George Kerevan: whistleblowing

I was listening to my erstwhile comrade Nigel Griffiths MP (Lab, Edinburgh South) on the radio this morning. Nigel was in full ranting mode against those MPs of all parties who are up in arms (understandably) over the heavy-handed police raid on the House of Commons office of Tory shadow minister Damian Green. The latter has been leaking information from a civil servant on Home Office bungles over immigration so the Government is feeling embarrassed. Nigel feels Mr Green had it coming.

Nigel and I were councillors together on the old Edinburgh District during the 1980s. He is a clever man and never, ever rants accidentally. I wonder if by this excessive display loyalty, Nigel was trying to attract the attention of the Labour Front Bench.

Can this be the same Nigel Griffiths who voted for the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, one of New Labour’s early pieces of legislation, designed to protect whistleblowers from loosing their jobs?

Or is this the Nigel Griffiths who stood up in Parliament as a minister and said: “It is in everyone's interest to ensure that there is as much public disclosure as is practical.” (Hansard, 11 Feb 2004, column 468WH)