The End of the Affair 918

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At the High Court today the following joint statement was agreed.

On 29 April 2016, Jake Wallis Simons and Craig Murray appeared together on Sky News to debate anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom. Following that debate, Dr Wallis Simons issued libel proceedings against Mr Murray. Dr Wallis Simons and Mr Murray have now settled these proceedings.

By this statement, Mr Murray accepts that Dr Wallis Simons is not a liar, and Dr Wallis Simons accepts that Mr Murray is not an anti-Semite. They are both pleased to have resolved this dispute amicably.

I am genuinely happy with this outcome, which would never have been remotely possible without the incredible 5,000 plus people who donated to my defence fund and enabled me to be represented by a top legal team. It continues to be my view that the libel laws are appalling – had I lost the case I was very definitely looking at a cost of £350,000 plus.

I am also very grateful to the band of readers of this blog who arrived to support me, and in the end saw very little. When invited to open the case the other side immediately asked for an adjournment to discuss a settlement. The hour of delay which followed was occupied on our side almost entirely by my agonising over whether it was morally acceptable for me to agree this statement and use the defence fund to pay my lawyers, or whether those who donated did so in the expectation I would fight the case whatever.

There were a number of supporters at hand who had donated, many of whom were personally previously unknown to me, and the opinions I could canvass were unanimously that this was a good result and a good use of their money.

Having agreed to settle in this way, I have arrived at this following decision. If anybody who donated feels they have been unduly sold out, please let me know through the contact button above and your donation will be refunded to you.

When we started the defence fund, our “realistic” projection was a total of £12,000. That we eventually raised over £100,000 is astonishing. Equally astonishing, but in a bad way, is that my own legal team’s cost almost amounts to that – I will publish full accounts in due course. After all is settled and refunds issued to those who wish, if anything is left over I propose to split it between Andy Wightman’s defence fund and Neil Clark’s case against Oliver Kamm. Again please do let me know if you object. It’s actually your money not mine.

I did not realise how this has been weighing me down, until the threat has been lifted today. I have never claimed to be entirely without fault, and I would ask you to refrain from any comment here which detracts from the amicable spirit of the joint statement. It is a time for celebration not recrimination, and please confine any rudeness to remarks about me.

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918 thoughts on “The End of the Affair”

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  • compass1312

    In regards to my donation. I donated what I could afford. Therefore the use of the funds to pay your legal team is warranted. Happy to see that all worked out. What a relief…

  • Republicofscotland

    So the definitely not Priti Patel wanted to channel British taxpayers cash to the Israeli army in the illegally occupied Golan Heights.

    Meanwhile back in England waiting times for a operation have risen to six months, current figures show almost 152,000 people waiting more than six months, and tens of thousands waiting more than nine months or longer.

    https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/waiting-six-months-for-nonurgent-surgery-could-become-the-norm-36304868.html

  • Patricia Nielsen

    So delighted to hear this Craig! What a worry for all of your family. I was pleased to be able to donate and trust that, should there be an excess, you will make sure that it goes to an equally worthy cause. Saor Alba! ???????

  • mr steven richard merrell

    Well done Craig, glad this is over and you can hopefully get back to doing what you do so well on a regular basis. I didn’t donate vast amounts but very happy for you to dispose of as you see fit. All the best, Steve m.

  • Republicofscotland

    MoD trawling Scottish schools looking for future cannon fodder.

    I wonder if the MoD trawls these schools/educational institutes looking for cannon fodder.

    Winchester College, Hampshire.
    Wycombe Abbey, Buckinghamshire.
    Eton College, Berkshire.
    Wellington College, Berkshire.
    Sevenoaks School, Kent.
    Harrow School, London.

    https://stv.tv/news/features/1401829-army-draft/

  • zoot

    Many congrats, Craig. This affair must have taken some toll. Hope you fully recharge and come back to let rip with renewed energy.

  • John Flanagan

    I have been reading your blog for a number of years now Mr Murray, but I am not a commenter. However, this news is most welcome: when the action was first brought and the full import of losing the case was made clear, I must admit that the thought of you and your family running the risk of being ruined by this upset me greatly. That the matter is settled and disaster averted is the best news I’ve had all day! If there are no new blog posts for week, while you recover from the undoubted stress of all this would be perfectly understandable.

  • William Doherty

    Really pleased to hear that this has been settled to your satisfaction. Happy to see you use the donation as you see fit.

  • Wil Quick

    A good outcome. I am delighted for my donation to be used for this. The case was on my birthday so an extra present for me!

  • Republicofscotland

    Meanwhile as Priti Patel resigned (should’ve been sacked, Theresa May you coward), it has come to light that Colonel Rape Clause Ruth-less Davidson and ten Scottish Tories visited the illegally occupied Golan Heights last year.

    It has since been discovered that the jaunt was a CFI sponsored trip to promote trade between the two nations. Now bear in mind that Israel is illegally occupying the Golan Heights, and that Syrian charities on the Golan claim Ruth Davidson made no attempt to contact them in any way.

    If Priti Patel can lose her job over visiting illegally occupied territories, then I see no reason why Ruth Davidson should be able to attempt to drum up trade with the illegal occupiers/oppressors, and not at least be the focus of a Holyrood disciplinary committee.

