The Mail pays further libel damages to Dale Vince after it repeats false Hamas slur

The Mail has apologised to Dale Vince for repeating false allegations that the green energy industrialist supported or had defended Hamas.

In a statement in the High Court today before Mr Justice Fordham, a solicitor representing Associated Newspaper Limited said the publication of the allegation in an article written by Dan Hodges was "an error which should not have happened" and acknowledged that it was "untrue, and that Mr Vince does not support Hamas in any way." 

The Mail had previously apologised to Mr Vince and paid substantial damages, and legal costs after its journalist Andrew Pierce made similar allegations in March 2024.  Significantly the Mail's publishers had undertaken not to republish the same or similar allegation.

Following the publication of Mr Hodges' article in The Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline in October 2024, Mr Vince sued Associated Newspapers Limited for breach of contract (for breach of the undertaking) and libel.

In a joint statement in open court, The Mail formally retracted and withdrew the allegation and apologised to Mr Vince for any damage and distress Mr Hodges' article had caused.  As part of the second settlement, the Mail has agreed to pay further substantial damages and legal costs.

The full statement in open court can be found here.

The Mail's published apology can be found here.

A number of parties that made similar allegations last year have already apologised to Mr Vince and paid damages and/or legal costs.  These include GB News and Sir Michael Fabricant.  Libel proceedings against Lord Bailey of Paddington, Richard Tice MP and Paul Staines (the founder of the Guido Fawkes website) are ongoing.

Dale Vince was represented by Iain Wilson and Tom Double and William Bennett KC and Ben Hamer of 5RB