WhistleblowersUK highlighted in Parliament as key organisation helping whistleblowers speak out
In the short sitting time we have seen since the beginning of this new Government, WhistleblowersUK has been highlighted as a key organisation helping whistleblowers to speak out here in the UK.
Speaking during an Urgent Question pertaining to the the Post Office Horizon Scandal which has affected so many lives across the country, and where concerns were raised by whistleblowers early on, ally of WhistleblowersUK Gareth Snell MP asked the following;
“…what role does the Minister think this Government can find for third party organisations, such as WhistleblowersUK or those organisations that work with people to highlight such scandals? As my hon. Friend pointed out, this was a systematic failure across Government and society, and we simply cannot allow it to happen again.
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The answering Government minister, Justin Madders MP, responded saying;
“My understanding is that the last Government undertook a consultation on whistleblowing. We are reflecting on the outcome of that and on the important point my hon. Friend raises. Across a whole range of bodies in this country, whistleblowers have not been heard. We need to consider whether the current legislation gives them sufficient confidence to speak out, and whether their actions and concerns are being addressed.
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Of course that review, which was started by the previous Government’s Minister Kevin Hollinrake MP, was spurred on by our successful series of Whistleblowing Awareness Week 2023 events. We then subsequently contributed our years of developed knowledge both to the scoping of the consultation and to the consultation itself.
We look forward to working with MPs of all parties and the newly reformed APPG for Whistleblowing to deliver meaningful whistleblowing protections for all UK citizens.
