Julia Hartley-Brewer said the victory for Paul Embery was a victory for the country. Mr Embery was unfairly dismissed from his union job after speaking at a pro-Brexit rally in Westminster, an employment tribunal has found. The Norwich Employment Tribunal ruled that the sacking of the firefighter amounted to a witch hunt from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

       Ms Hartley-Brewer said that Mr Embery was fired for saying he wanted a democratic vote upheld and not undermined by MPs.

       Mr Embery was dismissed as an official from the FBU after he spoke at a Leave Means Leave rally at the height of the Brexit crisis.

       In March 2019 the left-leaning activist gave a speech in Westminster in which he urged for the 2016 referendum result to be honoured, even if it meant leaving the EU without a deal.

       The FBU argued that the Brexiteer had committed gross misconduct by getting involved with the rally.

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       Ms Hartley-Brewer told talkRADIO licensers: "It's a massive victory for free speech.

       "The FBU clearly seems to think that the views of 52 percent of the electorate are beyond the pale - many of whom would have been working-class trade unionists

       "If you cannot say, in their own time, that you want democratic vote upheld and not undermined by MPs, then something is going horribly wrong.

       "He gave what many at the top of the FBU thought was a politically unacceptable speech. If you think cancel culture doesn't exist, think again.

       She added: "The modern left seems to hate the working-class voters who delivered Brexit.

       "This speech took place when our date to leave the EU had been delayed yet again."

       Mr Embery added: "My case illustrates the belief on the left there has to be one conformist opinion and if you don't subscribe to it then you deserve to be punished.

       "I criticised leaders of the trade union movement for what I saw as attempts to stop Brexit And undermine the vote."

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       In a written judgment, Employment Judge Robin Postle said: "Where is the gross misconduct?

       "How could any fair-minded member come to a reasonable belief on the facts that the claimant had committed any form of misconduct?"

       He added that it appeared "right from the start, there was an agenda" to remove the Brexiteer and that it "looked like no more than a witch-hunt".

       An FBU spokesperson said: "We are disappointed with the findings and we do not agree with the decision.

       "However, we have only recently received it and are still considering the matter. We are assessing our options for next steps."