Why did it take so long, when the act gives the public the right to public-sector information?
There are exemptions to the FoI act; there are 25 reasons why officials can refuse to give out information and some of them are really vague. It’s also not properly enforced: information officials are starved of cash so they can’t do their jobs as they want to. There’s also a lack of boldness about challenging authority. When we had the FoI request to disclose the Iraq war memo [the so-called “sexed-up” dossier], it took ages to be resolved. Finally, it was agreed that it should be disclosed, but then ministers vetoed that decision and it was kept secret. There’s still a sense that power knows best and those in power are better placed to tell us what to do. That’s the attitude I want to challenge. These people don’t always know what’s best for us; we know what’s best for us. What did your investigation expose about the UK system compared to other countries? There is a very intense culture of secrecy in Britain that hasn’t yet been dismantled. What passes for transparency here would ser
