[ UPDATE 16/02/09: I’ve had a letter from my MP, Kevin Brennan, in reply to my email. It’s dated 12th February 2009 and reads “Thank you for contacting me regarding Freedom of Information and MPs expenses. I believe it is essential that elected representatives should have the support necessary to perform their functions, including the requirement to represent their constituency at Westminster in parliament. In addition I believe that the public are entitled to see how any expenses paid for from the public purse are spent, and following the debate which took place in the Commons there will be full publication in the near future.” ]
[ UPDATE: Gordon Brown has now backed down and withdrawn this proposal. Although I’ve had no reply as yet from my MP (Labour party), it’s still rather excellent news. ]
Whatever your political persuasion, if you live in the UK and value government openness then this may trouble you.
Ministers are about to conceal MPs’ expenses, even though the public has just paid £1m to get them all ready for publication, and even though the tax man expects citizens to do what MPs don’t have to. They buried the news on the day of the Heathrow runway announcement. This is heading in the diametric wrong direction from government openness.
The above quote is taken from mySociety where you can find more info on how to complain. You have until Thursday 22nd January 2009 to do this.
If you’re on Facebook, there’s a group to spread the word.
I’ve written to my MP. If he responds, I’ll post it here.
How about forcing a little more openness in government consultations and requests for comments too? For example, why not comment directly on the Digital Britain interim report? http://writetoreply.org/digitalbritain/
Great idea Tony. I’ve already spread that link and I’m commenting right now!