Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Lady Mone pays £50,000 to settle Lynton-Jones' claim over racist comment

The baroness was accused of calling the Indian-origin financial consultant a ‘waste of a white man’s skin’

Lady Mone pays £50,000 to settle Lynton-Jones' claim over racist comment

A LEGAL case between Conservative peer Michelle Mone and Indian-origin financial consultant Richard Lynton-Jones over a “racist slur” has ended with the baroness paying £50,000 to settle his claim.

“Both parties have settled their differences on a no fault or damages basis… and the matter is now concluded,” the peer’s spokesman told the Mail Online.

Lynton-Jones had brought the claim seeking at least £200,000 in aggravated damages after the baroness called him a “waste of a white man's skin”, following a fatal accident in the Mediterranean.

Lady Mone had made the comment in a WhatsApp message in 2019 but denied there was any racist connotation in it, saying she thought he was a white Briton.

The baroness had sailed to the Ile Sainte-Marguerite island in her husband Barrowman’s yacht and Lynton-Jones in another yacht chartered by British internet gaming millionaire Richard Skelhorn.

But Lynton-Jones’ vessel hit Barrowman’s, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old British deckhand.

Following the accident, the furious peer called Lynton-Jones a ‘waste of a man's white skin’ because of his perceived indifference to the death.

She also described his fiancée as a 'mental loony' and 'nut case bird'.

“You & your mental loony of a girlfriend have been parting like mad! … Your a low life, a waste of a mans white skin so don’t give us your lies. Your a total disgrace (sic)”, she reportedly said in her WhatsApp messages to Lynton-Jones.

“Now you deal with the police enquiries including your nut case bird”, Lady Mone, who founded the Ultimo brand, said.

However, Lynton-Jones, whose grandparents came to the UK from India after the Second World War, said her comments were racist.

“I've done nothing wrong apart from being a victim of racism. Racism has no place in this society, let alone for a member of the House of Lords. That's disgusting,” he said.

Last year, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the case. In January Lynton-Jones sued her for libel.

Lady Mone's representatives said she thought Lynton-Jones had “no trace whatsoever of non-white colouring or any features that would not suggest he was white”.

But the financial consultant accused her of telling lies to defend her “racist remarks”.

Now, the criminal investigation has been dropped as the baroness settled the civil claim.

However, the Glasgow-born peer and her husband are being investigated over their alleged links to a company, PPE Medpro, which received £200 million to provide the NHS with personal protective equipment during the pandemic, Mail Online reported over the weekend.

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less