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Protect – Speak up stop harm
Donate

Free, confidential whistleblowing advice
Call us on 020 3117 2520 or email us

MP ethical standards shake up needs to include whistleblowing  

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As the row over the conduct of MPs continues –  it is crystal clear central Government needs to toughen up ethical standards for public figures to deter malpractice.   Five former cabinet secretaries  – Robin Butler and his successors Richard Wilson, Andrew Turnbull, Gus O’Donnell and Mark Sedwill, – have all urged the government to adopt the recommendations of the ... Read more

What will fix racism and discrimination in cricket? 

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Azeem Rafiq’s passionate revelations exposing his treatment at Yorkshire County Cricket Club serve as a testament to both the institutional problems proliferating the sport, (and undoubtedly other sports) and the necessity of being able to  raise concerns and have those concerns listened to, and addressed.    Rafiq’s concerns, which included as a young 15- year-old Muslim having wine forcibly poured down his throat, continuous ... Read more

Blowing the whistle on environmental damage – what workers need to know

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The COP26 climate talks and the actions surrounding the conference, have served as a stark reminder that drastic action must be taken now to prevent climate catastrophe. As António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, warned at the beginning of the COP26, “Either we stop it, or it stops us.” At Protect, we recognise ... Read more

Disclosures, public interest & the Official Secrets Act

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At Protect, we believe that whistleblowing is a bedrock of our democracy and crucial to holding the government accountable, detecting fraud and preventing serious wrongdoing. The Official Secrets Act 1989 (the “OSA”) ensures civil servants keep some key national security information confidential but should not prevent whistleblowing altogether. A workshop on ‘Civil Society, National Security, ... Read more

Whistleblowing report finds minimum wage complaints at lowest level in four years

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A report by law firm Pinsent Masons has found whistleblower reports of national minimum wage violations fell to just 2,488 for the past year, down from 2,580 in the previous 12 months – and the lowest level in four years.   Pinsent Masons said that although extensive furlough in hospitality and retail sectors during the pandemic was partly responsible for the decline in ... Read more

Regulator whistleblowing reports shows huge variation in case number and action taken

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October is reporting month for ‘Prescribed Persons’ regulators who have a duty to publish their annual reports on the whistleblowing disclosures they receive each year, including information on the number of disclosures received, the number requiring further action, and the types of action taken – and the numbers received by regulators over 2020/21 varies widely.   Regulators designated ‘prescribed persons’ under UK whistleblowing law have  since 2017,   been required to publish ... Read more

Serota Review into BBC recognises role whistleblowing plays in good governance

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Protect welcomes the findings of the Serota Review into editorial processes at the BBC which recognises the vital role whistleblowing plays in an organisation’s governance.    ‘The Serota Review – BBC editorial processes, governance, and culture’ commissioned by the BBC to learn from mistakes from the past, follows the Dyson report into the scandal around the Martin Bashir Panorama interview with Princess Diana. … Read more

Report calls for reform of Government as public confidence in Ministers at all time low

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A new report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life - “Upholding Public Standards” recognises the importance of high ethical standards to democracy and economic success.  Yet, as its polling reveals, public confidence in the conduct of Ministers is low. The Committee - which advises the PM on ethical standards, calls for central government reforms, including legislation to put ethics regulators and the codes that ... Read more

Read Protect’s latest newsletter

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Our October newsletter includes blogs, why we are engaging with the Government on NDAs, why we think the Official Secrets Act needs reform to include a public interest defence and why we will be debating this with legal experts and academics next month and more….  

Facebook’s ‘big tobacco moment’ – will it U-turn to put people before profits? 

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Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has rightly been commended for speaking out about her former employer accusing the platform of putting “astronomical profits before people” – claiming the big tech company knows about the harm of some of its products, but does nothing about them prioritising growth and its shareholders over the safety and wellbeing of its three-billion-plus users.  … Read more