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| Apprentice winner Stella English loses case against Lord Sugar | Apprentice winner Stella English loses case against Lord Sugar |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Stella English, a former winner of The Apprentice, has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against the millionaire businessman Lord Sugar. | Stella English, a former winner of The Apprentice, has lost her claim of constructive dismissal against the millionaire businessman Lord Sugar. |
| English, 34, sued the Labour peer after resigning from the £100,000-a-year job that was her prize for winning series six of the BBC1 show in 2010, complaining that she was treated like an "overpaid lackey". | English, 34, sued the Labour peer after resigning from the £100,000-a-year job that was her prize for winning series six of the BBC1 show in 2010, complaining that she was treated like an "overpaid lackey". |
| The case was heard at the east London employment tribunal service last month. | The case was heard at the east London employment tribunal service last month. |
| In a written judgment on Friday, the tribunal said: "There was no dismissal of the claimant – the claimant resigned. Therefore the complaint of unfair constructive dismissal contrary to section 95 Employment Rights Act 1996 fails and is dismissed." | In a written judgment on Friday, the tribunal said: "There was no dismissal of the claimant – the claimant resigned. Therefore the complaint of unfair constructive dismissal contrary to section 95 Employment Rights Act 1996 fails and is dismissed." |
| Sugar tweeted: "The Tribunal case brought by Stella English against me and my company has been dismissed. A victory for the law against the claim culture." | Sugar tweeted: "The Tribunal case brought by Stella English against me and my company has been dismissed. A victory for the law against the claim culture." |
| He accused English of attempting to blackmail him when he gave evidence to the tribunal, saying he had no case to answer and the Apprentice winner was after his money. | He accused English of attempting to blackmail him when he gave evidence to the tribunal, saying he had no case to answer and the Apprentice winner was after his money. |
| English was given a role with Sugar's IT division, Viglen, as her prize but resigned in May 2011. She claimed the job was "a sham" and a "PR construct". | English was given a role with Sugar's IT division, Viglen, as her prize but resigned in May 2011. She claimed the job was "a sham" and a "PR construct". |
| The mother of two, from Whitstable in Kent, said she then felt pressured into taking a new position at Lord Sugar's internet set-top box company, You View. | The mother of two, from Whitstable in Kent, said she then felt pressured into taking a new position at Lord Sugar's internet set-top box company, You View. |
| The peer said he was trying to help her as she had complained of being "desperate for money". | The peer said he was trying to help her as she had complained of being "desperate for money". |
| English claimed to the tribunal that during an unscheduled meeting on 28 September 2011, Sugar told her he would not be renewing her contract and that he did not "give a shit". | |
| But rather than his comment being aimed at English, Sugar said he was expressing his disregard at how the matter might play out in the media. | |
| He told the tribunal he was being repaid for his kindness by "having to come here and humiliate myself in front of the national media", adding: "I'm here because I have principles and I'm not just going to pay off people. When her instructing solicitor heard my name, it must have been 'Ding, ding, ding – jackpot'." | He told the tribunal he was being repaid for his kindness by "having to come here and humiliate myself in front of the national media", adding: "I'm here because I have principles and I'm not just going to pay off people. When her instructing solicitor heard my name, it must have been 'Ding, ding, ding – jackpot'." |
| Sugar admitted it made him angry to have "derisory actions" brought against him by English, describing it as tantamount to blackmail. | Sugar admitted it made him angry to have "derisory actions" brought against him by English, describing it as tantamount to blackmail. |
| He accused his former apprentice of being a serial liar during the tribunal and said that, with hindsight, he would have neither hired her nor offered her a second position when she initially resigned. | He accused his former apprentice of being a serial liar during the tribunal and said that, with hindsight, he would have neither hired her nor offered her a second position when she initially resigned. |
| In a statement he said: "I am pleased that the tribunal has returned this verdict and feel vindicated in the judgment that myself, my companies, the BBC, the TV production company and my staff acted properly throughout Ms English's employment. | In a statement he said: "I am pleased that the tribunal has returned this verdict and feel vindicated in the judgment that myself, my companies, the BBC, the TV production company and my staff acted properly throughout Ms English's employment. |
| "There was never a case for us to answer but her need for money and fame meant that the whole system was subjected to this charade. I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me. The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind – the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement. | "There was never a case for us to answer but her need for money and fame meant that the whole system was subjected to this charade. I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me. The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind – the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement. |
| He said English had underestimated him and her "reputation is now in tatters". "I have principles and I am not going to be forced to compromise them, no matter how much time and money they might cost me," he added. "This case was a sham and a total abuse of a tribunal system, which is there to protect employees who have been mistreated. It is not there to aid those chancing their arm at landing a big payday. I hope that other companies will learn from this example and also fight off derisory claims. | |
| "What has happened here is representative of a new wave of claim culture where some employees file spurious actions regardless of whose reputation it may smear in the process. I have spoken about this subject in the House of Lords and will continue to campaign to put an end to this practice, which has developed in recent years and is seemingly spiralling out of control. This has to be stopped." | "What has happened here is representative of a new wave of claim culture where some employees file spurious actions regardless of whose reputation it may smear in the process. I have spoken about this subject in the House of Lords and will continue to campaign to put an end to this practice, which has developed in recent years and is seemingly spiralling out of control. This has to be stopped." |
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