A Labour MP’s former aide who claimed she was marginalised and isolated after she made a whistleblowing complaint has won her claim for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal.
Ms E Cohen, who worked for Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood from 2003 to 2021, also claimed she was discriminated against and harassed because of her race, religion or belief, but this was dismissed by the tribunal panel.
In August 2019, Cohen raised concerns about suspected behaviour in the MP’s office that breached parliamentary standards. The behaviour included alleged misuse of parliamentary stationery to challenge a DVLA enforcement action. This resulted in the claimant receiving an “abusive” email.
In October 2019 she made a formal complaint about the lack of office procedure following the email exchange.
The MP was re-elected at the general election in December 2019. On 2 January 2020, Cohen sent him a WhatsApp message complaining that she had not heard from him since he was re-elected.
That month, she attended a meeting in which an anonymous informant made serious allegations about sexual exploitation, bullying and blackmail. The allegations were not challenged by the respondent at the tribunal, but the judgment noted that this did not mean the MP accepted the allegations were true.
Further informants came forward with examples of other alleged criminal activity being undertaken by a woman employed by Mahmood’s office. Cohen contacted the police and informed Mahmood.
Cohen told...
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