Lorna Young v Manchester City Council, Employment Tribunal, May 2026

@KnottyAuty

I do have a link. The Times have a regular "Lawyer of the Week" (although not every week). Back in 2022 it was the turn of Ben Cooper.

Here is a share token for the article:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/59e8be26-131d-11ed-b5dc-213f5c972cc4?shareToken=ffdc5b8d4baeb2e5f853f5b96b540adb&ver=article

And here is an archive link:

https://archive.ph/LHi1f

The relevant part is here:

What is the funniest thing that has happened in your job?
As a result of my work in this area, apparently becoming an object of admiration on Mumsnet [the internet parents’ forum] — improbable in many ways.

.

Incidentally, my DH used a whole number of Ben's arguments in his Reply to Defence in his case against the WI.

So I am also in the Ben Cooper fan club.

I don’t know him yet. I had got addicted to my hobby of watching trials with him on the list. I hear a lot about his bird 🦅 though.

My list is open.

Automatic costs penalties for shoddy court bundles.

How about having to eat a random Revel from a court provided packet containing only coffee and orange ones?

Thanks for sharing! Love that in the article BCKC’s asked:

What law would you enact?
Automatic costs penalties for shoddy court bundles.

No more bundle issues!

Ben Cooper isn't on X but there was a different Ben Cooper. I think in his bio. he said he was an urban explorer. Due to mistaken identity he was rapidly peaked 😁

@KnottyAuty

I do have a link. The Times have a regular "Lawyer of the Week" (although not every week). Back in 2022 it was the turn of Ben Cooper.

Here is a share token for the article:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/59e8be26-131d-11ed-b5dc-213f5c972cc4?shareToken=ffdc5b8d4baeb2e5f853f5b96b540adb&ver=article

And here is an archive link:

https://archive.ph/LHi1f

The relevant part is here:

What is the funniest thing that has happened in your job?
As a result of my work in this area, apparently becoming an object of admiration on Mumsnet [the internet parents’ forum] — improbable in many ways.

.

Incidentally, my DH used a whole number of Ben's arguments in his Reply to Defence in his case against the WI.

So I am also in the Ben Cooper fan club.

I read an interview with Ben Cooper where he said he's surprised he has a fan base of MumsNetters. Those of us who followed Allison Bailey's and Jo Phoenix's court cases blow-by-push know why.

I will not easily forget Kirrin Metcalfe explaining why GCC should cast Allison Bailey into the outer darkness while Ben Cooper - and the rest of the tribunal! - listened gobsmacked. All he had to do was let her keep talking and he did. And in Jo Phoenix's tribunal when a witness explained that the Open University were trying to avoid adverse publicity "it would be cruel to ask how that's going".

His ability to continue calm and reasonable while politely exposing utter fuckwittery should be legendary. The rest of us would be lying on the floor banging our fists and screaming.

Sorry I don't have a link to the interview - could have been Times or Sunday Times, or could have been a law specialist magazine. The legal cases are on Tribunal Tweets and also discussed at length here on MumsNet threads!

link please?!

I read an interview with Ben Cooper where he said he's surprised he has a fan base of MumsNetters. Those of us who followed Allison Bailey's and Jo Phoenix's court cases blow-by-push know why.

I will not easily forget Kirrin Metcalfe explaining why GCC should cast Allison Bailey into the outer darkness while Ben Cooper - and the rest of the tribunal! - listened gobsmacked. All he had to do was let her keep talking and he did. And in Jo Phoenix's tribunal when a witness explained that the Open University were trying to avoid adverse publicity "it would be cruel to ask how that's going".

His ability to continue calm and reasonable while politely exposing utter fuckwittery should be legendary. The rest of us would be lying on the floor banging our fists and screaming.

I don’t know him yet. I had got addicted to my hobby of watching trials with him on the list. I hear a lot about his bird 🦅 though.

My list is open.

Well, you find a stone on a beach that feels really good in your hand when you hold it tight, so the whole vibe is 'relaxed and comforting'. Then you dab in your favourite colours and patterns, maybe like some dotted rock art from ancient times or a bit of cubist or abstract art - anyway from before all this madness began.

Then you have it close to hand when following tribunals. Everytime one of the Respondant's awful witnesses or barristers like Jane Russell comes out with something infuriating, you give your emotional support stone a tight squeeze instead of shouting so loud you frighten your cat / partner / family / house-mate / neighbour / postie / crew of the International Space Station.

I've been told to avoid stress.

How do I get one @CorporalKlingfilm - do I need to have a gender identity? I need a ess in my life.

I don’t know him yet. I had got addicted to my hobby of watching trials with him on the list. I hear a lot about his bird 🦅 though.

My list is open.

Wot no Ben Cooper?

I know, it is most damning. The inability of the witnesses to be specific when answering questions about the reason(s) for Lorna’s dismissal stinks of a lack of integrity in my view. They know what the true principal reason for Lorna’s dismissal was.

Having worked in HR in the public sector, I would be astounded if there wasn’t an email and/or other electronic documents trail about Lorna’s case. I think it’s safe to assume the contents are very prejudicial to the Council (along the lines you described). I also wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t been disclosed due to professional embarrassment it would cause some individuals who are obviously quite high up in HR for the council.

My Barrister heart ❤️ list is

Naomi Cunningham
Nathan Roberts
Niazi Fetto

Also found Searle credible despite the fact that she'd burst into tears during her evidence after being caught in a lie by NC.

Well, the Sandie Peggie judge called Dr Upton "credible" after the expert had said the dates on his contemporaneous record of events could not have been genuine... so I guess they are all credible.

A recap for those just joining:

• Lorna has an anonymous account called GalawyGirl.
• She likes some sex realist content including a few tweets by Julie Bindle and JKR. The sheer horror!
• Self righteous colleagues recall some reference to the account way back and go on a witch hunt. The connect the dots via a picture of Trevi fountain where Lorna went to get comfort in her faith after her father died.
• Said colleagues run a whatsapp group to talk about Lorna.
• Oh dear all phones are lost so the actual whatsapp group can't be disclosed.
• They raise concerns with Lorna's seniors and the head of Council.
• During Lorna's time at the Council trans men are men & trans women are women and trans rights are human rights adopted as a belief from a Council
• These likes on tweets were so shocking the investigating officer couldn't bnring themselves to email them to Lorna. Except they'd been emailed from an employee to another employee to HR to the investigatinng officer and put on a shared drive and we transfer and generally spread willy nilly. Dog whistle anyone?
• No disclosure in parts
• Late disclosure in parts
• Incomplete disclosure
• HR people giving advice left right and centre but nothing written down
• Someone compromised put in as investigating officer
• A senior manager in thrall to the younger employees and willing to do anything to please
• Stonewall and Mermaids
• A totally captured grey robot type woman who isn't employed by MCC managed Lorna. She tran's into a postbox and sends a load of letters but doesn't know what she signed or what it meant.
• She was investigated for inappropriate gender critical abusive tweets but what a suprise she was cleared. But as shes employed by an NHS body that white wash can't be disclopsed.

Well done Lorna. Don't let them grind you down!

amazing coincidence isnt it?