Drama will be broadcast Feb 23rd
Feb 15, 2010 Campaigns, FOI in Parliament, FOI in the news
The dramatisation of my campaign to open up Parliament now has a date.
On Expenses (formerly Bringing Down the House) will have its first broadcast on BBC4 at 9pm on Tuesday February 23rd. Don’t miss it!! I’ve done an interview with Martin Bell for the Radio Times and will be in tomorrow’s (Feb 16th) Woman’s [...]
Passing the Duchy on a Cornish Holiday
Feb 15, 2010 Environment, Freedom of Information
I’ve just returned from a week’s holiday in Cornwall. It was my first time along the Atlantic Cornish coast and I absolutely loved it. I did some epic walks along the cliffs of Crackington Haven then headed down past Tintagel, Rock, Padstow and on to St Ives with a few trips out to Penzance and [...]
Bad-mouthing FOI
Jan 29, 2010 FOI in the news, Freedom of Information, Law Enforcement
I notice the naysayers are peeping their heads over the parapet again. I’m serving notice that any public servants moaning about having to account to the public under the Freedom of Information had better be prepared to undergo some intense investigation on their spending. I’ll be keeping my eye out for any FOI bad-mouthers in [...]
When Brooke met Brooker
Jan 29, 2010 Access Laws, FOI in the news
I’m on the most recent episode of Charlie Brooker’s wonderfully acerbic Newswipe. Readers of my twitterfeed (@newsbrooke) may know that I’m a big fan of Brooker’s style of caustic and insightful humour so it was a real pleasure to be interviewed for the second series of his show about the news.
You can watch the [...]
Bureaucrats and Blackmailers
Jan 1, 2010 Law Enforcement
Over Christmas I happened to catch the Orson Welles Sketchbook broadcast December 26th on BBC4. Welles may have been speaking decades ago, but his message couldn’t be more pertitent to today. He disccuses state surveillance, police powers and blackmailing bureaucrats.
You can watch it here: http://bbc.co.uk/i/plbtd/
Welles relates stories from his travels around the globe dealing [...]
Casting announced for expenses film
Dec 9, 2009 FOI in Parliament, FOI in the news
Filming began on Saturday for the BBC4 Drama ‘Bringing Down the House’ about my battle with the House of Commons for MPs’ expense receipts. Today the cast list was published.
Two-time BAFTA winner Anna Maxwell Martin is holding her own against a slew of older men playing the parts of the old boys network in [...]
Expect libel reform now that MPs are affected
Dec 7, 2009 FOI in Parliament, FOI in the news
To some it might seem that today’s article in the Guardian is bad news:
Super-injunctions do limit freedom of speech, Speaker’s lawyers advise
• Guidance contradicts justice minister’s stance
• Select committee fears for parliamentary privilege
But that is to overlook the historic tradition whereby MPs don’t give a fig about the invasion of our privacy, civil liberties or [...]
Reformer of the Year
Nov 19, 2009 Campaigns, FOI in the news, Freedom of Information
I don’t get to blog much these days as I’m in the final weeks of my book deadline but I ought to mention that I recently received a very welcome piece of news: I won the title of Political Reformer of the Year 2009 after an online election held by the think-tank Reform.
I was [...]
Public locked out: FOI won’t cover private prisons
Nov 11, 2009 FOI in Parliament, Justice & Courts, Law Enforcement
Despite being paid for by the public, prisons operated under government contract by private companies such as Group 4 will not be covered by a proposed extension of the freedom of information act. This marks a dangerous shift in which public services paid for by us are no longer accountable to us because they have [...]
Hidden High Court Injuctions
Oct 16, 2009 Campaigns, Freedom of Information, Justice & Courts
The Twitter vs Trafigura case continues though it really is the Guardian newspaper and Wikileaks who have been driving this amazing story that illustrates the total lack of freedom of expression granted to the citizens of Britain.
For those who haven’t been following the case: The Guardian was attempting to report on Trafigura, a multi-national [...]
