Protect is busy briefing MPs on why UK whistleblowing legislation needs fixing, following the Queen’s Speech, which marks the start of a new Parliamentary session.
A new Parliamentary session means there will be a Private Members’ Ballot which this year takes place on May 20. The ballot is an opportunity for backbench MPs to introduce a proposal for a new law, known as a bill.
Protect’s Parliamentary Officer, Kyran Kanda said, “We have been busy briefing MPs about our campaign, Let’s Fix UK Whistleblowing Law, but it is a civil society campaign and we need the public to get behind the campaign, and write to their MPs because whistleblowing and protecting whistleblowers affects us all.”
The Private Members Ballot is complicated and is essentially a lottery system where backbench MPs enter their names into a ballot and the Deputy Speaker picks out 20 names. As Private Members’ bills are given priority debating time in the House, these MPs have the best chance of turning their bill into law. But the reality is that only those MPs towards the top of the list will secure time in the busy Parliamentary timetable to debate their bill.
Protect wants its whistleblowing bill to be taken up by one of these MPs and put forward in the House to become law.
We need you to write to all of the MPs who are drawn in the ballot, or at least the top 7, urging them to adopt Protect’s bill. You can download our template letter here and send this to the MPs once we know who they are.
Check back here on May 20 when we will post the full name and contact details for the MPs selected in the ballot.