George Madgwick responds after tribunals order payments to ex-staff
Portsmouth Reform UK leader responds to tribunals ordering his past businesses to pay £4,386 to former employees.
Recent findings from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism have revealed two employment tribunal rulings linked to companies previously run by Paulsgrove ward councillor and Reform UK group leader George Madgwick.
Cllr Madgwick told the TBIJ he is disputing the outcomes and later wrote on social media that he has begun legal steps to “set aside both judgements”. He maintains the rulings were issued without his knowledge.
The tribunals
One tribunal concerned Signature by the Wicks, where an employee said she was unable to claim maternity pay because she had not been given a contract or pay statements. The tribunal awarded her £1,800 in maternity pay, plus £400 in unpaid wages and £1,120 in unpaid holiday pay.
Another of Cllr Madgwick’s companies, Parnells Food Outlets Ltd in Portsmouth, received two default judgments – one for unauthorised deductions from wages and another for unpaid holiday pay.
Response
Writing on Facebook, Cllr Madgwick said the claims were submitted without the knowledge of himself or other business owners, denying them any chance to respond.
He argued the default rulings do not amount to “findings of wrongdoing”, noting they are issued when an employer misses the deadline to reply to a claim. He went on to accuse a former staff member of stealing from the business and said another individual had already “agreed a settlement” and had been paid personally by him.
Address
Cllr Madgwick said the tribunal sent notices to old business addresses, so he didn’t know the cases had begun. He said he got no letters or notifications, and both hearings went ahead without anyone representing him or his companies. He has now asked for the judgments to be reviewed.
Both businesses are still listed as active on Companies House but haven’t filed accounts in years. Directors must keep their registered addresses updated so official documents reach them.
Cllr Madgwick led the Portsmouth Independents Party (PIP) until he defected to Reform earlier this year.