Hits on my blog jumped from 219,000 in 2023 to over 358,000 last year. This will be an underestimate because it does not include thousands of additional hits on Linked In, particularly where I highlighted bad practices in employment tribunals and hideous unjust treatment of whistleblowers by NHS trusts and other state and private organisations including Sellafield and a Network Rail contractor.

By far the biggest interest was in a blog I wrote on the decision by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, and Sir Keir Starmer, the PM, to abolish the winter fuel allowance for all people claiming the state pensions – leaving it only available to a rump of pensioners claiming pension credit. This attracted an astonishing 187,400 hits on the site plus nearly 20,000 on Facebook and Linked In and reflected the fury among pensioners and the shock that a Labour Government should target people earning little more than £11,300 a year as its first priority for cuts. The ineptitude of this decision is not likely to go away and both well off ministers are still oblivious of the damage they have caused. The blog is here.

Throughout the year there was continual interest in the plight of the 3.6 million 50swomen who faced up to a six year delay to get their pension with tens of thousands of hits on stories detailing every twist and turn of this sorry saga. The year ended with total defeat for the WASPI campaign, when Liz Kendall, the new Labour works and pensions secretary, blocked compensation payments to any of the women despite a partial maladministration ruling by a weak former Parliamentary Ombudsman, Sir Robert Behrens. An older blog showing how much successive government’s saved by cutting Treasury contributions to the NI fund got another 2,444 hits this year.

IF ministers think this is the end of the story they are sorely mistaken as the fight by CEDAWinLAW will continue this year since they have international backing and ministers could have to face a call for arbitration despite the suspension of a potential court case.

The other big issue on this blog which attracted thousands of hits was the appalling treatment of whistleblowers particularly in the NHS. Trusts are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds employing expensive lawyers to hound and ruin the careers of doctors who expose patient safety issues which trust managers want to bury. By highlighting individual cases when they come before employment tribunals I am building up a bigger picture of injustice and even corruption in NHS trusts and exposing barristers and solicitors who are enhancing their careers and bank balances by pursuing consultants and doctors who are brave enough to stand up for patient safety in the NHS. These included last year cardiologist Dr Usha Prasad, obstetrician, Martyn Pitman; emergency doctor, Dr Chris Day plus nurses at the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The latest Chris day blog is here

I also highlighted the on going scandal at Sellafield where whistleblower and management consultant, Alison McDermott exposed bullying and harassment which put nuclear safety at risk only to be pursued by expensive lawyers working on behalf of the management to silence and humiliate her. The behaviour of employment judge Philip Lancaster, who heard the case, is now under scrutiny as six women have brought complaints about his behaviour towards women claimants. The blog is here.

One particular story which attracted interest was an in depth investigation into the running of a small parish council in East Sussex, Northiam, where a ruling clique of councillors harassed and pursued anybody raising questions about dubious practices that followed a loan of £1.4 million from Michael Gove, the former Tory levelling up secretary, to allow the council to purchase ta former Blue Cross animal sanctuary for the village. This now the subject of an investigation by the external auditor the council. It attracted over 10,200 hits – 8000 of them locally. The blog is here.

Finally I turned my attention to the coroner service after one particular coroner, Mary Hassell, appeared to me to the cross a red line in her treatment of bereaved relatives who were either banned or censored from making statements at both her inquests. Both were heartbreaking cases- one involving a mother losing her only daughter 17 hours after being admitted to University College Hospital in London, the other involving the death of a TV journalist who had complained of domestic abuse by an ex partner who had a record of violence.the blogs are here and here.

Expect more investigations this year as I take up more cases.