubbish like “terrible news for [insert name of well known person here] today” - ignore them. But some do not, and hence the lawsuit.

As the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, where the offending advert appeared, pointed out correctly, Google should not be letting this sort of crap through. Especially as it took around a year to drag the big G kicking and screaming to the door of the court. Anderson then enjoyed his day on the top step of the podium.

“I am pleased that Google has publicly apologised in Court and put an end to this very difficult and distressing time for me and my family. I do however think it is a real shame that it has taken so long for this to happen and that I had to get lawyers involved and threaten Google with legal action to get here”. He also thanked The Great Guido “for their ongoing support”.

He wouldn’t be one of their regular sources, would he? Still, on he went: “I remain concerned that Google’s services have been used by my desperate political opponents to smear my good name to thousands of people. I understand there are people who will sink to the lowest levels to undermine me and my work, but to see them being able to use a company like Google to amplify their bile to a massive audience is difficult to comprehend”. Oh aye?

Do go on. “I’m really glad Google decided to apologise and acknowledge its failings, but I’m an MP and that took many months and the involvement of specialist lawyers. My constituents and many others will not be in such a fortunate position, but they need to be protected”. Quite so.

So what has he done about that since his victory? Well, one thing he appears not to have done is to take on board that not only can he threaten action against others, but others can threaten action against him. Fortunately, his knowledge in this field has now been enhanced, after he became the one making the grovelling apology and opening his wallet.

As the BBC has reported, “Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has apologised to a doctor over a ‘misleading’ social media post … He offered his ‘sincerest apologies’ to Tom Dolphin for any distress caused by a post on X, formerly Twitter, related to the ongoing junior doctors strike.” Most magnanimous of him. And was money involved, perchance?

“The MP has also agreed to pay £1,870 to the British Medical Association (BMA) strike fund to ‘compensate the upset I may have caused’”. Bloody hell, that must have hurt. So what did Tom Dolphin, who you can tell as he’s a doctor, have to say in response? “Dr Dolphin tweeted to thank Mr Anderson for his ‘very gracious apology’”. Just in case you wondered who won.

What else did Anderson say? “On the 6th October 2023 I shared a link on X to a Mail Online article entitled ‘Militant union leader at the heart of doctors strikes is a Labour activist who boasted of charging the NHS for a strike cover shift’. I accept that my words were misleading as the subject in question Dr Tom Dolphin was not on strike on the date of the shift in question”.

Which sounds like he didn’t just share a link, but made a comment, too. 30p Lee needs to bear in mind that the Mail titles word their copy very carefully, so they make their targets appear The Bad Guys without crossing the defamation line. It also looks for all the world like his apology was written for him. One thing is for sure, he’ll be winding his neck in in future.

That’s before the electorate kick him out at the next election. 30p indeed.

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