Tory MP donates defamation settlement cash to charity after shock smears

A FORMER minister has donated £5,000 of defamation settlement cash to charity after celebrities shared false claims he mocked the NHS by putting a facemask on his crotch.

Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith handed a cheque to the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance over the weekend.

He told The Sun: “For thirty years Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance has been saving lives and providing a vital service thanks to the generosity of people supporting this fantastic cause.

"After the upsetting events of last summer, it’s great that this has now had a positive conclusion and helped a charity I was originally raising funds for and respect so much.”

In July last year, famous figures including Sue Perkins and Nish Kumar shared a false story on Twitter that Mr Clarke-Smith posed with a facemask over his crotch to make fun of NHS staff trying to protect the public during the pandemic.

Dr Paul Gosling, President of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) also shared the image.

But the snap was in fact from a 2011 charity charity event at a local pub, where Mr Clarke-Smith waxed his chest to raise funds for the Air Ambulance.

The three famous figures later published apologies online.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said at the time: ";A deceitful and malicious tweet has been spread by many people who should know better.

"Brendan was taking part in a light-hearted charity fundraiser over a decade ago. I think a few apologies are in order."

Now, cash received from numerous defamation settlements have funded a much-needed cash boost for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

The charity responded to 1,620 incidents in 2022 and 27,158 to date.

Each mission costs around £4,000, while it's around £8 million per year to keep the service operational.

The service is on hand at all times every day to respond to emergency calls.