Relight My FOIA

In line with today’s other resignations, the government seems to have backed away from kneecapping FOI, a PQ suggests.

It was feared after briefings to the FT over its cost and vague “China” security issues it would repeal FOI by the back door by using secondary legislation to slash the cost limit.

By cutting the amount of information that could be requested, which would not require primary legislation to do, FOI could have been crippled.

The PQ reply says “there are no current plans to amend secondary legislation or guidance related to the FOI Act.”

While that seems good news for transparency, some in government appear determined to repeal the landmark anti-corruption legislation.

Careful watch must be kept.

The current Labour government has done nothing meaningful to expand the public right to know, despite promises in opposition.

I hope the next PM will look at this again.

We shouldn’t have to be fighting to stand still on such an important constitutional right.

Well done to all those who pushed back on this, and for Alex Burghart and for pushing on the issue with a series of probing PQs