WhistleblowersUK response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
For many years, the local authority received a steady stream of concerns about safety issues at the Grenfell Tower. These concerns fell on deaf ears and resulted in the avoidable deaths of 72 residents. The Government must take action to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. The families, friends and community deserve justice and vindication.
The report shines a light on many failings at all levels of failures including the failure to listen to whistleblowers. It highlights the culture of denial and “buck passing” that created the perfect environment for this tragedy, sighting “systemic dishonesty” by the building contractors. Civil servants were found to have “ignored, delayed or disregarded” concerns and those who were concerned about the culture are simply to afraid to speak up. The report exposes the systemic and entrenched refusal by every organisation to ensure that whistleblowers could speak up without consequence confident that concerns would be acted upon.
The simple fact is that 72 people died because hundreds of people failed to listen to whistleblowers.
We call upon the Government to introduce an Independent Office of the Whistleblower as set out in the Whistleblowing Bill drafted by WhistleblowersUK and supported by members of Parliament from across every party.
Our proposals provide a safety-net for every citizen and ensures that no concern will ever fall between the cracks or be ignored again. The Office of the Whistleblower will be one central place for reporting concerns and wrongdoing ensuing that investigations are promptly undertaken and those responsible held to account.
“The Safety of every citizen requires every whistleblower to be safe and confident that they will be listened to and not become a target.”
“The Whistleblowing Bill will promote, encourage and normalise speaking up, making the world a safer place for us all. I will be calling on the Government to bring forward the bill immediately in recognition of the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry.”
