Cherie Blair's stepmother wins unfair-sacking case

CHERIE Blair’s stepmother Steph Booth was celebrating last night after winning an unfair dismissal claim against her former employer who had branded her a “trouble-maker”.

Mrs Booth, the would-be Labour MP for Calder Valley, said she paid the penalty for raising concerns about Cool UK and how its services for disaffected young people were organised.

An Employment Tribunal held in Manchester earlier this year found that the one-time development director was made redundant as a direct result of having voiced these concerns.

Mrs Booth said: “This is a fantastic result... I took a personal risk in standing up for what I believed in and for delivering difficult truths to my former employer. I have now been vindicated.

“This experience has strengthened my determination to stand up for other people’s rights, in my role as a Parliamentary candidate for Calder Valley and to work tirelessly to achieve justice for them.”

Jessica Learmond Criqui, Mrs Booth’s solicitor at Learmond Criqui Sokel LLP, said: “We are delighted that Steph Booth has been vindicated.

“Today’s judgment from the Employment Tribunal sends a very clear message to employers that they cannot resort to silencing measures against employees who raise legitimate concerns.”

Mrs Booth claimed she suffered victimisation at the hands of colleagues and the chief executive of Burnley-based Cool UK, Gareth Binding, because she was a whistleblower.

Her concerns included:

n The absence of health and safety training and no system for sounding the fire alarm;

n Members of staff buying pornography from a visitor to the Burnley premises;

n Lack of structure and punctuality for start of day activities which often left students to become bored and lost interest

n Constant issue of funding for even basic materials such as pens and paper.

In the 34-page judgment, employment judge John Sherratt, said: “In terms of credibility we should believe the claimant rather than Mr Binding and we should also believe the claimant’s witnesses who were clear and consistent.

“In contrast Mr Binding was evasive and reluctant to be pinned down. His evidence was inconsistent with the pleadings...

Mr Binding said: “I am disappointed at the tribunal’s findings and would like to say that since the tribunal, Cool UK continues to work with various authorities in the North West who have investigated Mrs Booth’s claims of Health and Safety issues thoroughly and have found them to be unsubstantiated.

He also denied that staff had bought porn on the premises.