This article celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act and highlights its impact on transparency and accountability. It explores various landmark cases where the Act played a crucial role in exposing scandals and wrongdoing.
Two decades ago, a ground-breaking law came into force that allowed us to expose scandals in a way we'd never been able to before. On January 1, 2005 the Freedom of Information Act was introduced, which gave people the right to access information held by public authorities. It has been hailed as a ‘triumph for transparency’, but it wasn't popular with everyone.
In his memoirs Tony Blair lamented the FoI Act as one of his greatest mistakes as prime minister, writing that he had been a “naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop” to introduce it. Since then it has become an indispensable tool for journalists, allowing the M.E.N. and other local and national news organisations to unearth startling revelations that might otherwise have remained buried. Perhaps the most famous use of the legislation, which enlightened the public to its potential, was by investigative journalist Heather Brooke. Through it she exposed the 2009 'expenses scandal', which revealed what our politicians were claiming money for. Through a series of Freedom of Information requests, Parliamentarians eventually disclosed a widespread misuse of allowances and expenses. In 2009, the Daily Telegraph ran the story that highlighted the colossal volume of claims by politicians. They ranged from a tin of dog food, to a lightbulb, to £90,000 spent on the upkeep of an MP’s country estate. And perhaps the most infamous of all - a Tory MP's £1,645 expenses claim for an ornamental island house for the ducks in his pond. Unedited details of MPs' expenses including address details showed the practice of 'flipping', that is, changing the registered main address for various tax and expense purposes. Greater Manchester MPs were amongst those caught in the scandal's net. Public anger indicated that privacy is not an absolute right - especially when taxpayers' money is being spent. It resulted in numerous resignations, sackings, de-selections, retirement announcements and even jail sentences, as well as public apologies. In all, 392 politicians were ordered to repay £1.3million of misclaimed expenses. It also led to the creation of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, ending the self-regulation of MPs’ pay and expenses. The Manchester Evening News has used the legislation to expose matters of huge public importance over the last few years. Here are just some of those we have uncovered. Sir Cyril Smith ‘bullied’ police investigating child sex abuse allegations An M.E.N. investigation in 2013 uncovered secret files that showed how the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith tried to bully police who were investigating claims he had molested young boys. Records obtained through an FOI request revealed he went on a ‘fishing expedition’ to Rochdale police station in 1970, demanding to be told why detectives were investigating him and asking for the names of his accusers. Sir Cyril, who was then a prominent councillor, also asked to be told if he was going to be charged so he could decide whether to stand for MP at the next election. Officers went on to submit a file of evidence but prosecutors eventually decided not to pursue the case, allowing Sir Cyril to realise his ambition of a Parliamentary career. Greater Manchester Police have since publicly acknowledged that Sir Cyril did abuse young boys and the Crown Prosecution Service has admitted: 'The decision made in 1970 would not be made today.' How officials let sex offenders, paedophiles, and a rapist drive your taxi In 2014 we revealed sex offenders, paedophiles, and a rapist were among hundreds of convicted criminals who had been given licences to drive taxis. Data released after an FOI request to Manchester council exposed that 292 crooks have been granted licences since 2007, allowing them to pick up vulnerable customers, including school children, disabled people and lone women. Stolen hospital laptops contained details of more than 10,000 patients In 2010, through freedom of information laws, we found that two laptops stolen from The Christie in 2009 contained private information about more than 10,000 patients. The computers, which held names, addresses, dates of birth and personal medical details including test results, were stolen during break-ins at locked offices at the Withington cancer hospital. In a separate incident, a computer which held the names, addresses, dates of births and medical information about almost 700 patients was stolen from a locked office in the neurosurgical department at Salford Royal Hospital. The computer was protected with a password. Spate of clown crime across the region In one of the weirder stories of 2014, we revealed how police dealt with a spate of crimes committed by people dressed as clowns. A total of 19 incidents took plac
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TRANSPARENCY JOURNALISM EXPOSES PUBLIC INTEREST
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Highest student loan debt made public after freedom of information requestMore than a decade after student loans were tripled in the UK under David Cameron's coalition government, Sky News has obtained figures that lay bare the scale of mounting debts some graduates face.
Read more »
Fast Facts Celebrates 30 Years of Providing Concise Medical InformationThis article celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Fast Facts series, exploring its origins, vision, and impact on healthcare publishing. It highlights the series' commitment to providing concise, readable, and internationally-focused medical information for a wide range of healthcare professionals.
Read more »
Bronson Makes Final Bid for Freedom After 50 YearsCharles Bronson, Britain's most notorious prisoner, is seeking parole for the ninth and final time after spending over half a century behind bars for armed robbery.
Read more »
NHS Scotland maintenance backlog hits 'staggering' record of £1.3bnA Freedom of Information request showed that the maintenance backlog had hit record levels.
Read more »
MP Pensions: Workers Need 52 Years to Match 20 Years of ServiceAn average worker needs to work 52 years to achieve the same retirement income as an MP who works for 20 years thanks to their generous pensions.
Read more »
Enfield Drivers Hit With Most Ulez Fines in LondonA Freedom of Information Act request revealed that cars registered in Enfield received the most penalty charge notices (PCNs) in London's expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).
Read more »