Baroness Mone settles racism row with Indian consultant

A LEGAL case between Conservative peer Michelle Mone (right) and Indian-origin financial consultant Richard Lynton-Jones over a “racist slur” has ended with the baroness paying £50,000 to settle his claim, a report said.

“Both parties have settled their differences on a no fault or damages basis… and the matter is now concluded,” the peer’s spokesman told the Mail Online.

Lynton-Jones brought the claim seeking at least £200,000 in aggravated damages after the baroness called him a “waste of a white man’s skin”, following a fatal accident in the Mediterranean. Lady Mone had made the comment in a WhatsApp message in 2019, but denied there was any racist connotation in it, saying she thought he was a white Briton.

The baroness had sailed to the Ile Sainte-Marguerite island in her husband Barrowman’s yacht and Lynton-Jones in another yacht chartered by British internet gaming millionaire Richard Skelhorn. But Lynton-Jones’ vessel hit Barrowman’s, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old British deckhand.

Following the accident, the peer called Lynton-Jones a ‘waste of a man’s white skin’ because of his perceived indifference to the death.

She also described his fiancée as a ‘mental loony’ and ‘nut case bird’. “You & your mental loony of a girlfriend have been parting like mad! … Your a low life, a waste of a mans white skin so don’t give us your lies. Your a total disgrace (sic)”, she reportedly said in her WhatsApp messages to Lynton-Jones. “Now you deal with the police enquiries including your nut case bird”, Lady Mone, who founded the lingerie brand, Ultimo, said.

However, Lynton-Jones, whose grandparents came to the UK from India after the Second World War, said her comments were racist. “I’ve done nothing wrong apart from being a victim of racism. Racism has no place in this society, let alone for a member of the House of Lords. That’s disgusting,” he said.

Last year, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the case. In January Lynton-Jones sued her for libel. Lady Mone’s representatives said she thought Lynton-Jones had “no trace whatsoever of non-white colouring or any features that would not suggest he was white”.

The criminal investigation has been dropped as the baroness settled the civil claim.