Bridgen (Respondent/Claimant) v Hancock (Appellant/ Defendant)
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Bridgen (Respondent/Claimant) v Hancock (Appellant/ Defendant) (external link)
By Appellant’s Notice submitted on 27 June 2025, the Appellant appeals the order of the High Court dated 14 April 2025 dismissing the application for summary judgment and making a costs order.
Former MP Andrew Bridgen brought a libel claim against former Health Secretary Matt Hancock over a tweet accusing him of promoting “antisemitic, anti‑vax, anti‑scientific conspiracy theories,” following Bridgen’s comparison of COVID‑19 vaccination to the Holocaust. Hancock’s application to strike out or obtain summary judgment was refused, with the court holding that issues of serious harm and whether the opinion was genuinely held required a full trial.
View Hearing: