A Major Calamity
‘WE were to have brought you another update on the much-vaunted Freedom of Information Act this morning, but unfortunately the information is not available.
| A case for the prosecution |
Most Government departments, says the Times, are refusing to say how many requests for information they have refused or the reasons why.
A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills told the paper: We are too short-staffed today to get to that level of detail. Our people are busy answering freedom of information requests.
So, now we know if the Government refuses to answer your freedom of information request, its because its too busy answering freedom of information requests.
Either that or a shadowy figure from the past has intervened to prevent publication.
The Times alleges that John Major, the grey man of British politics, has stepped in to block the release of documents that would shed light on the fiasco that was Black Wednesday.
It says senior Treasury officials are furious that the papers, which should have been published on Tuesday, are being held back to allow Mr Major and his then Chancellor Lord Lamont time to study them.
However, the Telegraph says Mr Major is in turn incandescent with rage at the claims, which were also last night denied by a Treasury spokesman.
Black Wednesday was the day in 1992 when the Tory governments whole economic policy collapsed around its ears as Britain was humiliatingly forced out of the European exchange rate mechanism.
However, the Tories have accused Labour of double standards, releasing papers that show the previous administration in a bad light.
They want to put out stuff about Black Wednesday, while blocking anything that makes them look bad, a source tells the Telegraph.
That is not freedom of information. That is outrageous.
Or politics, as it is otherwise known.’
Posted: 4th, February 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
