Anti-fascism group sue Farage for up to £100k
NIGEL Farage faces a High Court claim for damages of up to £100,000 from a campaign group.
Anti-fascism charity Hope Not Hate said they have started legal proceedings against the former UKIP leader over comments he made on London-based talk radio station LBC Radio on December 20.
The libel claim argues the 53-year-old’s remark that Hope Not Hate “masquerade as being lovely and peaceful but actually pursue violent and very undemocratic means” has caused and/or is likely to cause “serious harm” to their reputation.
Hope Not Hate are also seeking an injunction to restrain Farage from repeating the comments, which were made when he was asked about an extremism row on Twitter with Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox. Brendan had criticised a tweet written by Farage in which the MEP linked German chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies to the terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. Hope Not Hate’s claim form said they expect to recover £50,000 “but no more than £100,000”.
The group’s chief executive Nick Lowles said: “We asked Nigel Farage to retract and apologise for his remarks attributing violence to Hope Not Hate and linking the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox to extremism.
“We warned him we would sue if he did not.
“He has not done so. All Nigel Farage had to do was say sorry.”
He added: “This case is not about money for Hope Not Hate, this is about telling the truth.”
Last night, Farage declined to comment on the case.