The fight against secrecy led by Courier editor David Clegg must expand beyond Dundee.
The whole of Scotland is suffocating under a sodden duvet of secrecy.
The Dundee University meltdown, the Eljamel scandal, the cover up on whistle-blowers – only persistent Courier journalism worked.
Yes, your editor is right to highlight the spread of secrecy in Dundee and Tayside as being particularly corrosive to the heart of public life.
But kneejerk secrecy is all over Scotland.
Official thinking everywhere is “They shall NOT be told” – “they” being the public, paying millions to be kept in the dark.
David Clegg has two decades of experience and says the last ten years have been the worst.
I have five decades – but nothing has been worse than the stifling secrecy of the past decade, for all Scotland.
Secrecy is now ingrained
It all stems from Edinburgh and the decade of silencing which slid in after Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney took over.
Secrecy is now ingrained. It must be power-hosed out of Scotland, as we do with other slime.
This isn’t the 21st century – we’re seeing a backflip to courts of the Tsars ruling over the serfs (that’s you and me) who shouldn’t be told anything.
That some are tumshie Tsars of little brain doesn’t halt their arrogance.
Secrecy is automatic – I fought a case last year of good news being suppressed.
I’ve continued for two decades a campaign on chronic pain I started at Holyrood before quitting as an MSP in 2003.
Our cross party group campaigned to win Scotland’s first national residential service for serious chronic pain.
The SNP’s compassionate Alex Neil was then a very different health secretary to his successors.
But last year MSPs were refused copies of a 53-page review of the residential service.
Patients feared cuts.
The Scottish Government said it wasn’t published or shared publicly as this is standard practice for minor reviews.”
This claim was dismissed by the FOI commissioner’s office stating: “Being major or minor should have no bearing on publication.”
The released report turned out to be good news, praising the service and recommending continued funding.
So why had it been hidden for two years?
Silence comes at a cost
The price of silence is huge.
Last year, Government SPADS (special advisers) advising ministers cost almost £2 million.
Another £4 million went on Scottish Government public relations operatives.
Secret squirrels are barriers rather than gateways to information.
There are hundreds more beyond government in councils, police, health boards, quangos – everywhere there’s a squirrel drey.
Probably, they outnumber all journalists here.
Everything is forced through a web of PRs who usually send duff stuff or don’t reply to deadlines.
Professionals like teachers and doctors seem frightened to speak.
Dundee’s positive distinction is that it is the unique centre of Scottish owned media with journalists ready to fight hard.
Without the Courier and the Sunday Post switching on the light, how few cockroaches would have been revealed?
However bad things are on cover ups in England, Scotland appears desperate to out-gag them.
Here’s just one example on the crushing secrecy in Scottish health.
Freedom of Information (FOI) has to be used for simple information, as headlines on mesh victims, baby deaths and acute staff shortages show regularly.
Chronic pain taskforce
Right now, a Scottish Government “taskforce” – nicknamed Task Farce – of some 20 officials meets behind closed doors to recommend what treatments chronic pain outpatients should get.
There’s a committee in NHS England which judges ALL NHS treatments to recommend which should be provided.
Compare that with the “taskforce” in Scotland on chronic pain alone:
England: Eight officials and four patient representatives.
Scotland: 20 permanent officials and two temporary patients.
England: Independent chair from outside government.
Scotland: Chair and deputy are government officials
England: Full list of names making recommendations.
Scotland: List of job titles without names.
England: Observers from Scotland and Wales invited to meetings
Scotland: No observers from England and Wales, all meetings without scrutiny from public.
Officials are marked “permanent”, the two patients are allowed for only six months or three meetings before being changed.
A panel of nameless officials was set up to scrutinise patients – for just two unpaid places, with almost 2,000 words on government requirements.
In reality, patients aren’t wanted if they speak up.
Speak up when public bodies fail
Four years ago, ten patients were chosen by fellow sufferers to be, for the first time, patient reps on a government pain group.
Engaged as volunteers for two years, the patients were dropped after four months and just two meetings.
That followed them questioning policy which was objected to as if it was a personal attack.
Readers, tell the Courier when public bodies fail you.
Dundee remains a journalism icon.
I ran into that years ago when I was interviewed for a job in Switzerland by an Australian.
He glazed over as I rattled off working for the BBC and in Fleet Street. Then he asked: ”Where did you train?”
The reply “DC Thomson” brought him to life.
“They are the best – icons!” he said, “We’ve always had good journalists from them.”
Dorothy-Grace Elder is a veteran journalist and former MSP known for her investigative reporting and campaign work.
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