Edinburgh council: Whistleblowers’ champion Alison Dickie speaks out on ‘Miss Marple’ jibe

Former education vice-convener Alison Dickie has hit back over the “Miss Marple” jibe directed at her for her determined pursuit of whistleblowing issues.

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Speaking at Thursday’s full council meeting, Cllr Dickie – who resigned from the SNP group two weeks ago – said the comment by deputy group leader Cammy Day at full council in September had left her feeling intimidated.

In an answer to another councillor’s question on whether he had apologised for his comments, Cllr Day said he had not named anyone. But Cllr Dickie said: “I think everyone and their mother assumed it was me, including me – so I think it's time for this woman to speak for herself.

Alison Dickie resigned from the SNP group two weeks ago.

“I don’t really care what's said about me. I’ve heard worse behaviour in the classroom. But did it make me feel a tad intimidated? In the circumstances, yes.

“Did it make me angry on behalf of survivors who are scared to come forward in case they're not believed? Without a doubt.

“If we are to support the survivors out there and create a culture where people are not intimidated and discredited for raising concerns, there can be no room for defensive jokes but there should always be room for questions.”

Councillors were debating an action plan to implement the 50 recommendations from top QC Susanne Tanner for improving the council’s organisational culture, which is to cost £2.5 million a year.

Cllr Dickie, who said she had helped support more than 25 whistleblowers, said she welcomed Ms Tanner’s call for external investigations, better support for whistleblowers and robust systems to track allegations.

“I support a redress scheme too, but I'm primarily interested in the truth, justice and accountability to ensure protection.

“After reading the report I’m still left asking: What of the unresolved whistleblower cases and those who have lost trust in our systems, falling between the cracks?

“How can we be fully assured we have identified all survivors and any others that allowed abuse to continue?”

The action plan also came under fire from Tory group leader Iain Whyte, who said too little progress had been made in making changes in the wake of Ms Tanner’s review.

He said: "When I read this report I thought I was in an episode of Yes Minister. It's like a list of why things will take a long time and why we can't do them.

“There's a whole page of policies we train people on that have nothing to do with what we're talking about here, about culture or whistleblowing.

“And the bid for money is almost like a trade union bid for money from the 1970s, saying ‘I can't do anything for you unless you give us all this extra’.

“We need to move much faster. We don't yet have a new draft of the whistleblowing policy and I don't know why – Susanne Tanner has virtually written it for us.”

But council leader Adam McVey said the proposals set “a very strong way forward” so officials could deliver on a positive culture change.

He said: “There has been strong communication from the council to encourage people to come forward.

"We do need to resource this properly, we cannot do it on the cheap – that will not deliver effective change.”

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