This unaltered story [1] was originally published on OpenDemocracy.org.
License [2]: Creative Commons 4.0 - Attributions/No Derivities/Int'l.
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UK’s transparency watchdog has a terrible transparency record of its own
By: []
Date: 2021-12
In a damning intervention last week, the UK’s former information commissioner condemned the government’s record on transparency.
Elizabeth Denham told MPs she was “frustrated and disappointed” when the Cabinet Office refused her offer to review how it handles Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
She said the move had “increased suspicion” about government secrecy, following an openDemocracy tribunal victory against the Cabinet Office.
Denham – who left office at the end of November after five years in the role – made a compelling argument, rightly pointing out that ministers are not “walking the talk when it comes to the importance of FOI”.
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But it is hard to square her words with the fact that her own office appears to be in a similar state of chaos.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is subject to the same FOI laws that it regulates. But, just like the government, its track record is shoddy, with countless delayed responses – some of which are delayed by more than a year and, in one case, by more than two years.
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