Last year, the Science Secretary Michelle Donelan raised concerns about two UK academics, which led to an investigation by the UK Research and Innovation agency. As a result, the two academics, Kate San and Kamna Patel, were subject to scrutiny following comments made by Ms. Donelan regarding alleged sympathy for Hamas and extremist views.
After retracting her comments, Ms. Donelan paid an undisclosed sum to Kate San, which was covered by taxpayers. This led to criticism from Labour and Liberal Democrat ministers, with calls for Ms. Donelan’s resignation. The University and College Union (UCU) also condemned the use of taxpayers’ money to settle the libel claim without an apology.
The investigation by the UKRI found no evidence of a breach or support for Hamas by the academics, clearing their names. Despite this resolution, Ms. Sang and Ms. Patel expressed distress over the handling of the situation by Ms. Donelan and the UKRI. The law firm Bindmans, representing the academics, criticized the unfairness of the investigation and the harm caused to their clients’ reputations.
The incident stemmed from a misleading press release by the Policy Exchange think tank, which influenced Ms. Donelan’s allegations. Despite the backlash and calls for her resignation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his full confidence in Ms. Donelan.