A former Treasury Civil Servant is suing the Cabinet Office and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case for “direct discrimination and harassment“, Guido can reveal. In an employment tribunal ruling published today, Rowaa Ahmar has lodged two claims against Case, the Cabinet Office, and three others (Michael Bourke, Alex Chisholm, and Sarah Harrison) on the grounds of discrimination over “sex and race“, as well as “victimisation“. Ahmar lodged the first claim last year, and the second claim on the 20th November…
Case and the other respondents insist they “played such minor roles in the issues giving rise to these claims, that they should be removed from the proceedings“. A preliminary hearing was held last month, hence the Employment Tribunal publication today. Judge McGrade thought otherwise and ruled that “while the part allegedly played by [Case], the fourth and fifth respondents is relatively minor”, Case’s request to be removed from the claim has been rejected:
“The first respondent [Cabinet Office] has sought to introduce, without objection, a statutory defence under section 109(4) of the Equality Act 2010 in respect of all the claims. Should the first respondent succeed in the statutory defence, the claimant will be unable to obtain an award against the third, fourth and fifth respondents, if they have been removed from the proceedings. I consider this is a factor to which I should attach substantial weight.
I also consider the proposal to remove the third [Simon Case], fourth and fifth respondents, on the basis that they can be added as additional respondents, should the allegations against them be upheld, is not an appropriate course of action as it could involve additional expense and delay. In these circumstances, I reject the application to remove the third, fourth and fifth respondents.”
Ahmar has since deleted her Linkedin profile and gone quiet, although her nomination page for a “Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Award” is still visible. Ironic that Case, who has overseen the metastasizing of wokery in the Civil Service, is now trying to evade the malign consequences of tolerating its expansion…
UPDATE: A Cabinet Office spokesperson tells Guido:
“We do not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination and any complaints are taken extremely seriously. There are clear procedures in place to ensure that complaints are handled with sensitivity and fairness.
“We are defending these claims and cannot comment further on an ongoing employment tribunal.”
Read the full judgement below:
Trouble is brewing for the Cabinet Secretary. This morning the FT reports Simon Case is considering quitting the Civil Service, after the latest batch of Lockdown Files WhatsApps reveal Case accused Boris of being “nationally distrusted” and described some lockdown criticism as “pure Conservative ideology”. Not the sort of thing the most senior Civil Servant in the country wants splashing on the front pages…
“Friends” of Simon Case say he is “genuinely undecided” about sticking around even up to the next election, with attacks coming from all sides in the last 24 hours. Civil Service mandarins told the Telegraph last night the leaks had “hurt his reputation” and revealed his “naivety [and] inexperience”. The Times, meanwhile, reported yesterday that Cabinet Ministers are trying to push him out: “Case is looking more and more ridiculous, I think he has to go. Rishi needs to clear him out. It’s the level of indiscretion.”
Cases’s “friends” also claim he’s “fed up” with all the briefings and leaks, and his “original sin was being young and talented and promoted to that job before he was grey“. Presumably his second sin was his direct involvement in the lockdown parties he was supposed to investigate. “Hilarious…”
John McDonnell asks Simon Case why he hasn’t initiated probe into claims Boris tried appointing Carrie to a Foreign Office job:
Simon Case: “Any investigation under the ministerial code can only be authorised by the PM”.
William Wragg: “Is he not keen?”
The Metropolitan Police are reportedly not fining Cabinet Secretary Simon Case over Partygate, according to officials close to the investigation. No fines for Boris, Carrie, or Case after all…
