Replying to Carole Cadwalladr, Nick Robinson tweets…

“Bad journalism is only talking to people you agree with and asking them questions you think you already know the answer to.”

Late last night with the Banks v Cadwalladr hearing scheduled for 10:30 this morning, Carole Cadwalladr finally admitted what we all knew, there was no evidence to back up her claims that the Russians financed the Brexit campaign or that Arron Banks was involved in shady deals with the Russians. Why she left it to the eve of the hearing to admit it was all bollocks defies belief, cynics might note she still has two crowdfunders running. One to fund this hopeless case and another to fund her “investigative journalism” – which produced the Russia nonsense.

Cadwalladr now has to pay £62,000 of costs on account this morning as a down payment, expect that figure to go higher. Cadwalladr has avoided the humiliation of appearing in court this morning by submitting in writing an amended defence which

“… removes the Truth Defence and the Limitation Defence”

Which is legalese for “it was all complete cock ‘n bull”. 

She has not stopped milking the crowdfunding mugs yet, Carole has learnt there are plenty of gullible idiots who still want to believe her fairy tales. She intends to continue battling Banks by trying to mitigate her costs with the argument that, despite there being no truth  to the allegations, she has being making around the world to much acclaim, they were made in the public interest. So she will run up her crowdfunded legal bill to argue that her disinformation was in the public interest. Guido admires the novelty of that argument.

Cadwalladr has tried to portray this legal case as some kind of freedom of the press battle, it wasn’t. She has for years made unchallenged allegations, which were motivated out of political malice. Finally she has had to admit they were untrue. A lucrative, prize winning, journalistic hoax…

Still no sign of Carole Cadwalladr producing evidence to support her claims of Russian backing for Arron Banks and the Leave.EU campaign. Ten days to the hearing, tick, tock…

*Did you find any Russian evidence?

This is a reminder that the clock is ticking for Carole to substantiate her award winning claims, in court, of Russian backing for Arron Banks’s Brexit campaign. Usually each side provides the other side with their arguments and evidence in good time before the hearing date. Costs are rising and will probably top a combined £500,000 for both sides. With two weeks to go there is still no sign of Carole’s evidence being produced…

Today’s apology from Carole Cadwalladr to Arron Banks is not the end of her problems by any means. She has tried various legal tactics to get out of producing evidence to back up her claims that Banks had a secret relationship with the Russians and benefited from their backing. Something she has long intimated without providing any hard evidence.

So far the case has seen her try different stratagems to avoid her having to produce evidence. She’s failed to put off the inevitable. Banks succinctly summarised the situation, saying now “she needs to prove the allegation I lied about a secret relationship with the Russians over campaign cash. She has none. This is about the truth rather than restricting press freedom.” Carole has been raising money to defend her case by characterising her situation as being about freedom of the press. It isn’t, it is about truth.

All Carole has to do win the case is produce the evidence to back up her claim. For four years many people who were opposed to Brexit have had a psychological need to explain the vote away with magical thinking. Carole was their talisman. That’s why she is on target to crowdfund £175,000 to fight her case. The problem for her is that the National Crime Agency, with all its investigatory powers; ability to check bank records, phone records and interview witnesses who would only cooperate under threat of arrest, found no evidence. They formally cleared Arron Banks.

Carole does not accept this is the reality, Banks has asked her to withdraw the claims and apologise more than once – he isn’t in this for the money. She stubbornly refused to do so. The judge has now had enough of her procrastination, evasiveness and specious arguments. She now has to produce the evidence. The hearing on November 26 is the time for Carole to put up or shut up, the clock is ticking, her journalistic reputation is on the line…