Paul Embery

Last updated

Paul Embery
Nationality British
Occupations
  • Political commentator
  • Author
  • Firefighter
  • Trade unionist

Paul Embery is a British author, political commentator, and trade union activist. He has worked as a columnist for UnHerd and Huffington Post , and has hosted The Political Correction segment of GB News. Embery is a member of the Blue Labour campaign movement.

Biography

Embery was born and raised in Dagenham. [1] He served as a firefighter with the London Fire Brigade and was on the executive council of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), serving as the regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in London. He became a member of the Labour Party in 1994. [2]

In March 2019, Embery spoke at the pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave rally in London. As a result, he was dismissed from his role from the Fire Brigades Union and barred from being a Fire Brigades Union official for two years as the FBU stated Embery's decision to speak at the rally violated their anti-Brexit policy. [3] The decision was criticised by politicians Kate Hoey [4] and Jon Cruddas. [5] In August 2021, it was ruled that Embery had been unfairly dismissed from his position. [3] In April 2023, this decision was overturned at the Employment Appeals Tribunal on the grounds that as an elected lay official, Embery was not an employee of the Union. [6]

In 2020, Embery published Despised: Why the Modern Left Loathes the Working Class.. [7] [8]

In May 2023, Jo Grady, the General Secretary of the University and College Union, agreed to pay "substantial damages" to Embery after he made a libel claim against her. This followed tweets from Grady that Embery said falsely portrayed him as "a misogynist, a pervert and a liar" that were made in response to him highlighting the anti-social behaviour of a group of women on a train. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002–2003 United Kingdom firefighter dispute</span> Nationwide strike action by UK firefighters for improved salaries

The 2002–2003 UK firefighter dispute was a period of nationwide strike action which began when the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) voted to strike in an attempt to secure better salaries. The FBU demanded a 39 percent increase in pay, which would have brought the average firefighter's wage to around £30,000. It balloted its members for a strike in late 2002 and the industrial action began in November. It was the first nationwide firefighters' strike in the UK since 1977. The strike was led by FBU General Secretary Andy Gilchrist.

James Sillars is a Scottish politician and campaigner for Scottish independence. Sillars served as a Labour Party MP for South Ayrshire from 1970 to 1976. He founded and led the pro-Scottish Home Rule Scottish Labour Party in 1976, continuing as MP for South Ayrshire until he lost the seat in 1979.

In British politics, an affiliated trade union is one that is linked to the Labour Party. The party was created by the trade unions and socialist societies in 1900 as the Labour Representation Committee and the unions have retained close institutional links with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Hoey</span> British politician (born 1946)

Catharine Letitia Hoey, Baroness Hoey, better known as Kate Hoey, is a Northern Irish politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001. During the 1970s Hoey was involved in radical far-left groups but by the end of the decade became involved with the Labour Party. Hoey remained a member of the Labour Party for several decades while she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall from 1989 to 2019, but resigned from the party in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Brigades Union</span> Trade union in the UK for firefighters

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime firefighters, retained firefighters and emergency control room staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Fitzpatrick (politician)</span> British Labour politician

James Fitzpatrick is a British politician and former firefighter who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1997 to 2019, for Poplar and Canning Town until 2010 and for Poplar and Limehouse until his retirement. He is a member of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Wrack</span> British trade unionist and former firefighter

Matthew D. Wrack is a British trade unionist and former firefighter. He was elected General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in May 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Horner (British politician)</span> British firefighter, trade unionist and politician

Frederick John Horner was a British firefighter, trade unionist and politician, best known for creating the modern Fire Brigades Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Cruddas</span> British politician (born 1962)

Jonathan Cruddas is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dagenham and Rainham, formerly Dagenham, between 2001 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Labour</span> Pressure group in the UK Labour Party

Blue Labour is a British campaign group and political faction that seeks to promote blue-collar and culturally conservative values within the British Labour Party – particularly on immigration, crime, and community spirit – while remaining committed to labour rights and left-wing economic policies. It seeks to represent a traditional working-class approach to Labour politics.

In labour law, unfair dismissal is an act of employment termination made without good reason or contrary to the country's specific legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Jones</span> British journalist and activist (born 1984)

Owen Peter Jones is a British left-wing newspaper columnist, commentator, journalist, author and political activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Cruddas, Baron Cruddas</span> English banker and businessman

Peter Andrew Cruddas, Baron Cruddas is an English banker and businessman. He is the founder of online trading company CMC Markets. In the 2007 Sunday Times Rich List, he was named the richest man in the City of London, with an estimated fortune of £860 million. As of March 2012, Forbes estimated his wealth at $1.3 billion, equivalent to £830 million at the time.

Andrew Charles Gilchrist is a British trade unionist and former firefighter who served as the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union from 2000 to 2005.

<i>Brexit: The Movie</i> 2016 British documentary film by Martin Durkin

Brexit: The Movie is a 2016 British film written and directed by Martin Durkin, advocating for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, commonly called Brexit. The film's production was funded through crowdfunding via Kickstarter.

Jo Grady is a senior lecturer in Employment Relations at The University of Sheffield, and a British trade union leader who serves as the general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020</span> United Kingdom legislation

The European Union Act 2020 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that implements the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union and Euratom in December 2020. The bill for the Act was introduced to the House of Commons by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove on 30 December 2020, with the aim of enacting the bill on the same day.

<i>Stefanko v Doherty and Maritime Hotel Ltd</i>

Stefanko v Doherty and Maritime Hotel Ltd [2019] IRLR 322 (EAT) is a UK labour law case concerning unfair dismissal and discrimination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Strikes Act 2023 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting UK labour law designed to force trade union workers in England, Scotland and Wales to provide a minimum service during a strike in health, education services, fire and rescue, border security, transport and nuclear decommissioning. The law has been criticised as being not in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, being a violation of human rights, and being a violation of international law.

References

  1. "Paul Embery -- Despised: Why the Left Loathes the Working Class". YouTube . 6 November 2020.
  2. "Paul Embery firefighter; trade unionist; columnist; author; broadcaster" . Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 Bowden, George (5 August 2021). "Paul Embery: Pro-Brexit fire union official unfairly sacked, tribunal finds". BBC News. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. Hoey, Kate (29 July 2019). "The betrayal of Paul Embery". UnHerd. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  5. Cruddas, Jon (16 December 2019). "In Defence of Paul Embery". Blue Labour. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. "Fire Brigades Union wins in Employment Appeals Tribunal". Fire Brigades Union. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  7. Despised: Why the Modern Left Loathes the Working Class. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. "Despised". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  9. Pilgrim, Tom (9 May 2023). "Union boss to pay damages to firefighter over 'reckless' tweets, court told". The Independent. Retrieved 10 May 2023.