The number of civil servants blowing the whistle on alleged wrongdoing inside government departments has almost doubled in four years. New Cabinet Office figures showed there were 443 cases of alleged corruption, cover-ups, security breaches and systems failures putting lives at risk in the 2024-25 financial year. This was up from 245 cases in the 2020-21 year. Officials identified wrongdoing in 93 cases last year, with 49 cases resulting in disciplinary action being taken.
Scope of Whistleblowing Reports
The figures cover concerns raised by civil servants, former officials, contractors and agency workers across government. Under official definitions, whistleblowing can involve disclosures about suspected wrongdoing, malpractice or behaviour considered to be against the public interest. In real-world terms, that can include allegations involving fraud, procurement scandals, abuse of power, security breaches, public safety failings, misconduct, cover-ups or the misuse of taxpayers’ money.
High-Profile Cases
Last year a Foreign Office whistleblower won an employment tribunal after leaking details to the BBC about the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021. Former civil servant Josie Stewart disclosed information relating to the Kabul withdrawal and allegations surrounding the evacuation of a pet charity during the crisis. An employment judge ruled she had acted in the public interest and had been unfairly dismissed after losing her security clearance when she was mistakenly identified by the BBC as a confidential source. The tribunal heard claims there was a culture within the Foreign Office that “silences concerns and ostracises those who raise them”, while Ms Stewart said officials should not be forced to choose between “their conscience and their career”.
Another high-profile case involved a long-serving civil servant who launched legal action after being dismissed following criticism of Boris Johnson’s government during the Chris Pincher scandal. The official, identified publicly only as “Stuart”, had accused ministers and senior officials of misleading the public and called for Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to resign over the handling of allegations involving the former deputy chief whip. He was suspended and later dismissed after speaking on LBC radio and emailing Mr Case directly to express his concerns, before arguing his actions should be protected under whistleblowing laws.
Perhaps the most famous British civil service whistleblower was former GCHQ translator Katharine Gun, who leaked a secret memo in 2003 relating to US attempts to win support for the invasion of Iraq. Gun was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act after passing details to The Observer about alleged efforts to monitor and pressure UN diplomats ahead of the war, with her story later turned into the film Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley.
Data Trends and Response Times
The Cabinet Office said the latest figures were collected under a revamped reporting system covering all Civil Service departments and agencies. The data also showed the average whistleblowing investigation now takes 56 working days to resolve. There were 311 whistleblowing cases in 2021/22, rising to 388 in 2022/23 and 446 in 2023/24 before the latest figure of 443 in 2024/25. The figures only relate to disclosures raised within the Civil Service and the government says numbers have risen in part because of better methods of recording complaints.
Reactions from Advocacy and Government
Andrew Pepper-Parsons, director of policy and communications at Protect, said: “These figures paint a concerning picture of the Civil Service. When hundreds of people each year feel compelled to raise concerns about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice in the public interest, and find themselves waiting long periods of time for a response, let alone a result, it points to a system under real strain. The irony is hard to ignore: a system built to serve public safety is still struggling to consistently take whistleblowing seriously. When systems discourage openness or suppress concerns, the consequences can be serious - from public safety failures to major national scandals. The Government must urgently bring in stronger whistleblowing protections.”
A Government spokesperson said: "We take whistleblowing seriously and this government has improved how it is reported last year so these figures are not directly comparable. We encourage staff who have a concern, or suspects wrongdoing, to speak up via strictly confidential channels."
