The Oxford Labour Party, on behalf of Bill Baker, have agreed to pay substantial damages to 3 Council members of the Independent Working Class Association – namely Stuart Craft, Claire Kent and Lee Cole. These damages were in relation to a libellous article published in an Oxford Labour Party leaflet “Boundary Brook News” which falsely alleged that the IWCA are linked to extremist anarchist groups and violent Irish Nationalist groups. The Oxford Labour Party and Bill Baker have published a full apology and undertaken not to repeat the allegations. They have also agreed to pay the IWCA’s legal costs.
Apology
The Oxford City Labour Party Apology
Apology In the February 2005 edition of the Oxford City Labour party leaflet, Boundary Brook News, an article was published under the heading ‘Watch out for extremist group’.
In this article Bill Baker wrongly alleged that the Independent Working Class Association has links to extremist anarchist groups and violent Irish nationalist groups, and that the organisation has tried to hide those links behind legitimate political activities. He also wrongly suggested that the website www.redaction.org is connected to the IWCA. The Oxford City Labour Party and Bill Baker accept that these statements are incorrect and without foundation and would like to apologise to Stuart Craft, Claire Kent and Lee Cole, the Oxford Councillors for the IWCA, for the distress and embarrassment which the article has caused.
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The IWCA were represented by Hanna Basha and Francesca Debenham under the firm’s CFA scheme
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