Index raises concerns over UK Freedom of Information
We join media freedom organisations, editors and broadcasters in calling for an urgent review of right-to-know legislation
09 Feb 2021
The Right Honourable Julian Knight MP, Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
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The Right Honourable Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Right Honourable Chloe Smith, Minister for the Cabinet Office
Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner
Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression
Elizabeth Denham, UK Information Commissioner
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon; UK Foreign Office
The editors of the Guardian, Financial Times, Times, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror have joined together in a rare show of unity urging the Government to look at reform to protect Freedom of Information (FoI) rights.
A dozen current and former Fleet Street editors have joined a call for a review into the Government’s use of FoI, raising “serious concerns” their policies are contributing to a culture of declining press freedom in the UK.
They have been joined by staunch critics of the newspaper industry such as Hacked Off founder Brian Cathcart and founder of rival press regulator Impress Jonathan Heawood.
Last modified on Tue 22 Dec 2020 23.37 EST
Boris Johnson has been accused of cronyism after he gave a peerage to a former Conservative party co-treasurer in defiance of advice from the Lords Appointments Commission.
Peter Cruddas, a businessman, philanthropist and Tory donor, was one of 16 people on a list of newly created political peerages – seven Conservative, five Labour, and four crossbench.
In a highly unusual move, Downing Street published the list alongside an open letter from Johnson to Paul Bew, the chair of the commission, explaining why he was putting Cruddas in the upper house without its approval.
Cruddas resigned as Conservative co-treasurer in 2012 after the Sunday Times claimed he was offering access to the prime minister for up to £250,000. A year later Cruddas won £180,000 in damages in a libel action, although that was subsequently reduced to £50,000 after aspects of the original allegations were upheld when the paper appealed.