26.09.2013

Fighting Fund: Legal settlement

Robbie Rix provides and update and thanks our dedicated readership

I am delighted to report that the legal action in which we were embroiled after the publication of an article last year (see ‘Unreserved apology’ Weekly Worker February 7) has finally been settled. For too long this whole issue has haunted us.

Anyway, in addition to the £1,000 damages we have already paid Wayne King, we have agreed a settlement with his solicitors, Thompsons. A cheque for the sum of £3,000 has been handed over which will cover their costs.

For a small publication such as ours, a publication that has no wealthy backers, a publication that relies week by week, and month by month, on readers’ donations to cover the printers’ bills, postage, etc, this is a huge sum. Potentially it could have crippled us financially and forced the closure of the paper. But, doubtless, regular readers will recall earlier this year we launched a financial appeal. After a few months. because the whole dispute was dragging endlessly on and on we decided to, temporarily, close it. Frankly we had little or nothing to report. Nevertheless, you, our readers, raised a grand total of £3,530. A magnificent effort, especially given the paucity of information we have been able to supply. We would like to take this opportunity, once again, to thank everyone who contributed.

However, even though the paper will take a financial hit to the tune of several hundred pounds, we have decided to close the matter here. We shall not be reopening the legal appeal ... but there is, of course, the monthly fighting fund.

It should also be pointed out that all along we have received valuable legal advice on a pro bono basis. We would like to express our gratitude to the comrade for his generous help - without which we would have been totally at sea legally. Clearly not all lawyers are in it just for the money.

Finally, yes, at last I come to our actual fighting fund. With less than a week to go before the end of the month, we have raised £1,248 towards our £1,500 target (thanks especially this week to RG for his fantastic £75 cheque, to PM for his PayPal donation and to SK for his regular standing order - £342 came in over the last seven days).

I have every hope that from among the many thousands who read us (11,048 via the website over the last week) a good number will ensure we raise not only the extra £252 we need to meet our regular running costs in September, but will take us well over the target and help us make up the shortfall between what we raised in the appeal and the final bill for this legal action (it is £470).

What better time could there be for first-time donors?