No excuses over bullying

Yet, in double standards that have become Whitehall's speciality, there are huge disparities between individual councils, and government departments, about how they handle staff complaints relating to bullying and intimidation.

Given that the public sector per se is responsible for so many jobs, this is simply not good enough – especially given the amount of taxpayers' money that is spent on "human resources" each year.

If a small firm, with limited staff and expertise in the finer points of employment law, was found to have breached the rules in a bullying case, it would feel the full weight of officialdom.

Perversely, this principle appears not to apply to local government. While some Yorkshire councils have released details about the number of cases in recent years, four other authorities – including Leeds and Sheffield – say they are unable to identify specific bullying complaints as the cases are not retained on a central register.

This defence is nebulous. If other similarly-sized authorities see fit to retain such details, why do these councils, who employ tens of thousands of staff, think they are exempt?

The same is equally true of Whitehall where some departments have provided information while others, like the Treasury and Cabinet Office, have declined to do so and cited data legislation.

Again, there can be no excuse for these differing interpretations – even more so given Gordon Brown's acute embarrassment when claims were recently made about a bullying culture inside 10 Downing Street.

Of course, work will, on occasion, be stressful – and some staff will, inevitably, require motivation. This happens in every walk of life. The key is ensuring that this is done in a respectful, and effective, manner rather than by intimidation – an outdated work practice.

What these figures show is that there is one rule for officialdom – and one rule for everyone else. It's a culture, just like workplace

bullying, that must be stopped.