Conservative Michelle Mone has paid a settlement understood to be more than £50,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit by a former friend of Indian heritage who previously accused her of sending her a racist message, calling -lo “a waste of a man’s white skin”. “.
Richard Lynton-Jones sued Lady Mone for defamation over comments she made to the media in January after The Guardian first reported the racist and abusive messages he allegedly sent her in June 2019. Mone’s lawyers confirmed that she and Lynton-Jones had come to an agreement. , though they refused to confirm that she had paid him, or how much the settlement was.
In a statement they said was made jointly with Lynton-Jones, Mone’s lawyers said: “Both parties have resolved their differences without fault or damages in relation to the alleged racist claim and the matter is now closed “.
Mone, a Conservative member of the House of Lords since 2015, allegedly sent the WhatsApp messages during a disagreement following a fatal yacht accident off the coast of Monaco in which a crew member died. He appeared to accuse Lynton-Jones and his partner of not showing enough respect after the crash, a charge they rejected.
Screenshots of the messages, seen by The Guardian, appeared to show the fellow Tory replying after Lynton-Jones told him to back off, writing: “Your [sic] a low life, a waste of a man [sic] white skin so don’t tell us your lies. Your [sic] a total shame”.
Mone also appeared to make disparaging comments about Lynton-Jones’ partner’s mental health, describing her as a “mental loony” and a “case bird”.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in January that they were investigating Mone but have now closed the investigation.
In a statement, the Met said: “In June 2021, police received a complaint of racially aggravated malicious communications in relation to the use of a messaging app. A 50-year-old woman was interviewed under caution in January 2022. Following a review of the evidence, as well as consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, it was decided that no further action would be taken.If further information comes to light, further investigation will take place . Complainant has been updated.”
When the Guardian first asked Mone about the messages, a representative for the Conservative father initially said: “Baroness Mone is not 100% racist. Baroness Mone and her husband [the Isle of Man-based financier Douglas Barrowman] they have built more than 15 schools in Africa in the last three years.”
His lawyers later offered another statement questioning the authenticity of the messages, saying Mone did not have “access” to them or “recollection of them in detail.”
“Baroness Mone, in any case, very strongly denies that she is racist, sexist or that she has a lack of respect for those who actually suffer from mental health problems.”
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The statement added that it was “as illogical as it is inconceivable that he could or would have made such a comment or that he would have made it with the slightest racist intent” as, at the time, he did not know that Lynton-Jones ” it was something else.” than British white, as its appearance is 100% white, with an English accent of cut glass”.
Separately, Mone still faces scrutiny in relation to a company linked to her, PPE Medpro, which received £203m in government PPE contracts through the ‘VIP lane’. In April, the National Crime Agency launched an investigation into possible fraud related to the company and searched several addresses. At the time, attorneys for Mone and PPE Medpro declined to comment. Mone has consistently denied being involved in the venture.