Regardless of whether Labour would have won the court case, it was clearly wrong to refer to whistleblowers as "malicious, selective briefing from disaffected, politically hostile former employee" *before* the documentary even aired.
It's disgraceful that point is controversial.

The damages seem high, but I for one am glad Lab aren't going into a long protracted legal battle to defend something that was clearly wrong at the time.

Even if you the official statement was true that is not how you talk about whistleblowers, much less before you've heard the evidence. If you support whistleblowers you at least have to accept the possibility that they may have something credible to say.

Seeing people say this is a factional move to embarrass the previous leadership. I really don't think Starmer needs or cares to do that. Just because making every decision based on a factional calculation is what *you* would do, doesn't mean it's everyone else's agenda.

Apologising and settling is entirely consistent with Starmer's repeated pledge to repair Labour's relationship with Jewish communities. Apologising draws a line under the sorry situation.