By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:29 EST, 24 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:52 EST, 24 September 2012 . Cuts: Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, arriving at the Crescent Centre, Bristol, for the start of the tribunal . A Tory MP today told an employment tribunal she sacked her best friend from a constituency office job because she was 'incapable' of carrying out her role. Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, Wiltshire, who has regularly spoken up for the Coalition’s austerity program, made a cut of her own when Penelope Nurick lost her job in a 'staff reshuffle'. Mrs Nurick was one of Mrs Perry’s seconders when she stood as the Conservative Party candidate in 2010, and had worked in her office for two years. She was formally sacked from her administrative role on February 23 2012 when Mrs Perry, 48, replaced her with another employee in the constituency office. Mrs Nurick launched legal proceedings against best friend Mrs Perry following the decision, claiming she had been 'unfairly dismissed' by the MP. Mrs Perry told a tribunal in Bristol that she was forced to fire her friend after senior advisor Christopher Jones, left his job in November 2011. The MP said she was unable to replace Mr Jones and so decided to split his extensive job role between her London and Devizes offices. She hired Tamara Ray - who was able to cover both policy and ‘surgery only’ roles - in her Devizes office at the expense of Mrs Nurick. 'It was clear from our early experiences that she [Mrs Nurick] would struggle with more responsibility,' Mrs Perry told the hearing. 'The claimant required a lot of managing and support, particularly in the IT area and all of this lead me to believed that this would not be something she would not be able to do, she would be incapable. 'I could not afford to keep Mrs Nurick on doing a surgery only job and employ someone to do a local policy job. I found someone who could do both.' Mrs Perry said budgetary constraints from Westminster meant that she could only employ a limited number of staff members for her constituency. 'What I had realised was that I needed to have more local policy placement,' she added. 'With Mr Jones leaving there was a vacuum at the top of my team and I had decided that there was a restructuring that needed to happen. 'As a result of all of those changes I realised I couldn’t keep Mrs Nurick on in her role. 'I can only employ three and a half staff per 100,000 constituents. 'Everybody’s job has changed in London and the local office, there was a very substantial reshuffle.' Mrs Perry, who is comprehensively-educated, succeeded former Conservative chairman Michael Ancram as the MP for Devizes. Last year she raised eyebrows in the House of Commons tea room when she asked whether she needed to perform  sex act on John Bercow before he would allow her to be heard. The Speaker had previously ‘overlooked’ Mrs Perry in a debate on tuition fees. The tribunal - expected to last for one day - continues.
Claire Perry, Conservative MP for Devizes, Wiltshire, has often backed the Coalition's austerity programme .
She made her own cut when she sacked administrator Penelope Nurick during 'staff reshuffle'
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:29 EST, 24 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:52 EST, 24 September 2012 . Cuts: Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, arriving at the Crescent Centre, Bristol, for the start of the tribunal . A Tory MP today told an employment tribunal she sacked her best friend from a constituency office job because she was 'incapable' of carrying out her role. Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, Wiltshire, who has regularly spoken up for the Coalition’s austerity program, made a cut of her own when Penelope Nurick lost her job in a 'staff reshuffle'. Mrs Nurick was one of Mrs Perry’s seconders when she stood as the Conservative Party candidate in 2010, and had worked in her office for two years. She was formally sacked from her administrative role on February 23 2012 when Mrs Perry, 48, replaced her with another employee in the constituency office. Mrs Nurick launched legal proceedings against best friend Mrs Perry following the decision, claiming she had been 'unfairly dismissed' by the MP. Mrs Perry told a tribunal in Bristol that she was forced to fire her friend after senior advisor Christopher Jones, left his job in November 2011. The MP said she was unable to replace Mr Jones and so decided to split his extensive job role between her London and Devizes offices. She hired Tamara Ray - who was able to cover both policy and ‘surgery only’ roles - in her Devizes office at the expense of Mrs Nurick. 'It was clear from our early experiences that she [Mrs Nurick] would struggle with more responsibility,' Mrs Perry told the hearing. 'The claimant required a lot of managing and support, particularly in the IT area and all of this lead me to believed that this would not be something she would not be able to do, she would be incapable. 'I could not afford to keep Mrs Nurick on doing a surgery only job and employ someone to do a local policy job. I found someone who could do both.' Mrs Perry said budgetary constraints from Westminster meant that she could only employ a limited number of staff members for her constituency. 'What I had realised was that I needed to have more local policy placement,' she added. 'With Mr Jones leaving there was a vacuum at the top of my team and I had decided that there was a restructuring that needed to happen. 'As a result of all of those changes I realised I couldn’t keep Mrs Nurick on in her role. 'I can only employ three and a half staff per 100,000 constituents. 'Everybody’s job has changed in London and the local office, there was a very substantial reshuffle.' Mrs Perry, who is comprehensively-educated, succeeded former Conservative chairman Michael Ancram as the MP for Devizes. Last year she raised eyebrows in the House of Commons tea room when she asked whether she needed to perform  sex act on John Bercow before he would allow her to be heard. The Speaker had previously ‘overlooked’ Mrs Perry in a debate on tuition fees. The tribunal - expected to last for one day - continues.
role. Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, Wiltshire, who has regularly spoken up for the Coalition’s austerity program, made a cut of her own when Penelope Nurick lost her job in a 'staff seconders when she stood as the Conservative