Andrew Bridgen ordered to pay £40,000 in legal fees to Matt Hancock in libel claim

MP Andrew Bridgen has been ordered to pay former health secretary Matt Hancock over £40,000 in legal fees in their ongoing libel battle. Bridgen is seeking to clear his name after being accused of antisemitism in a social media post by Hancock following a comment Bridgen made about Covid-19 vaccines. A judge recently ruled that certain parts of Bridgen’s case should be struck out, but did not dismiss the entire claim, giving Bridgen the opportunity to amend and address deficiencies in his case.

The libel claim stems from a tweet by Hancock in January 2023, in which he referred to comments made by Bridgen as “disgusting and dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories”. Bridgen believes the tweet was directed at him, was defamatory, and intended to cause harm to his reputation. Hancock’s lawyers argued that the claim against him should be thrown out due to lack of a realistic prospect of success and a lack of a properly articulated case. The judge did not dismiss the whole claim, giving Bridgen a chance to make amendments and address deficiencies.

After a preliminary hearing in the case, Bridgen was ordered to pay legal fees to Hancock in a court order issued on Thursday. The judge stated that although certain parts of Bridgen’s case were struck out, the libel claim was not entirely dismissed. If Bridgen does not provide amended details of his claim or successfully make the required application, the libel claim will be thrown out entirely. Hancock expressed relief at the court’s decision, stating that Bridgen should stop wasting the court’s time and drop the case.

The legal battle between Bridgen and Hancock revolves around a tweet by Hancock in response to comments made by Bridgen about Covid-19 vaccines. Bridgen shared a link to an article discussing data about deaths and adverse reactions linked to Covid vaccines, and made a comparison to the Holocaust. Hancock’s response on Twitter was seen as accusing Bridgen of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, which Bridgen vehemently denies. The judge’s ruling allows Bridgen the opportunity to address deficiencies in his case and make amendments as needed.

The ongoing libel battle between Bridgen and Hancock has resulted in Bridgen being ordered to pay over £40,000 in legal fees to Hancock. Despite certain parts of Bridgen’s case being struck out, the libel claim was not entirely dismissed, giving Bridgen the chance to amend and address deficiencies in his case. Hancock expressed relief at the court’s decision and urged Bridgen to drop the case, accusing him of wasting the court’s time. The outcome of the case remains uncertain pending further amendments by Bridgen.