A Christian mayoral candidate for the London borough of Lewisham has won a substantial pay-out after being sacked for expressing Christian beliefs as part of an election manifesto.
Maureen Martin was dismissed by her housing association employer, L&Q, in May 2022 for gross misconduct following three complaints for alleged ‘hate speech’.
Martin, who is president of the Christian Peoples’ Alliance (CPA), had worked for L&Q as a housing manager for 13 years with an unblemished record.
Ahead of last year’s local elections, in her manifesto, Martin had outlined her political positions on fly tipping, knife crime, and tax.
She also stated that ‘natural marriage between a man and a woman is the fundamental building block for a successful society, and the safest environment for raising children’.
After distributing the manifesto throughout Lewisham, Martin was hounded on social media for her beliefs.
‘We had never seen a case like this, which sent a crushing message to anyone who believes in Christian marriage and wishes to express those beliefs at work or in public office.’
