City of London Corp | D&I director sues business for race discrimination against herself and 186 employees

Saida Bello, a Black lawyer who served as the City of London Corporation's first director of equality, diversity and inclusion, has brought forward a race discrimination claim against the organisation.

Bello alleges that she was unfairly dismissed from her position just ten months into her role and asserts that there is deep-rooted institutional racism within the City of London Corporation.

The City of London Corporation holds a significant role in managing various aspects of London, including the capital's square mile, 4,500 hectares of green space, markets like Billingsgate, housing, schools, academies, the Port Health Authority, the Barbican Centre, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

During a tribunal hearing held on Wednesday, Bello voiced the allegations, stating, "There is institutional racism entrenched deeply in the City of London Corporation." She claimed that almost 200 other employees of colour within the organisation have also filed complaints regarding racial discrimination.