Ongoing legal dispute over defamation claim involving Laurence Fox from the Reclaim Party in an appellate court
In a recent development, former London mayoral candidate Laurence Fox is actively appealing the 2023 libel rulings in the Court of Appeal. The case revolves around Fox's labeling of two men, Simon Blake and Colin Seymour, as "paedophiles" on social media, a claim that both men vehemently denied and subsequently sued Fox for libel.
The initial case was heard in the High Court last year, with the judge, Mrs Justice Collins Rice, declaring Fox's actions as a "gross, groundless, and indefensible libel." The court ordered Fox to pay costs of £90,000 to each man. However, Fox's legal team contends that the damages awarded did not adequately consider the specific words used and that the tweets were not taken seriously by many people.
Fox filed an appeal notice on 2nd July 2024, seeking to overturn the orders made by the judge last year. The appeal proceedings are currently underway at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, with court hearings occurring around July 28-29, 2025.
The case has its roots in social media posts by supermarket giant Sainsbury's in 2020. Fox, in response to being called a 'racist' by Seymour (who is also a drag artist known as Crystal, who appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race) and Blake, tweeted that he would no longer be shopping at Sainsbury's, claiming they were promoting "racial segregation and discrimination."
In a statement last year, Fox mentioned that he was seeking an appeal to understand the meaning of the word 'racist'. He also filed a counterclaim over the 'racist' allegation. The judge, however, ordered Fox not to publish any statement re-stating his libel statement.
The outcome of the appeal is yet to be announced, with a judgment from the Court of Appeal expected to follow. It's important to note that the judge further noted that Fox's actions subjected Blake and Seymour to a "wholly undeserved public ordeal."
Simon Blake is a former trustee of the charity Stonewall, while Seymour is a well-known figure in the drag community. The case has sparked discussions about the implications of social media, freedom of speech, and the power of public labels. As the case continues, the public awaits the Court of Appeal's decision with interest.
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- The current appeal proceedings in the Court of Appeal, led by former London mayoral candidate Laurence Fox, revolves around the 2023 libel rulings related to his social media posts regarding two men, Simon Blake and Colin Seymour, who were labeled as "paedophiles."
- The appeal, which began on July 28-29, 2025, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, is based on Fox's legal team's argument that the damages awarded did not adequately consider the specific words used and that the tweets were not taken seriously by many people.
- The ongoing appeal, rooted in a social media dispute in 2020, has sparked discussions about the implications of social media, freedom of speech, and the power of public labels, particularly in the context of politics, entertainment, general news, and crime-and-justice.
