View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
March 2, 2010

Cherie Blair sues the Daily Mail over Gaddafi story

By Sarah Limbrick

Cherie Blair is headed for a High Court clash with Associated Newspapers in a row over a Daily Mail story.

The wife of the former prime minister is suing the publisher over a story headed “Outrage as Mandy goes on a country shoot with Gaddafi son (And, surprise, Cherie came too).”

Blair claims the story was defamatory and alleged she had deliberately gone on a pheasant shoot to maintain close links with Saif Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator.

Saif Gaddafi had personally welcomed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al Megrahi as a hero on his return to Libya following his release from a Scottish prison.

According to a writ filed at the High Court, Blair claims the story suggested her behaviour would have outraged families of Lockerbie bombing victims.

Blair, who has instructed London law firm Atkins Thomson to act for her in the case, also contends the story portrayed her as a hypocrite by attending the shoot despite her publicly stated and outspoken opposition to blood sports and hunting.

The story caused substantial damage to her reputation as well as hurt, distress, and embarrassment, she claims.

Content from our partners
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it
Impress: Regulation, arbitration and complaints resolution

Blair says the newspaper’s publisher failed to contact her to check the allegations – if it had done so it would have discovered they were untrue as she had not attended the pheasant shoot nor met Saif Gaddafi, she stated.

Associated Newspapers failed to provide a full and unequivocal apology, or even to give a substantive response to her complaint, she added.

Blair is seeking damages limited to £50,000, and an injunction preventing repetition of the claims at the centre of her action.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network