The E Jean Carroll verdict is a gift to the Labour front bench. They will milk it for every drop of anti-American sentiment. The US justice system, already reeling from years of politicisation, just took another hit. A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse. Damages of $5 million. A slap on the wrist, some say. But the damage to the reputation of American courts is done.
Here in the UK, we cluck our tongues. Our libel laws are the gold standard. No such circus here. British courts require proof of harm. A higher bar. The chilling effect on free speech is minimal, we tell ourselves. Tell that to the army of lawyers billing by the hour in London's defamation chambers.
The truth is, the Carroll verdict exposes a vulnerability. American juries are unpredictable. They deliver verdicts based on emotion, not evidence. Sound familiar? Our own system relies on judges, not juries, in libel cases. A safeguard against populist outrage.
But the Capitol Hill whisperers are worried. This verdict will embolden the 'Me Too' movement. More claims will follow. Against politicians, against media figures. The Labour Party, already cosying up to campaign groups, sees an opportunity. A new front in the culture war.
Meanwhile, Conservative backbenchers are restless. They see the verdict as proof of American decline. A talking point for trade negotiations. "We have the gold standard," they mutter over pints. But privately, they fret about the patent trial. The one that could bankrupt the NHS.
The real story is not the verdict. It's the fallout. The way the political class will weaponise it. Keir Starmer, cautious as ever, will use it to bash the Tories' American cosiness. Rishi Sunak, tied to Biden's coattails, will distance himself from Trump's loss.
And what of the British public? They yawn. Another celebrity trial. Another politician's scandal. The real anger is reserved for the cost of living crisis. The crumbling NHS. The potholes. But the lobby journalists will ignore that. They will focus on the parliamentary ping-pong.
I hear from a source in the Ministry of Justice: they are watching closely. A brief was drafted on the implications. It sits on a desk. No urgency. But if a similar case emerges here, the system will buckle.
The Carroll verdict is a reminder. The US justice system is broken. Partisan. Underfunded. Vulnerable to political interference. Are we so different? Look at the recent rows over judicial appointments. The attack on the Lord Chancellor's independence. The cracks are showing.
But today, the narrative is clear. British libel law is robust. The US is a laughing stock. The elite will rally around this lie. It protects them. The law is a weapon for the rich and powerful. Always has been.
The real test will come when a British woman accuses a British mogul. Not a disgraced ex-president. That is when the gold standard will be measured. And found wanting.
