A leading member of the Brexit Party has told SNP MSP Alyn Smith to apologise in court and pay compensation after the Scottish politician let rip at his political rivals in the wake of the recent EU election.
The SNP won three of Scotland's six EU seats in last month's vote with Nigel Farage's Brexit Party claiming one MSP north of the border.
As the results were being announced and he was re-elected Smith claimed the Brexit Party was "a shell company" that was a "money laundering front" as he gave a TV interview.
Now lawyers acting for Richard Tice – the Brexit Party's chairman – are demanding compensation and an apology read out in the High Court for alleged defamation.
In a pre-action letter sent to the MEP, legal firm Wedlake Bell said the comments represent "a direct assault on the integrity of our client and strikes at the heart of his professional and business reputation".
Although Smith did not mention Tice by name, the law firm claims the Brexit Party chief "has become a very prominent figure with a high public profile", and added: "There is clearly a strong reference innuendo identifying Mr Tice as the subject of the accusations."
The pre-action protocol letter to Smith effectively acts as a final warning before legal proceedings are started.
Tice has demanded that, to prevent legal action, Smith pays "substantial damages" to compensate for damage to his reputation, covers legal costs, and makes a statement in the High Court in London unreservedly withdrawing the comments and pledging not to repeat the allegations.
The law firm has given Smith a deadline of 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 11, before High Court proceedings are started.
Smith referred to the case of Goldsmith and Another v Bhoyrul and Others in 1997, which established the legal precedent that political parties do not have the power to sue in defamation proceedings.
He also called for a "full, open, and transparent independent inquiry" into the funding of Farage and the Brexit Party.
The remarks were broadcast on Sky News in the early hours of Monday, May 27, as the Brexit Party won the second-highest share of the vote (14.8%) behind the SNP which had 37.8%.
Tice, who founded Leave Means Leave, was elected for the first time as an MEP in the 2019 election to represent the East of England constituency.
