Skip to content
openDemocracy
Subscribe

In the UK, government secrecy is growing. Here's how we fight back

On International Right to Know Day, here’s what openDemocracy has exposed about the threat to Freedom of Information

By Jenna Corderoy
In the UK, government secrecy is growing. Here's how we fight back
The number of FOI requests being rejected by the UK government is on the rise | Jeff Gilbert / Alamy Stock Photo
Published:
Share

Last week, openDemocracy revealed that the UK government has spent at least £500,000 over the past five years trying to prevent the release of material under Freedom of Information (FOI) rules.

Our reporting showed that at least six government departments have spent heavily on legal battles against decisions by the information regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

And people really do care about this issue. A poll commissioned by openDemocracy found that three-quarters of adults believe transparency is important for the health of the UK’s democracy. Most are concerned that the number of FOI requests being rejected by the government is on the rise.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0