Gable’s Fables 5: How Gable Paid £5,000 "in costs" for Lying

Alexander Baron is an independent political researcher who was libelled by Gable in the November 1993 issue of Searchlight.  In 1993 and 1994, Baron brought two actions for defamation against Gable over the article.

Gable was forced to publish a full retraction in Searchlight and he paid over £5,000 "in costs" to Baron. However, as Baron had undertaken all the litigation himself, it was understood by both sides that this was a pay-off and back door damages without an actual admission. 

Another person lied about in the same article, Mark Taha, also sued  Gable and Searchlight Magazine Limited. The "fountain of truth" settled for a £2,000 settlement in favour of Taha.

Gable was not the only loser in this action. Two of his co-defendants, Housmans Bookshop and IS Books - the latter a creation of the extremist leftist Socialist Workers Party - have enjoyed grossly misleading and undeservingly sympathetic press coverage as well as a libel fund supported by fellow travellers and well-meaning dupes with more money than sense, before eventually settling with Taha for £3,500 each.

After Taha issued his writ, Housmans refused to stock Searchlight; at least two provincial bookshops have done the same.