Whistleblowing: This Week in Parliament
On the back of the successful second reading of Baroness Susan Kramer’s Protection for Whistleblowing Bill we have seen consistent mentions of whistleblowing and related topics across Parliament which demonstrates the mood of the Government. As our various legislative options for change continue to progress, it is good to see voices from all sides of the house championing the importance of whistleblowers.
Last week, a report undertaken by Nazir Afzal OBE into the London Fire Brigade (LFB) found a series of toxic cultural practices. Underpinning the issues was a serious concern that firefighters do not trust the ‘Safe to Speak’ programme. During a parliamentary urgent question on the report, Florence Eshalomi asked the minister to commission “a national review of standards and culture to ensure that no one is afraid to come forward to raise this abuse”.
Dr Rupa Huq MP then asked Chris Philp MP, answering for the Government, “What advice does the Minister have for employees elsewhere, who are forced to suffer in silence and hide in the shadows in their workplaces, so that this never happens again anywhere?”
The Minister fully endorsed the measures proposed by the Commissioner to implement all 23 recommendations outlined in the report and said, “Every public sector organisation needs to make sure that proper whistleblowing channels are available so that nobody’s concerns get ignored or overlooked.”
WhistleblowersUK are pleased to see Included within the recommendations moves to introduce anonymised reporting of incidents, and greater resources for the ‘Safe to Speak’ programme as well as an investigation into why BAME firefighters were more likely to be subjected to disciplinary action after using the grievance scheme. Something we have witnessed across the whole of the Public Sector.
This was music to our ears, we fully support the Commissioner and will closely monitor progress.
On Wednesday, Parliament debated a ministerial statement updating the Government's response to the Horizon Post Office Scandal that harmed hundreds of innocent post office workers; the conviction of 918 Postmasters resulted in multiple bankruptcies, and sadly one postmaster taking their own life. While the inquiry has made it clear that they will be assessing the whistleblowing mechanisms which were absent within the organisation, it represents yet another clear example of what can happen when whistleblowers are ignored and silenced.
The tragedy of this example is that lives could have been avoided if our proposals for the Office of the Whistleblower would have saved lives.
This week of the whistleblower culminated with the third reading of the Financial Services Bill where the Vice Chair of the APPG for Whistleblowing set out an amendment drafted with the support of our team at WhistleblowersUK to introduce a clear Public Interest Defence and statutory protection for whistleblowers. This was passionately supported by Mary Robinson Chair of the APPG who urged the Government to take this opportunity to bring forward an Office of the Whistleblower as part of the drive to strengthen the UK’s regulatory framework against economic crime, especially in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As the bill progresses we will continue to seek out opportunities to introduce whistleblowing amendments.
Finally, the National Security Bill was introduced to the House of Lords. Baroness Kramer, quick to her feet, made a second compelling speech sharing her experience of dealing with whistleblowers and their difficulties in finding a safe and secure route to make their protected disclosures. She again referred to the Whistleblowing Bill and called on the Government to bring forward this legislation saying, “I will push the issue of protection for whistleblowers. It is fundamental in a democratic society.”
In summary, we are fully behind and supporting the growing number of cross party Parliamentarians who have joined their voices to demand legislation that enhances the protection of whistleblowers in the UK. We are delighted to witness the increasingly positive signs from the Government at the despatch box and in private, that the reform of whistleblower protection is now on the agenda.
WhistleblowersUK are proud of the work that we have done to develop The Whistleblowing Bill which has been endorsed by both the Commons and the Lords. This Bill is a comprehensive piece of primary legislation that will set standards for the rest of the world to follow making the UK the global leader in whistleblowing protection.
Stephen Kerr MSP, Vice Chair WhistleblowersUK said “Whistleblowers are the first line of defence against Crime, corruption and cover up and must be able to speak up as soon as they suspect something is wrong. The Whistleblowing Bill is the only way to ensure that we stop fraud and harm.”
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