BRITAIN-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-COURT-MITCHELL

Former cabinet minister and Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell (C) speaks to the media alongside his wife Sharon Bennett (R) after he lost his libel action over the "Plebgate" affair outside the High Court in London on November 27, 2014. Former Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has lost his High Court libel action over the "Plebgate" incident. He sued News Group Newspapers (NGN) over a September 2012 story in the Sun which he said meant he was guilty of launching a grossly offensive and arrogant attack on Downing Street police officers who refused to allow him to cycle through the main vehicle gates, branding them "plebs". A High Court judge ruled that "on the balance of probabilities" Mitchell did speak the words alleged or something so close to them, including the politically toxic word "pleb". NGN based its report on the account given in his log by Pc Toby Rowland. AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLIS (Photo credit should read JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)