MP Richard Burgon Wins ‘Nazi Metal Band’ Libel Case Against The Sun

Labour MP Richard Burgon has been awarded £30,000 in damages after The Sun claimed he performed with a band that used Nazi imagery.

“Delighted to have won my High Court case against The Sun,” tweeted Burgon. “Their slur attempting to link me to “Nazi symbols" was held to be false and defamatory.”

Burgon took action against The Sun after an article was posted in 2017 with the headline “Reich and Roll: Labour’s justice boss ridiculed after he joins a heavy metal band that delights in Nazi symbols”. The piece alleged that Leeds-based metallers Dream Tröll used Nazi/the SS imagery in a Twitter post, however judge Mr Justice Dingemans ruled that it was in fact a spoof of Black Sabbath’s We Sold Our Soul For Rock ‘N’ Roll album cover – not the Nazi paramilitary.

The Sun publisher News Group Newspapers and Political Editor Mr Newton Dunn argued that the tweeted image was "strongly reminiscent of Nazi iconography" and Mr Burgon "demonstrated terrible misjudgment and exposed himself to ridicule".

Burgon’s solicitors described the decision as a "major victory", but The Sun said it would appeal against the judgement.

The Labour MP has said he will use the £30,000 to “fund a paid justice internship for a young person from Leeds.”