This story [1] was originally published on OpenDemocracy.net/en/.

This story [1] was originally published on OpenDemocracy.net/en/.
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Labour demands investigation into Michael Gove over ‘Orwellian’ FOI unit
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Date: None

Labour has written to prime minister Boris Johnson demanding an investigation into whether Michael Gove broke the ministerial code over a controversial unit accused of ‘blacklisting’ Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from journalists.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Angela Rayner has called for the independent standards adviser to examine whether Gove misled Parliament in comments he previously made about the Cabinet Office’s secretive Clearing House unit, which advises Whitehall departments on how to respond to FOI requests.

The letter comes after the British government lost its bid to avoid disclosing documents about the Clearing House operation to openDemocracy.

Ruling in openDemocracy’s favour, tribunal judge Chris Hughes said there was a “profound lack of transparency” about the secretive FOI unit.

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Hughes also said there was a “lacuna in public information” about how the Cabinet Office ensured transparency and that the tribunal had been misled by Gove’s department.

Rayner’s letter, sent to Johnson and cabinet secretary Simon Case, says the tribunal judgement shows Gove made a statement that “has proven to be untrue” when he appeared before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) in December.

Asked about the Clearing House in December, Gove told the PACAC that “the idea that there is a secret Clearing House or any sort of blacklist is... not correct.”

“It would appear that Mr Gove has misled Parliament, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in saying ‘the idea that there is a secret clearing house… is … not correct’, a statement that has been proven to be untrue by this court judgement,” Rayner wrote.

Labour has called on Johnson to appoint the government’s independent adviser Lord Geidt to conduct a full investigation.

“The Ministerial Code is clear that: ‘It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister,’” Rayner added.

[1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/labour-demands-investigation-into-michael-gove-over-orwellian-foi-unit/