Ukip MEP has to pay up £162,000 after lying

As if Ukip wasn’t in enough trouble with its party leader under police investigation, one of Nigel Farage’s closest aides facing jail after being convicted of fraud, having to repay hundreds of thousands of pounds after breaking financial rules, seeing a friendly think tank have payments to it suspended following yet more allegations and being under investigation by the Electoral Commission over claims of other rule breaking, now a Ukip MEP is having to pay out £156,000 in libel damages:

A Ukip MEP must pay £162,000 in damages to Rotherham’s three Labour MPs over remarks made about the town’s notorious child abuse scandal.

Jane Collins, who represents Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, also faces a £196,000 costs bill after the long-running litigation came to an end at London’s High Court.

She was sued by Sir Kevin Barron, MP for Rother Valley, John Healey, who represents Wentworth and Dearne, and Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham for libel and slander over a speech she gave at Ukip’s conference in September 2014. [Evening Standard]