Guido Fawkes has settled a defamation case brought by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince after a preliminary ruling went against the political blog.
Guido editor and owner Paul Staines said the decision to settle instead of continuing to fight the libel case at a full trial at the High Court was a “purely commercial” one to avoid potentially “ruinous” costs.
Guido had raised almost £100,000 from donors to fight the case, which related to two articles published in March 2024 about comments made by Vince on Times Radio about the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel.
The first article included a 16-second clip of Vince’s comments, which he said “distorted the views that he had expressed across the whole” interview, and asked: “If Labour thinks donor’s cash donations should be returned when they say extreme things, what do they make of Vince’s views?”
The second article featured further criticism and described Vince in the headline as “‘Hamas freedom fighters’ donor.”
Staines had sought to defend the case on the grounds of honest opinion but Mr Justice Pepperall decided what he published amounted to statements of fact.
He said the website created the impression that “the statements that Mr Vince described Hamas as, and thinks that Hamas are, freedom fighters are statements of fact”.
The publication was also found to have been defamatory. The judge wrote: “Given the nature of Hamas and the appalling atrocity committed on 7 October 2023, the imputations about Mr Vince’s statements and beliefs were plainly defamatory at common law. Indeed, it is not argued otherwise.”
Staines has agreed a settlement offer to pay £9,995 in damages to Vince although he does not have to publish a statement of apology.
He will also remove both articles and accompanying tweets and has undertaken not to repeat the relevant comments. Costs will be agreed.
Guido Fawkes usually ignores British court orders and therefore the legal perils faced by most UK publishers given that he and his site’s servers are based outside the country.
But Ireland-based Staines decided not to use his usual “safe haven protection” in this case as he wanted to “make a stand and defend free speech”.
Two simultaneously decided cases being brought by Vince against Reform MP Richard Tice and Conservative peer Shaun Bailey concluded that the politicians had shared statements of honest opinion.
Guido: ‘This type of case should be banned under SLAPP laws’
Staines said in a statement: “I am glad that Richard Tice and Lord Bailey secured the ‘honest opinion’ preliminary ruling that we failed to get. The courts are not the right place to conduct political arguments.
“My decision to settle is a purely commercial one, similar to the decision that Associated Newspapers and GB News made. Following the adverse ruling on meaning the Guido Fawkes Organisation simply does not have the resources to risk a ruinous High Court legal battle of this kind involving appeals against a wealthy claimant who revels in bringing legal claims against critics.
“I am strongly of the opinion that this type of action, which the claimant has publicly characterised in partisan political terms, should be prohibited under the proposed cross-party supported legislation to block SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation).
“We will make no apology for closely scrutinising wealthy party political donors who do business in government regulated industries.”
Separately this week the publisher of Mail Online and the Mail on Sunday agreed to pay Vince £40,000 in damages over an article published in October falsely alleging he supported Hamas.
Associated Newspapers apologised and acknowledged the allegation “was untrue and that Mr Vince does not support Hamas in any way”.
It was the second such settlement from Associated Newspapers after it first apologised and paid damages to Vince last year over another article making a similar claim in March 2024.
Vince has also previously received damages and an apology from GB News over a tweet and video relating to his Hamas comments.
Dale Vince: ‘I believe in free speech and a free press’
Vince said in a statement on X: “Guido Fawkes used a doctored news clip to smear my reputation and it snowballed into a right-wing pile-on involving the Daily Mail, GB News, three Tory MPs, one Peer, Richard Tice and Paul Staines.
“Having just beaten the Daily Mail for the second time – If this were a football game the score right now would be seven nil. I believe in free speech and a free press – but neither of those things is the freedom to be dishonest.
“The court ruling today makes clear that I was seriously defamed by Paul Staines and that left him with no real prospect at a full hearing. He has therefore conceded. Paul Staines is now liable for substantial damages and costs and must remove the pages on his website which contain his falsehoods and refrain from repeating the allegations.
“I believe this case is the first successfully pursued against Paul Staines and his Guido Fawkes operation. Staines has in the past bragged that his offshore operation enabled him to operate outside of the laws of our country – I am happy to have burst his bubble. From now on he will have to be diligent and accurate with what he publishes.”
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