Category: Timeline Stories

FBI’s former deputy director, Mark Felt, is revealed as the confidential- source, whose disclosures had forced President Nixon from office.

GCHQ translator Katharine Gun’s leaks an email to the Observer from the US government requesting help to spy on UN members in an effort to push for Iraq invasion. Arrested and charged eight months under the Official Secrets Act, her story, The Spy who Tried to Stop a War, is being made into a 2019 film, Official Secrets.

The Hutton Inquiry hears that MoD expert Brian Jones had exceptionally written to intelligence chiefs warning that the 45 minute WMD claim should not be relied on.

Americans Sherron Watkins, Cynthia Cooper and FBI Special Agent Colleen Rowley are jointly named as Time’s Person of the Year for their whistleblowing about financial fraud on Enron and WorldCom and the failures before 9/11.

The Health Secretary tells MPs anaesthetist Stephen Bolsin is owed a debt of gratitude having been left no option but to go to the media about the death of 29 babies at a UK hospital.

A judicial inquiry later found Dr Shipman had murdered 215 patients and observed that a strong whistleblowing culture would likely do more to protect patients than any other reform.

The European Commission resigns after an inquiry sparked by whistleblower Paul van Buitenen who drew attention to irregularities, fraud and mismanagement within the Commission.

Richard Shepherd MP and Lord Borrie’s backbench Bill becomes the Public Interest Disclosure Act.  Hailed by campaigners as “the most far reaching whistleblowing law in the world

MPs ask Protect and the Campaign for Freedom of Information to develop, draft, consult on and promote a law to protect public interest whistleblowers. MPs Don Touhig and Ian McCartney lead.

Protect charity – formerly Public Concern at Work – formed to offer advice and support to whistleblowers.