Paul Embery has spent 20 years as a dedicated trade-union official, ‘sacked for free speech’

Paul Embery has spent 20 years as a dedicated trade-union official, fighting for better rights, conditions and pay for firefighters with the Fire Brigades Union. But today he revealed that he has been kicked off the union’s national executive and banned from office for two years.

I believe the decision to be an obvious political one. The case against me was easily shredded at my internal hearing.

Announcing on Twitter Paul Embery a leading campaigner for democracy and #Lexit stated:

I am disappointed to report that I have been kicked off the national executive of my union – @fbunational – and banned from office for two years as a consequence of my speech at the ‘Leave Means Leave’ rally outside parliament in March.

“I spoke in my own time (on a Friday evening) and not on behalf of the FBU. Despite this, it was decided that I had acted in a way prejudicial of the interests of the union.

I believe the decision to be an obvious political one. The case against me was easily shredded at my internal hearing.

I am disappointed to report that I have been kicked off the national executive of my union – @fbunational – and banned from office for two years as a consequence of my speech at the 'Leave Means Leave' rally outside parliament in March.

More below. pic.twitter.com/CD9FWGKsgt

— Paul Embery (@PaulEmbery) June 13, 2019

Powerful rousing speeches from Paul Embery

On the 29th March Leave Means Leave held a mass rally in Parliament Square Paul made a passionate speech he stated

‘I wanted to take the opportunity, as someone from the left and the trade-union movement, to speak to thousands of ordinary working-class voters, many of whom had never been on a demo before, to talk about defending democracy and Brexit from a left perspective… The working-class people at the pro-democracy March to Leave should be the target audience for the trade-union movement.’

While it has been clear for some that the Labour Party is out of touch with the largely pro-Leave working classes, it is extremely alarming to see the wider labour and trade-union movement succumb to the same fate.

Not only that, but instead of resolving these differences through political debate, the FBU has behaved like a potty students’ union, banning and ‘No Platforming’ an alleged wrongthinker.

If trade unions, supposedly the organised voice of the working classes, are so horrified by Brexit, an idea supported by a majority of working-class people, then who will speak for the working classes today?

Official response from the FBU

The FBU has said it “stands by its procedures” and confirmed the disciplinary process is ongoing.

A spokesman for the FBU told Express.co.uk: “The Fire Brigades Union stands by its procedures and policies in relation to elected officials.

“The disciplinary process is ongoing. There is a right of appeal and the union will respect this part of the process.

“To ensure that all parties are treated fairly, the union will not be commenting any further.”

Labour Heartlands members stand in solidarity with Paul Embery