Leicester’s City Mayor is facing growing calls to act after the Court of Appeal confirmed Leicester City Council racially discriminated against senior British Asian social worker Bindu Parmar, with campaigners, community leaders and opposition councillors demanding resignations from those at the top.
Cllr Hemant Rae Bhatia, Leader of the Conservative Group, said the judgment confirmed “institutional discrimination, exposed in court and defended using public money,” and criticised the Mayor and senior officials for what he described as a complete failure of leadership morally, financially and politically.
Three separate legal rulings, including this week’s Court of Appeal decision, found the Council treated Mrs Parmar less favourably because of her race, pursued a baseless investigation and withheld key evidence throughout the process.
Despite the findings and the serious financial implications for taxpayers, no senior officer has been suspended, no resignations have been offered, and the City Mayor has remained publicly silent.
“This Council spent years using taxpayers' money defending the indefensible, wasting council tax, damaging trust, and protecting its own,” said Cllr Rae Bhatia.
“We now have three separate legal rulings, all saying the same thing. Yet the City Mayor, who repeatedly claims the buck stops with him, says nothing and hides behind others at City Hall.
If this were a school or charity, the leadership would already be gone. Why should this Council be held to a lower standard?”
There are also growing calls for a criminal investigation into the Council’s conduct, specifically its decision to withhold “highly relevant evidence” from legal proceedings, as noted by the Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, Labour-run City Hall is refusing to disclose how much public money was spent fighting the case, despite three legal defeats and years of appeals. Conservative councillors are now demanding a full, line-by-line breakdown of legal fees, staffing time and external advice.
“This isn’t just about what happened to one employee,” said Cllr Hemant Rae Bhatia.
“It’s about whether public institutions are allowed to use taxpayer money to cover up wrongdoing and face no consequences when they’re caught.”
A local community activist, speaking anonymously, said:
“The City Mayor says he’s accountable. But when something this serious happens, we get silence.
No apology. No action. It’s not leadership, it’s damage control.”
With senior Labour figures now under pressure from inside and outside the Council, Conservatives say the next few weeks will be a further test of the city’s leadership, a decision of whether Labour voices will continue defending institutional failure or break ranks.
The Conservative Group is urging former council staff, whistleblowers and others with direct knowledge of the case to come forward.
“This was a cover-up in plain sight,” said Cllr Rae Bhatia. “Now we need the truth and accountability.”
