Apology to Barbara Bucket
I am making this apology in response to the statement of claim served on me on 28 July 2025, regarding comments I made on The Platform in June of this year about the lawyer, Barbara Buckett.
I won’t repeat those comments but I want to be absolutely clear: I regret making them. I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed. Whatever my views about the case in which Ms Buckett was involved, it was wrong of me to question her personal integrity or motives.
The Platform is built on straight talk, open debate, and robust commentary on public issues. But what I said about Ms Buckett wasn’t that. It was personal, it related to a private matter, and it had no place being aired on my programme.
The truth is, I let my frustration over the outcome of the employment dispute get the better of me. I fired off some harsh words that were neither fair nor justified. I made allegations I shouldn’t have made, and I accept full responsibility for that.
I want to unreservedly apologise to Ms Buckett for having done so, for allowing others a platform to repeat and add to these allegations, and for broadcasting them publicly to The Platform’s listeners. And I want to make the same apologies on behalf of The Platform
I recognise that words alone won’t undo the damage that I have caused, but hopefully a public correction and apology will help in that regard.
As part of the settling the High Court action brought by Ms Buckett, I have paid her legal costs and a sum by way of damages.