David Sullivan’s fiance Ampika Pickston was previously in the Real Housewives Of Cheshire (Image: Getty)
An MP has named the TV star fiance of West Ham United’s billionaire owner in a Westminister debate on the use of lawsuits to hamper free speech.
Apsana Begum was one of several members of Parliament who detailed examples provided by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism of cases where members of the press or other activists have been affected by so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation [SLAPPs].
UK laws protect elected politicians’ speeches in the Houses of Parliament from legal proceedings and there are a handful of previous examples when this has been used to name figures using legal gagging orders a right known as ‘Parliamentary privilege’.
During the debate, MPs cited examples of strategic lawsuits, ranging from the Post Office lawyers involved in the Horizon IT scandal to foreign oligarchs.
Labour MP Begum chose to discuss the reporting on a care home run by Ampika Pickston, who starred in the reality TV show Real Housewives Of Cheshire and is the fiance of West Ham United’s billionaire owner David Sullivan.
“SLAPPS are being used to silence public participation and suppressed information by activists, environmental campaigners, NGOs, whistleblowers and even people posting negative product reviews online,” the Labour MP told the House of Commons.
“I would like to highlight, and you know, the example highlighted to me by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, freelance journalist Tom Latchem who was investigating a foster care home run by the reality TV star Ampika Pickston the fiance of billionaire owner of West Ham, David Sullivan.
“Mr Latchem published a story with the outlet about the home having its licence suspended by Ofsted due to reporting serious safeguarding failings.
“I understand, however, that he believes that he has been prevented from further reporting on the care home he wanted, in particular, to be able to investigate an incident in which Ms Pickston allegedly took a child from the care home to her private residence, but was sent a letter by lawyers for Ms Pickston warning, in essence, that they would review any published material and if they considered anything to be defamatory or libellous, they and I quote ‘would advise our client to sue both the newspaper and any individual author or journalist for libel, seeking damages and costs.’
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“I’m told that Ms Pickston’s lawyers in school said that communications with the journalist, but courteous and cordial and did not prevent him from any reporting.
“Nevertheless, it would surely be understandable to the House that he feels he cannot afford to face down someone from such resources.
“And just as it is obvious, who loses out if accountability and transparency regarding the treatment of children in care homes is thwarted.”
In the original article, Begum referred to The Byline Times reported Sullivan, who made his wealth in the adult industry, funded AP Care Homes Ltd but had “no involvement beyond the provision of financing.”
Today’s debate by MPs was remarkable because it broke a well-established convention of politicians not using the protected status of Parliamentary speech to discuss legal cases.
Ahead of the debate Bryn Harris, Chief Legal Counsel of the Free Speech Union, told the Express that politicians should consider taking such a step in the right circumstances.
“It can be strongly legitimate for MPs to use their constitutional rights of free speech and the sanctity of parliamentary privilege, where they think as guardians of the public interest, that the courts got it wrong,” he said.
“If in their view as elected representatives, this is an important matter that shouldn’t be covered up.
“I think they’re entirely entitled to use parliamentary privilege [if they feel] the court has got it wrong and this is something that needs to be out in public.
“That’s completely different from MPs using privilege simply to get around an injunction, to satisfy curiosity or to titillate by spilling secrets that otherwise wouldn’t be talked about.”
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