Bishop of Liverpool's former 'spin doctor' wins unfair dismissal case

THE Bishop of Liverpool does not like the city, a tribunal heard today as a man won his claim for unfair dismissal against the church.

The Rt Rev James Jones was also a "liar", more concerned with his national profile than his local ministry, and helped cause his public relations man to feel a "leper", it was claimed.

The Rev David Johnston, 56, made the accusations at his unfair dismissal hearing - where the bench took just 15 minutes to rule in his favour.

Mr Johnston, of Chorley New Road, Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester was fired in September 2007 from his job as the Liverpool diocese director of communications after a Sunday newspaper wrongly reported he had begun an affair and left his wife for a colleague, Diane Pendleton.

Today, Mr Johnston said the bishop was working "behind the scenes" to have him fired and claimed that he had publicly lied about giving him and Ms Pendleton support. Read more

Anyone who would like to form their own opinion of Mr Johnston is invited to do so at his personal blog here.

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