COUNCIL CONCERNS
BASINGSTOKE COUNCIL TO PAY £270K+ FOR RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OF TWO BLACK PH DRIVERS
Basingstoke and Deane BC (BDBC) has been ordered to over £270,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled that two black PH drivers were subjected to racial discrimination by council officers. The claimants, Miss Akinleye and Mr Olumade, pursued an employment tribunal against BDBC alleging sex dis- crimination, race discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. In November 2024, the tribunal found that BDBC licensing officers discriminated against the drivers “based on simple racial prejudice.” The tribunal detailed a “sustained failure by BDBC at a senior level”
and two officers to “deal with serious and well-founded allega- tions of race discrimination and race harassment by other cabbies, plus sustained racist treatment of both claimants by council officers.” The judgment stated: lThe council “constantly dismissed” the claimants’ com- plaints and “sought instead to undermine and penalise them.”
l Miss A and her husband were “unfairly” investigated for “baseless allegations,” causing her to feel “anxious and fearful.”
l Mr O “suffered severe stress when baseless allegations were made against him and when
[BDBC] treated him differently when investigating allegations.”
l The tribunal accepted Miss A’s evidence that she and her family suffered “emotional trauma and reputational harm as well as suffering financial hardship.”
For emotional distress, both claimants were awarded £55,000, plus interest, as the discrimination “falls in the top part of the top band.” The total amounts awarded were: l Miss O Akinleye: £122,929.52 l Mr A Olumade: £155,529.52 These payments cover injury to feeling, loss of earnings, aggravated damages, and future loss of earnings.
WAKEFIELD COUNCIL LICENSING OFFICER ACCUSES ELECTED MEMBERS OF BEING “CORRUPT”
A Wakefield council licensing officer has accused elected members of being “corrupt” as a reason for why they cannot make decisions on taxi licensing matters. Several members of the Wakefield taxi/PH trade were at the meeting and one was so angry and concerned at what was said, he has lodged the complaint below: “Dear Chief Executive and Leader of the Wakefield MD Council I’m writing to lodge a formal complaint and raise serious concerns about comments made by a senior officer during a recent meeting. As a vested stakeholder, namely a licensed driver, I attended the meeting on 27 October 2025 at Wakefield Townhall, where the officer in question verbally stated that ‘elected members are corrupt’
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in reference to why the members are not able to conduct committee hearings. He had stated, this was due to the national sexual groom- ing cases, specifically in Rotherham and Rochdale. This remark is deeply troubling and undermines the integrity of the local authority’s democratic processes. Such an allegation, made without evidence and in a professional setting not only casts unwarranted aspersions on the elected members but also erodes public confidence in the council’s governance. It is unacceptable for a senior officer to make unsubstantiated claims that could be perceived as defamatory or politically motivated. This behaviour falls short of the standards expected under the Nolan Principles of Public Life,
particularly those of integrity, objectivity and accountability. I believe this incident warrants a thorough investigation to deter- mine the intent behind the statement, as well as any potential breach of the authority’s code of conduct or employment policies. I kindly request that you: l Initiate an immediate and impartial investigation
l Provide me with details of the investigative process & timeline
l Take appropriate disciplinary action if the complaint is upheld
l Ensure measures are put in place to prevent similar occurrences in the future Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Kind regards Mr Adil Hamid”
JANUARY 2026 PHTM
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