The polished reputation of local government lawyers for charm, tact and sophistication has been tarnished this week by no less than the President of Lawyers in Local Government. He has stepped down after being accused of making inappropriate references to Adolf Hitler at work.

As well as running the LLG, Philip Thomson is Director for Legal Services at Essex County Council. After the council made one of its solicitors, Evelyne Jarrett, redundant, she claimed that Thomson had praised Hitler within her earshot and had unfairly singled her out for criticism.

Thomson denied making the remarks, but a tribunal found that "two credible witnesses" had recalled hearing them. In a written decision, judge Martin Warren made the uncontroversial point that "any positive reference in the workplace to Hitler has the potential to be highly offensive".

Thomson has kept his job at Essex and the council is appealing the decision. But he has now goose-stepped down as President of the LLG so as not to "distract from the work" of the organisation.

    Philip Thomson trying not to mention Hitler yesterday

Jarrett's solicitor said that the evidence before the tribunal showed "some of the worst examples of poor treatment, undermining and racial discrimination that I have come across".
 
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Comments

Anonymous 21 November 14 08:51

If the appeal is unsuccessful then this matter should be investigated by the SRA.

Anonymous 23 November 14 20:27

Typical of the modern day public sector junta. You can't fucking say anything without the right on brigade seeing an opportunity for a bit of compo. Get a fucking sense of perspective.

Anonymous 24 November 14 13:43

Where would you draw the line, anon at 20:27? If positive references to Hitler are fine and dandy in your book, what would it take for you to accept that the brigade are sometimes perfectly right?

Anonymous 25 November 14 11:51

Anon at 20:27, I wonder if the positive remarks were made about the IRA or ISIS whether you would have the same sense of perspective?

Anonymous 25 November 14 13:12

We don't actually know from this article what he said and whether is was in fact positive and endorsing all of the activities of the NSDAP or merely observing that some things done during Hitler's regime may have had wider social benefits or been regarded as ahead of their time.

Germany has an autobahn system because of the Nazis. Invaluable medical data that has saved the lives of thousands was obtained through their appalling treatment of political opponents. They kickstarted modern rocket science. Policies such as forced sterilisation of the disabled were in keeping with the "progressive" views of the time, advocated by Marie Stopes amongst others and practised even after the war in Sweden the darling of the contemporary Left. More mundanely his management technique of pitting two people against each other in the same role is followed in countless offices.

Talk of euthanasia for those with a quality of life deemed below acceptable levels is increasingly common in the UK and pursued openly by many. So in this respect though I personally find the idea of euthanasia deeply repugnant it would not be inaccurate to say the Nazis may have been "ahead of their time". Is that positive or simply a fact proven by the course of subsequent events and shifting social attitudes?

Anonymous 26 November 14 12:24

Sadly, I think that Hitler’s international legacy goes somewhat further than getting the trains to run on time...

Anonymous 27 November 14 19:32

Anon on 25/11/2014 13:12:

I can’t believe what I am reading. “wider social benefits or been regarded as ahead of their time” – on what planet are you living?!?

First of all, the Autobahn thing is total rubbish. Hitler had nothing to do with the Autobahn. He merely used it as a propaganda tool. http://www.dw.de/the-myth-of-hitlers-role-in-building-the-autobahn/a-16144981. Unbelievable that this myth still prevails.

Great result to gain “invaluable medical data” by brutally killing people – the majority of people who were seen as “Untermenschen”; I’d rather not gain any data if this involves killing people in such a barbaric manner. People where cut to pieces alive, put in boiled water alive, chilled in ice alive, etc. – to gain “data”. Nice achievement. Greetings from Mengele who gathered so much “invaluable data” (Not!). The Holocaust itself is well known for the medical achievements during this time (Not!). Incidentally, a minority of those victims of the Holocaust were “political opponents”. The majority were killed because of their ethnicity. Furthermore, I doubt the Germans “kick-started modern rocket science” and, as per below, the sterilisation had the only aim to preserve and create a “better” race. Marie Stopes herself was an anti-Semitic, amongst other weird views and beliefs she had, so she seems to be indeed a great advocate of the “progressive” views, which turns out were not progressive at all as we fortunately do not have such views nowadays. Sweden did not have these policies to create a better Aryan race. Think about it.

Your remarks in relation to euthanasia are just cynical. Being a Jew, a Gipsy, basically being a non-Aryan, especially being a Semitic, was seen as itself as “life deemed below acceptable levels” and people who had major psychological or physical illnesses/problems weren’t killed to save them from a painful or senseless or whatever life euthanasia supporter will come up with. They were killed because they were not seen worth living amongst the Aryan race Hitler wanted to create. This has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the current discussions.

Are you somehow a member of the EDL?? Or you may simply not be aware of what you are actually writing. Think!