Former Conservative Party MP and energy and climate change select committee chair Tim Yeo has lost a libel case against the Sunday Times over a ‘cash-for-advocacy’ claim.
The Sunday Times published articles in June 2013 after two of its journalists posed as representatives from a solar manufacturer in China. It claimed that Yeo had offered his services as a paid parliamentary advocate, charging £7,000 per day to promote the company’s agenda within parliament.
Yeo countered the story by claiming that he had been misinterpreted and had no intention of breaking parliamentary rules, however Times Newspapers insisted the stories were fair comment and in the public interest.
The Times was cleared at London’s High Court on Wednesday, and Mr Justice Warby ordered Yeo to pay Times Newspapers’ £400,000 legal costs.
Yeo has long been an advocate of renewable energy and serves as chairman of AFC Energy, which develops alkaline-based fuel cells. Yeo also received remuneration from energy-from-waste firm TMO Renewables in the past.
As a result of the allegations Yeo was deselected for the 2015 general election by the Conservative Party, but continued to serve as MP for South Suffolk until the result.