Bob Varney’s family buried him today
and a large number of friends and admirers came to bear witness.
From a single, brilliant
address no one could have been left in any doubt about the many faces of Bob that
people loved. I came to the funeral because there was one face which I loved about Bob: the power that he put into trying to
ensure that the truth that underpinned the case for the group that I call ‘the whistle-blowers’ should be made
known.
There is this small group of
whistle-blowers who were concerned over the Colas highways contract in Wirral. Wrongdoings were alleged by
the whistle-blowers and their case resulted in a clutch of cheating officers leaving the council. Cleverly drawn
contracts and powerful legal representation resulted in Wirral having to pay
compensation monies to these individuals over the contract – tens of thousands of pounds or more that each of them have had to walk the
plank.
What an injustice that Wirral ratepayers had to pay these sums by law to
people whose position was untenable in the council once the whistle-blowers had
completed their work.
Contrast that with the
treatment of the whistle-blowers. These were the agents by which less than proper doing was
unmasked. The package of compensation for them, of their careers being
blighted, and one of their names being published “by accident” on the council
website, was around £5,000.
The injustice to these noble
citizens has still to be countered. Bob died before that day arrived but that day
assuredly will come as truth is on their side.
It often takes so long in
this country which I love to get this elemental truth established. The inquiry,
for example, to establish full the truth about BHS goes on and on, and
Parliament won’t give up until it has that truth.
Likewise in the Wirral. Now
diminished by Bob’s death, the whistle-blowers will go on and on, with my
support, until truth is established.
The next stage in
establishing that truth will come, I guess, with the publication of the Nick Warren report.
The whistle-blowers agreed with the council that this stunning lawyer should
carry out an inquiry into their case. The report will be made public, I’m sure, as a freedom of information claim has
been lodged.
Slowly but surely the truth
will out. The citizens of Wirral owe the
whistle-blowers, including Bob, such a debt
for shifting officers that were found wanting in respect of the public good.
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