    One Tory JC wants to go as far as to set up a cross party group to counter pro-Palestinian feelings under the guise of anti-semitism.

    The Tories don’t particularly care that the Palestinian people are oppressed and displaced from their lands including the Golan Heights.

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14884171.Ruth_Davidson_slammed_over_high_level_Tory_visit_to_illegal_Israeli_settlement/

  • mickc

    You need have no qualms whatsoever about this result; it is excellent. I would add that your legal team are worth their fees; without them you would likely have lost. It is regrettably a feature of the English legal system that there is usually huge “inequality of arms” between litigants. Your supporters delivered you equality which probably produced this great result.
    Congratulations!

  • Peter Beswick

    Israel’s Settlements Have No Legal Validity, Constitute Flagrant Violation of International Law, Security Council Reaffirms

    https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm

    This is all that Mrs May and her government need to know.

    She needs to sack all Ministers that have accepted jollies and when they have all gone she should resign.

    Which bit of the UN directive do the Conservatives not understand?

    And they want to divert British Taxpayer Aid from the victim Palestinians to the oppressor Israeli army.

    Reality Check here please.

    Mrs May’s government is proposing to use British Taxpayer Money not only to support a murderous regime that has been repeatedly condemned by the UN but advance their illegal activities.

    Mrs May and her government are collectively, dangerously and criminally insane

  • Leonard Young

    Am I the only person who, aside from congrats that you’ve agreed to abandon the case, wonders how it is possible for a couple of lawyers on both sides, who cannot possibly have done more than a few hours work on this, have managed to conjure up a bill of around £100,000 between them (the equivalent of THREE ordinary average people’s wages for a WHOLE YEAR)? And that is a higher average as many people don’t even approach this salary.

    I confess I did not contribute for precisely this reason: That the only people who would have (and indeed DID) gained from this potential case were ludicrously predatory lawyers.

    • Ba'al Zevul

      No, you’re not the only person, as the preceding 12 pages frequently confirm. Paying good money to the grotesquely overpaid goes against a lot of peoples’ grain. But then again so does the idea of a good and well-intentioned man being dragged through the courts and intentionally bankrupted in order to serve an interest group’s agenda. Given that the prospect of changing the legal system within a few months is nonexistent, while the need was immediate, many of us put our money where it would do most good.

      I’ll be happy to join you in calling for law reform…but I think you’ll find that will involve lawyers, and it will cost, too. A lot. Time to examine your principles, I think.

    • Rob Royston

      I’ll haud your jaicket! Such support doesn’t help. If the five thousand contributers had acted like you did, Craig would be bankrupted by now.
      The case was abandoned by the plaintiff, Craig was the defender.

    • Squonk

      If you just look at the court documents you might think only a few hours work was involved but that’s not at all true. A lot of work went on (presumably on both sides) to seek or provide supporting or opposing evidence (DIscovery/Disclosure) which would be presented in a trial expected to last several days with one of the UK’s most prestigious and (in)famous judges presiding. One and a half years have passed since the Sky News appearance. Does anybody honestly think that only a few hours of legal time happened during that time? It wasn’t as if Craig just appeared on Sky News and then nothing happened until they all appeared in court a long time later. Even simple routine deletion of old web server logs was stopped for legal reasons as a simple example.

      Or at least that’s my impression of the situation. That doesn’t mean I don’t think legal costs are astronomical!

      • Leonard Young

        I can’t see that a lawyer is any more capable of researching discovery/disclosure than a layman.It was surely a simple case: Someone accused someone else of lying, and the other person said they didn’t. People are called liars all the time, but most are not too bothered about upholding their “reputation”. If someone calls you a molester and you are not, that’s much more serious. It would be quite easy to construct a legal system around which a complainant sought a court’s judgement without the convoluted machinations of overpaid silks and their juniors. But of course the legal profession is not, and never has been, interested in economy.

        I take the points made about non-contribution.

  • geomannie

    Please tell me that it also cost Dr Wallis Simons £100,000. That would make me very happy.

    Craig, you have done the right thing. If there is anything left from our contributions then please use for an appropriate charity.

      • Macky

        Our so-called “Justice System”, is constructed so that wealth will prevailed, and Zionists are very well funded.

  • Edward J Freeman

    No, my few quid is yours to do with as you will, Craig. In fact, one good use would be to get a celebratory drink in with it!

  • reel guid

    Ahead of the British Irish Council meeting in Jersey, Nicola Sturgeon has said that the Scottish Government remains “substantially in the dark” over what’s happening in brexit negotiations. The mask of Westminster respect for devolution is completely taken away to reveal a contempt in London for any kind of Scottish autonomy. Since the 2012 Westminster Agreement the Tories and Labour have mounted a quiet coup against Scottish democracy which has been compliantly ignored by the mainstream media. Just a more subtle version of Madrid’s actions against democracy in Catalunya.

    If Scotland stays in the UK it will be as a prisoner with few rights in a demented neoliberal/quasi fascist prison. A buccaneering state in which ministers obey few rules, Priti Patel style. She only had to go because she was found out during the Westminster sex scandals and the Tories couldn’t ride out the bad publicity from her actions. Otherwise she’d still be in office.

