£1,000 payout on MP's report
Black Country MP Adrian Bailey is set to receive an apology and £1,000 damages from a national newspaper over a story that wrongly claimed he spent taxpayers' money at a tanning salon.
The Guardian printed a story on Saturday that said the West Bromwich West MP claimed £160 on expenses for services at Solihull Tanning Centre.
But the paper misread his handwriting, which actually said Sandwell Training Centre. The money had been spent on a session to help unemployed people back into work.
An apology is due to be printed in The Guardian in the next few days, Mr Bailey said. He will donate the £1,000 damages to charity.
Mr Bailey will also be claiming a four-figure sum from the newspaper to pay his legal fees with top libel lawyers Carter Ruck.
The paper said it tried to contact Mr Bailey but had been unable to do so and ran the story without checking the facts with him.
No-one at The Guardian was available for comment.
