Fox’s tweet wouldn’t ‘lead anybody to suppose he is racist’, trial hears
- Laurence Fox branded ‘a racist’ throughout a Twitter spat throughout Black History Month
Nothing in Laurence Fox‘s tweet criticising Sainsbury’s celebrating Black History Month would lead anybody to the sincere opinion that he was racist, a libel trial has heard.
The Reclaim Party founder was branded ‘a racist’ by the drag artist Crystal, former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake, and broadcaster Nicola Thorp in October 2020 in a Twitter spat over a couple of resolution by Sainsbury’s to supply a protected house for black workers throughout Black History Month.
Mr Fox referred to as for a boycott of the grocery store and subsequently termed every of the trio a ‘paedophile’, prompting the libel motion by Mr Blake and the drag star, also referred to as Colin Seymour.
The 45-year-old, who denies being a racist, is counter-suing the trio for libel over their tweets.
Patrick Green KC, representing Mr Fox, argued that the Twitter spat had been began by the claimants and that his shopper was defending himself.
He mentioned that nothing in Mr Fox’s preliminary Tweet about Sainsbury’s would ‘lead anybody to the sincere opinion that he was racist’.
Laurence Fox (pictured) was branded ‘a racist’ in a Twitter spat over a couple of resolution by Sainsbury’s to supply a protected house for black workers throughout Black History Month in october 2020
Mr Fox referred to as for a boycott of the grocery store and subsequently termed drag artist Crystal (left), former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake (centre), and broadcaster Nicola Thorp (proper) a ‘paedophile’, prompting the libel motion by Mr Blake and the performer, also referred to as Colin Seymour
He continued: ‘Other than upsetting trolling there wasn’t any hurt in any actual sense.
‘What the courtroom is contemplating is hurt to popularity – we are saying there’s no.
‘There’s a very good cause for it which is that no person thought the allegations to be true.
‘No-one fashioned an adversarial view and certainly there seems to be proof fairly on the contrary.’
The barrister added in written submissions that the libel claims by Mr Blake and Mr Seymour ‘mustn’t have been introduced’ and that ‘dominant was the goal to ‘take him down’, and worse, in addition to discrediting Mr Fox as he was launching his political celebration’.
Fox beforehand claimed he had been ‘diminishing the ridiculousness’ of being labelled ‘a racist’ amid the exchanges on the social media platform, now often called X.
Mr Green concluded: ‘Whether one agrees or disagrees with Mr Fox’s views on numerous matters, he’s not ‘a racist’. That is necessary to him.’
Lorna Skinner KC, representing Mr Blake, Mr Seymour and Ms Thorp, described Mr Fox earlier on Friday as ‘unequivocally racist’, describing his proof all through the trial as missing honesty and consistency.
She mentioned: ‘Each of the claimants was sincere, open, and constant. Laurence Fox was not.
Patrick Green KC, representing Mr Fox, argued that the Twitter spat had been began by the claimants and that his shopper was defending himself
Fox, who denies being a racist, is counter-suing the trio for libel over their tweets. Pictured: Simon Blake (left), Nicola Thorp (centre) and Colin Seymour (proper) arriving on the Royal Courts Of Justice
‘(He) gave lengthy rambling solutions relating to the context of these Tweets (and) refused to just accept that within the absence of that context his that means could possibly be misunderstood.
‘It is notable that the extra egregious examples of Mr Fox’s racism are additionally the newest, which reveals a development over time during which Mr Fox turns into more and more emboldened to talk his thoughts.’
In written submissions, Ms Skinner added his explanations of what he meant in his Tweets ‘ranged from the nonsensical to the unimaginable, revealing a stage of vanity that’s frankly insulting to the intelligence of everybody current on the trial.’
The barrister beforehand mentioned the trio ‘truthfully believed, and proceed truthfully to consider, that Mr Fox is a racist’.
Ms Skinner added the 45-year-old ‘has made various extremely controversial statements about race’, including: ‘If and to the extent that Mr Fox has been harmed in his popularity, it’s his personal conduct and never the claimants’ feedback on it that brought about that hurt’.
The trial earlier than Mrs Justice Collins Rice ended on Friday, with a call anticipated at a later date.