    In this UK prison state Scotland’s needs and wishes will be brushed aside with clockwork regularity. A slightly less harsh Labour PM gaoler would be the summit of Scottish hopes. If we stayed. But we’re not going to. We must not.

    With independence the future is bright. In union the future is blight.

    • fred

      “Ahead of the British Irish Council meeting in Jersey, Nicola Sturgeon has said that the Scottish Government remains “substantially in the dark” over what’s happening in brexit negotiations.”

      So the government doesn’t want to confide in someone who reveals the content of private phone calls on public television? And she wonders why?

      Those in the know will be those fighting for Britain’s future not those intent on destroying it.

      • freddy

        Saint Theresa May has outlined plans to set the United Kingdom’s departure date and time from the European Union
        in law, warning she will not “TOLERATE any attempt to block Brexit”.
        She said the EU Withdrawal Bill would be amended to formally commit to Brexit at 23:00 GMT on Friday 29 March 2019.
        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41936428

        it can’t come soon enough

      • Republicofscotland

        Doesn’t it worry in the least Fred, that Brexit reports hidden and ultimately redacted when they do get released, show that major economic damage will be done to Scotland after Brexit.

        Your British government, which has made more f*uck ups than Boris Johnson is intent on damaging not just Scotland but all the home nations on these isles. Yet you moan at Sturgeon’s attempts to protect the country’s interests, a country you currently reside in I might add.

        • fred

          What worries me is that someone who would sell out the British people without batting an eyelid wants to know Britain’s negotiating strategy for Brexit.

          • reel guid

            Whoever was Scotland’s First Minister from whichever party would have the right to know the details of such a momentous political change. That’s the whole point Fred. It’s the shabby treatment Scotland is receiving. What your opinion is of Sturgeon has nothing to do with that.

          • fred

            Foreign policy is not devolved, Sturgeon has the right to stick to the day job and quit playing world leader.

            May’s goal is to get more seats for the Conservatives at the next General Election so it’s in her interests to get the best deal possible for all the people of Britain including Scotland.

            Sturgeon’s goal is the get people voting SNP at the next Scottish Elections so it’s in her interests to shaft the people in the rest of Britain. There’s no reason why May should help her do that.

          • Republicofscotland

            Surely you can see Fred that Westminster isn’t working in the best interests of the British people, why else is Britain so badly divided.

            Consecutive Westminster governments have focused on their own needs and goals the NHS is struggling homelessness, a low wage economy tax avoidance etc, now Brexit, Westminster sowed the seeds of discontent years ago, now it must pay the price.

  • John Rattray

    Protecting your family comes before any other thing Craig. I am sure most like me trust in your integrity to do the right thing.

  • Douglas Scott

    Absolutely delighted for you and your family Craig with the outcome .

    Under no circumstances will I accept or indeed want a refund of my contribution.

    Furthermore I totally agree with your decision on how to handle any excess monies after your expenses have been settled

    Now you can continue with more of your excellent writings

    Warmest regards

    Douglas

  • reel guid

    Andrew Neil tweets to have a go at Salmond for getting his own show on “Kremlin propaganda channel RT”.

    So says Andrew Neil, the man with his own show on the British state propaganda channel the BBC.

      • Habbabkuk

        Fact check : Joe Gormley was never “TUC chief” (by which I assume is meant TUC General Secretary).

        Second fact check : Joe Gormley did cooperate with Special Branch regarding Communist Party influence over the NUM. Entirely laudable given that a large number of the members of the NUM Executive were or had been card carrying members of the CPGB.

  • reel guid

    BuzzFeed News reports that Gordon Brown recorded a video message to be played at the posh dinner to celebrate Paul Dacre’s 25 years as Daily Mail editor.

    Perhaps Gordo couldn’t be there because he was busy with one of his ‘interventions’ in Scottish politics. Or just busy making money somewhere. Or too scared to attend. Too scared not to send a video message.

    • Republicofscotland

      reel guid.

      Gordon Brown a man who was inept as chancellor and downright useless as PM.

      Brown is wheeled out like Hannibal Lecter on occasion the union feels vulnerable or Brown has a book to promote. The media are always accommodating, the result is that Brown a man who has virtually nothing interesting to say, has an abundant amount of airtime to say it.

      His orations should be avoided at all cost.

  • reel guid

    It’s not just Broon who’s been recording messages.

    History lite scribbler Tom Holland has done one for the Scotland in Union website. In it he says that the parts of the United Kingdom blend together perfectly like gin and tonic.

    God Save the Quinine.

    • Clark

      Macky, I’m guessing your previous attempt was removed under the “contribute” rule.

      The article documents Patel’s extensive cooperation with Israel, her cutting of DFID funds to Gaza and Palestinians, and her diversion of those funds to Israel’s cooperation with combatants including al Qaeda in conflict with Syrian forces. It is extensively and authoritatively referenced.

  • Joan Coverley

    Craig, I am delighted for you and I am very happy for any money left over to go to support Andy Wightman.

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