In late July, after being threatened with dismissal for refusing to take down a professional campaign video relating to my parliamentary candidacy with Reform UK, I was informed of the outcome of my preliminary investigation hearing. The Trust claimed I had brought them into disrepute and issued me a formal warning. When I asked for a detailed explanation of the policy breaches, despite having already done my due diligence, I was provided with a letter dated 1st August 2024.

What stood out in this document were two allegations that I had violated the Trust’s Equality & Diversity and Human Rights Policy, including serious accusations of racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic comments. These claims were absurd, and I refused to accept a reprimand on such a basis. I requested a formal hearing at their head office, where Elliot Hammer, an employment law specialist at Branch Austin McCormick, provided me with a defence statement.

On 18th September 2024, I attended the formal hearing at The Trust’s HQ, where I presented a strong defence. My union rep from Workers of England highlighted key inconsistencies. It became clear there was no legitimate basis for the Trust’s initial actions, aside from their disapproval of my video, which had gained significant traction—100,000 views in its first 24 hours on X. The Rossendale and Darwen team had run an effective campaign, and it seemed the Trust panicked at the video’s popularity. They demanded its removal without properly considering the democratic process or their own policies, including NHS pre-election guidelines, meant to prevent interference with elections.

When I questioned a witness, who had ordered me to take the video down in June, whether any specific policy breaches were clear at the time, they admitted, "We knew you were in breach of something." HR was present, and as the hearing drew to a close, they lifted the defence statement, which systematically debunked all allegations. The case was dropped, and I was left with "No case to answer."

This experience raises broader concerns. How many nursing staff and employees accept warnings simply because they lack access to top legal representation? I was fortunate to use my platform as a parliamentary candidate to defend myself, but I shouldn't have had to do so. Employees should not feel forced to accept unjust warnings for fear of losing their jobs.

We are currently awaiting the Trust's response to the Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to ensure transparency in their initial decision to demand the removal of the video. I have also filed a formal grievance and I intend to escalate the matter to an employment tribunal if necessary.

Though I may not have been elected, yet ;-) I will always stand up against injustice. Reform UK needs more candidates for local elections and beyond. I intend to set a precedent so that large institutions cannot unjustly reprimand employees who bravely represent their communities for any legimate party. These individuals must be protected, and any concerns should be thoroughly scrutinised before taking action.

The Trust has determined that I have no case to answer. This is only verbal and I have not received this in writing as of yet. They acknowledged their social media policy is vague and that I did not breach any policies. My solicitor, Elliot, provided a detailed defense that dismantled all the unsupported allegations. My union rep also confirmed their claims did not hold up, as the alleged breaches were vague and unsubstantiated.

While this is a small win, the damage is already done. The hostility and demands I faced were unsupportive, and the democratic process was disrupted when I had to take down my campaign video, losing momentum. They even insinuated unprofessional behavior and potential racism, baseless charges that should have been dismissed outright.

I now face thousands in legal fees having defended myself. I believe that without legal representation, I would have faced reprimand. With your support, I aim to continue seeking justice, recover legal costs, and set a legal precedent ensuring no organisation, especially our NHS,  can use unfounded policy breaches to threaten employees for standing as a candidate for any legitimate political party whether they like them or not.