London borough and elected mayor agree settlement of discrimination claim
An Employment Tribunal claim brought against the London Borough of Newham by its directly elected executive mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, alleging race and sex discrimination, has been settled.
In a joint public statement issued today (20 December) the mayor and the council confirmed that the claim had been withdrawn and would be dismissed by the tribunal “in the usual way”.
The statement said the terms of the settlement were made without admission of liability. Newham has made a capped contribution of £30,000 + VAT to the Mayor’s legal costs, as part of the overall settlement.
The allegations related to Mayor Fiaz’s treatment by some councillors at a council meeting in 2022.
The joint public statement said the London borough had acknowledged that its Standards Advisory Committee "could have dealt with things differently”, and the council had unreservedly apologised to the Mayor for the distress that she experienced.
Newham denied the mayor's claims and the case had been listed for two separate hearings in June and December 2025.
The joint public statement said the parties had agreed to engage in alternative dispute resolution which included ACAS, in order to try to find an agreed way forward.
It added that the settlement was reached to “enable the parties to move forward and focus on delivering the essential services needed by the residents, businesses and service users of the borough”.
The detailed discussions and terms of settlement remain confidential, the joint public statement said.
Adam Carey
