Apology from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: A Positive Step for the Whistleblowing Movement
A few months ago, it was reported that Dr Tamara Bronckaers, a whistleblower vet who resigned from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Daera), would be given a £1.25 million settlement from her former employer and an “unreserved” apology. Dr Bronckaers resigned after her concerns were consistently and constructively dismissed relating to animal welfare at livestock markets and the neglect of proper disease tracing within supply chains. This ruling represents a historic moment for the whistleblowing movement. For one, it highlights to the British public that those who stand up for ethical and transparent practice in the face of adversity are valued and organisations are wrong to silence them. However, that the case even had to get this far shows there is a more systemic fault with how professional concerns are handled.
Dr Bronckears speaks of her concerns being consciously ignored and the resulting toll this apathy took on her mental health, with one former colleague’s behaviour being described as “intimidating, patronising, belittling and dismissive of her as a professional”. No worker should have to experience such abuse for doing the right thing. WhistleblowersUK are committed to overhauling the current zeitgeist surrounding whistleblowers’ claims. Individuals like Dr Bronckears who are dedicated to upholding ethical standards in the workplace should be the norm rather than the exception. But at the very least, they shouldn’t be faced with blockades and impediments in their attempt to right the wrongs of their industry. Only when there is an objective, independent body which can adjudicate over the complaint process will legitimate concerns over health and safety be adequately addressed, rather than those who raised such concerns getting ostracised. We cannot rely on industry insiders to ameliorate the situation, who, as this case has proved, have prejudices of their own.
Whilst there is much to celebrate about the outcome of Dr Bronckears’ case, it has equally revealed that Daera cannot be trusted to deal with complaints itself. The department has promised to take steps to prevent such future malpractice, but it is troubling that no one has taken responsibility for belittling Dr Bronckears’ claims. In fact, a civil servant who played a key role in forcing out the whistleblower has since been promoted to the post of deputy chief vet. The injustice that this represents is glaring. One of WhistleblowersUK’s key aims is to prevent such situations by creating a new offence for individuals who cause detriment to those who make a protected disclosure. Considering the emotional and mental toil this behaviour causes the whistleblower, punishment in the form of fines or, if necessary, jail time is needed if the law is to aid the abused, not the abuser.
- Alfie Rowe, WhistleblowersUK Team
