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Sellafield (Windscale) spent £750,000 trying to gag whistleblower – by David Hencke (UK)

Updated: Mar 29


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Euan Hutton, chief executive of Sellafield, found himself being called to apologise in public to whistleblower Alison McDermott (inset) by her local MP, Anna Dixon (main pic) at a highly charged hearing of the Commons Public Accounts Committee last week.


The chief executive was clearly embarrassed to face questions about spending such a lot of public money to silence the whistleblower after she produced a report about the toxic culture of bullying and harassment at the UK’s biggest nuclear waste plant.


Alison McDermott, a well respected management and diversity consultant, had faced a series of tribunal and costs hearings.which cost Sellafield over £750,000 (NZD 1.7M) by employing top flight lawyers. The main hearing was before Judge Philip Lancaster, who is now facing complaints from 10 women, including McDermott, for his patronising and misogynist approach to female litigants who appear before him.


Anna Dixon, Labour MP for Shipley, raised the issue at the beginning of the hearing which was to examine Sellafield’s record so far in running down the waste facility over the next 100 years.


She pointed out that McDermott had been headhunted through Capita to work for Sellafield and was then employed directly because of her excellent work.  After she produced a report revealing a toxic culture of bullying and harassment at Sellafield this all changed and she was removed from Sellafield.


Dixon told Hutton:  “I understand that at that time you did not invoke your whistleblowing policy or take a statement, as required by your own policy. Instead, you spent some £750,000 on legal fees. Perhaps you would confirm that. You refused mediation for three years, and pursued Alison for costs twice and lost on both occasions. As you will know, the remit of this Committee is concerned with the proper ethical use of public funds. As the new CEO, Mr Hutton, I would ask you whether you think this was a good use of public money.

…

I have seen the treatment of other whistleblowers, which is similar to the treatment of my constituent, that has serious detriment to health, mental health and indeed professional reputation. Alison, as you probably recognise, is sitting here in the public gallery. I recognise that you are not willing to say very much. I am disappointed in that, because most of this is historic and in the public domain. I wonder whether you might apologise to her for the way that she has been treated by Sellafield.”


Mr Hutton replied implying that the situation in Sellafield then was ancient history.


 “Over the last seven or eight years now, we have made really big strides forward in addressing some of the issues that there were at that time. You might say that I would say that but, in the most recent staff survey, which concluded, I think, a fortnight ago - I only say “I think” because I cannot remember whether it was a fortnight ago - we have seen significant improvement.”


Anna Dixon concluded: “I am going to come back later and challenge whether these problems have really completely gone away. I do not think that I heard an apology, but I hope you will at least agree to meet with me and my constituent, Alison."


Since the hearing Alison McDermott has written an open letter to Mr Hutton, David Peattie, group chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Paul Vallance, a non-executive director of the NDA saying:


“The PAC’s examination has now raised serious questions about your leadership and your organisations’ management, culture, and safety practices.I’ve made no secret of the toll this has taken on me. But each time I was faced with the choice between comfortable silence and speaking the truth, I chose the latter - without hesitation. That decision is one I will always carry with quiet pride. I can look myself in the mirror, sleep peacefully, and carry a clear conscience—something that is priceless.I can’t help but wonder: how do you reconcile your actions?What kind of man do you see when you look in the mirror?”


The PAC has now to produce a report following the hearing.  I somehow think it will not be a glowing endorsement of practices at the UK’s biggest waste facility.

 


EDITOR’S NOTE ON WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION LAWS


The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 replaced the Protected Disclosures Act 2000 in New Zealand and a tiny number of relevant Employment Relations Authority determinations publicised so far indicate that the new Act is doing its job. 


Meanwhile, Britons are potentially exposed by the relative ease of which their employers can circumvent the weak and outdated Public Interest Disclosures Act 1998.   Lobbying to establish an Office of the Whistleblower continues.


Australian whistleblowers fare no better despite whistleblower legislation being updated in 2013 – there have been some high profile whistleblower targets in recent years, eg: Stolz (ClubsNSW), Powell (TAFE), McBride (ADF) and Boyle (ATO).


 


 
 
 

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