Scotland needs whistleblowing tsar to shatter SNP culture of secrecy

As a Conservative, I am generally opposed to creating new public bodies, which can easily lead to overreach of the state.

However, when it comes to enshrining whistleblower protections in law, I believe there is a strong case for making an exception for the creation of an independent office of the whistleblower.

I have always believed that whistleblowing is a power for good. I genuinely believe that by changing the culture around whistleblowing, we can bring about a new culture of transparency and accountability in our public services.

For far too long under the SNP Government, the Scottish public sector has been mired in a culture of cover-up and denial.

Establishing an independent office of the whistleblower in statute and answerable only to parliament would shatter this harmful culture and let the sunlight in.

To prevent further encroachment of state secrecy and inefficiency, we need to empower the people who work in our public services. Too many feel they can’t speak up.

This lack of candour is holding back progress in reforming and improving our public services. To be effective, an independent office of the whistleblower needs to be genuinely independent from public sector organisations.

A safe harbour

As the series of articles published in The Telegraph this week shows, the public sector can no longer be left to mark its own homework when it comes to how they treat whistleblowers.

So a new independent office of the whistleblower must be accountable to parliament, providing a safe harbour for whistleblowers and providing them with pragmatic support, making recommendations for improvements in whistleblowing procedures with a mandate to secure their implementation.

Such a measure would ensure transparency, bolster trust, and drive meaningful change.

NHS staff dedicate their lives to supporting individuals in need, yet, as we have read this week in The Telegraph, when they raise concerns about patient safety, they face harsh repercussions from NHS bosses.

Some have lost their jobs, and others have been driven to the brink of suicide. Their only “crime” was trying to do what is right.

Is it acceptable for NHS staff to be treated this way?

The answer is clear: we must protect those who protect us. The stench of secrecy and cover-up permeates the entire Scottish public sector.

Fear of punishment

Teachers fear punishment for speaking out. Police officers struggle to blow the whistle on misconduct.

This organisational culture should not be acceptable in our public services. This election year presents a unique opportunity to secure cross-party support for strengthening whistleblowing protections.

There is a broad consensus among political parties, and the electorate, that our public services need improvement.

Transformation of any organisation requires culture change first. Culture eats strategy for breakfast every time.

By empowering whistleblowers, we can collectively foster a new culture of transparency and accountability within the Scottish public sector.

In addition to establishing a new independent office of the whistleblower, we need a comprehensive overhaul of whistleblowing legislation.

Clearer legal definitions of whistleblowing must be established, along with a well-defined pathway to support whistleblowers.

The specific protections they are entitled to must also be explicitly laid out. This updated legislation would serve as the blueprint for the work of the independent office of the whistleblower, guiding its efforts to ensure transparency, support, and accountability across the public sector.

The transformative power of whistleblowing holds the key to revolutionising Scotland’s public services.

By enshrining whistleblower protections in law, and establishing an independent office of the whistleblower, we can break free from this harmful culture and usher in an era of transparency and accountability.

Stephen Kerr is a Conservative MSP for Central Scotland