Allason fails in libel action

London - Spy book author and former Tory MP Mr Rupert Allason yesterday lost his libel action over a book's reference to him as a "conniving little shit". Mr Allason (45), of Eaton Terrace, Belgravia, central London, now faces a costs bill unofficially estimated at £50,000 sterling. The contested entry was in a Have I Got News For You diary, which he branded a "vicious and revolting" slur on his reputation.