MP Khalid Mahmood to pay ex-girlfriend £11,000 for unfair dismissal

Labour MP Khalid Mahmood has been ordered to pay a senior adviser who was once his girlfriend more than £11,000 for unfair dismissal.

Mr Mahmood fired his long-time assistant Elaina Cohen after she sent him a series of messages accusing him of being “cruel”, “bully”, “malicious” and an “insecure and dishonest womaniser”.

He fired Ms. Cohen, whom he had dated for several years, for disrespect and attempted intimidation.

Ms Cohen began working for Mr Mahmood in 2003.

Shortly after, they began a “romantic relationship”, which ended no earlier than 2005.

After their break-up, Ms Cohen continued to work for Mr Mahmood, but their relationship became increasingly “dysfunctional” with multiple WhatsApp messages and emails exchanged.

The court heard: “(Ms Cohen) frequently became angry and brooding in such communications, making bitter and provocative remarks directed at (Mr Mahmood), interspersed with information relating to the activities of her office.

“(He) rarely answered.”

In 2019, Mr Mahmood granted a parliamentary pass to Saraya Hussain, a charity worker with whom Ms Cohen clashed.

In January 2020, Ms Cohen met with a whistleblower who alleged that Ms Hussain was blackmailing, grooming and intimidating vulnerable users of charity services.

Ms Cohen then reported the allegations to West Midlands Police and told Mr Mahmood that vulnerable people had been encouraged to shoplift, and also made allegations of charity fraud.

The investigation, however, came to nothing and Ms Cohen said Mr Mahmood “lashed out and accused me of lying. He accused me of creating more trouble for Saraya Hussain because I was jealous”.

Following this, Ms Cohen said she was excluded from parliamentary staff Zoom calls while Mr Mahmood’s communications with her dried up, leaving her feeling “marginalised and isolated”.

On August 23, 2020, an email from Ms. Cohen to Mr. Mahmood said:

“If I were to make public all of our messages exchanged over the years, most people would consider you a first-class idiot.”

The court heard their relationship deteriorated further, with Mr Mahmood accusing her of unprofessionalism and suggesting she take time off work due to illness.

On October 11, the couple spent the afternoon “fighting over emails.”

During the exchange, Khalid Mahmood copied Sir Keir Starmer into an email referring to his “first class idiot” comment.

The hearing was told that the following month, after Mr Mahmood’s father-in-law died, Ms Cohen sent him a “rude and insensitive” email, concluding with the following remark:

“I am amazed every day by the shenanigans that go on within the parliamentary office.”

Mr Mahmood subsequently launched formal disciplinary action against Ms Cohen, making five allegations against her, including her emails, which led to his dismissal of her in January 2021.

He told her: “You have repeatedly disrespected me, insulting me and copying additional people into your emails to intimidate me, make me feel uncomfortable and damage my reputation.

“I believe that your actions have potentially damaged my reputation and that your actions have made me feel harassed and bullied.”

Ms Cohen took him to court and it was found that although his actions may have amounted to serious misconduct, the manner in which his dismissal was carried out was unfair.

Ms Cohen was initially awarded more than £50,000 in compensation for her treatment after successfully suing Khalid Mahmood.

However, this amount was reduced by 75%, or £11,729, by the court due to his “reprehensible” conduct.