British taxpayers paid £15,000 to an academic wrongly accused of supporting Hamas by the science minister, the department said, amid growing political anger over why public funds were used Compensation of £15,000 was offered.
The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said it had paid Michelle Donelan on Tuesday after she issued a statement in response to a “clarification” of her views by Professor Kate Sang at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University for £15,000.
A DSIT spokesman said the funding came from public funds, adding: “There is an established precedent across a number of governments of providing legal support and representation to ministers on matters relating to their conduct and responsibilities. Like the situation here.”
“The Secretary of State always receives appropriate advice from relevant officials.
“The £15,000 was paid without any admission of liability. The aim of this approach is to reduce the overall cost to taxpayers that may be incurred by protracted legal proceedings, whatever the outcome.”
It is understood that this payment was the only one made and there were no additional payments to cover Sang’s legal fees. DSIT declined to say how much Donelan’s own legal costs were. On Tuesday, the department declined to say how much it paid Sang, saying only that it was a “nominal” amount.
However, the opposition and some Conservative MPs expressed shock that Donelan was being supported in this way, with one Conservative backbencher saying it was “amazing she still has a job”.
Sun’s comments came after Minister Donelan sent a letter to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in October urging it to cut ties with Sun and another academic, Dr Kamna Patel of University College London. Donelan launched a defamation lawsuit. Donelan described her “disgust and anger” at their appointment to England’s expert advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion.
The institute suspended Sang and Patel while it investigated the allegations against Donelan. These included extremist content shared by both scholars, as well as San’s expressed sympathy for Hamas.
Her evidence included Sand retweeting a Guardian article from October last year titled “Suela Braverman urges police to crack down on UK support for Hamas”, in which Sand added the comment: “This Disturbing.”
Donelan said in a statement that she mistakenly believed it meant support for Hamas, and that San’s comments were directed at the article more broadly.
UKRI announced Its investigation found no evidence to support Donelan’s complaints against the academics and no reason to remove them from the advisory panel.
Labour’s shadow science secretary Peter Keir said: “It is outrageous that a science minister spent £15,000 of taxpayers’ money calling a scientist a terrorist sympathizer on social media without any evidence. Indignant.”
“Michelle Donelan should be embarrassed, she should apologize and she should refund the taxpayers in full. Her behavior fell well below what is expected of a minister.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “This is an absolute scandal and we still don’t know the full legal costs.
“If Michelle Donelan had any shred of integrity she would pay this bill out of her own pocket rather than letting the taxpayer foot the bill. If she refuses to do this Rishi Sunak should have her wages docked.”
It comes on the same day it was revealed that Tory peer and former MEP Jacqueline Foster had apologized and paid compensation to a PhD student after she wrongly stated her university challenge The stuffed octopus used as the team’s mascot was chosen as a symbol of anti-Semitism.
mrs foster has public apology and questions posed privately to Melika Gorgianeh, a PhD student in astrophysics at the University of Oxford, following comments she made after a BBC Radio 2 Q&A program aired in November.
in a the latest posts On Wednesday, Mrs Foster reiterated her apology and said she had paid Gorgiane “significant damages and costs”.
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