Comments on: MPs expenses: The best example yet of why FOI is a good law http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/ Relentless user-focus on civic websites Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Michele http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-149828 Michele Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:51:12 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-149828 check out this song about the MP's expenses scandal http://www.youtube.com/user/SunnieDae1 check out this song about the MP’s expenses scandal
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]]> By: Richard http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-89353 Richard Fri, 29 May 2009 11:09:19 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-89353 @Bob Melton: That's a pretty impressive straw man. No, I wouldn't go as far as disclosure of those details, because the public has no legitimate interest in them. I'm talking about things like the addresses of second homes - there's an argument about concealing these for security, but there's also a real public interest to be weighed. @Bob Melton: That’s a pretty impressive straw man. No, I wouldn’t go as far as disclosure of those details, because the public has no legitimate interest in them. I’m talking about things like the addresses of second homes – there’s an argument about concealing these for security, but there’s also a real public interest to be weighed.

]]> By: Bob Jones http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-86370 Bob Jones Wed, 20 May 2009 02:07:26 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-86370 It was Heather Brooke's use of the FOI which first drew public attention to the MP's expenese. See my blog, MP's Expenses: Drippygate not Watergate (http://www.thedailynovel.com/2009/05/18/mps-expenses-drippygate-not-watergate/). It was Heather Brooke’s use of the FOI which first drew public attention to the MP’s expenese. See my blog, MP’s Expenses: Drippygate not Watergate (http://www.thedailynovel.com/2009/05/18/mps-expenses-drippygate-not-watergate/).

]]> By: Sidney Whitaker http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85644 Sidney Whitaker Sat, 16 May 2009 09:03:21 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85644 This message started:"You may have seen a few months ago that mySociety lead [LEAD?!!]the campaign..." Heavy! (cf. reds (under the) bed, fed, wed, ted. This message started:”You may have seen a few months ago that mySociety lead [LEAD?!!]the campaign…” Heavy! (cf. reds (under the) bed, fed, wed, ted.

]]> By: Bob Melton http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85403 Bob Melton Fri, 15 May 2009 17:23:51 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85403 @Richard: would you go as far as disclosure of credit-card numbers and facsimile signatures? Is that she sort of arbitrary flagging for privacy and security you're worried about? @Richard: would you go as far as disclosure of credit-card numbers and facsimile signatures? Is that she sort of arbitrary flagging for privacy and security you’re worried about?

]]> By: Richard http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85384 Richard Fri, 15 May 2009 15:18:03 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85384 In what way is this a victory for the Freedom of Information Act? It certainly explains why the Government has fought it tooth and nail and why effective FOI is a necessary part of good government, but the Telegraph information came from a leak. If we'd relied on FOI, we may eventually have got a watered down version of the facts, with anything abitrarily flagged for privacy or security stripped out. We still can't rely on the FOI regime working as it should. If anything, these revelations show we've got to keep pushing for more transparency where it matters: in the detail. In what way is this a victory for the Freedom of Information Act? It certainly explains why the Government has fought it tooth and nail and why effective FOI is a necessary part of good government, but the Telegraph information came from a leak. If we’d relied on FOI, we may eventually have got a watered down version of the facts, with anything abitrarily flagged for privacy or security stripped out.

We still can’t rely on the FOI regime working as it should. If anything, these revelations show we’ve got to keep pushing for more transparency where it matters: in the detail.

]]> By: lexij http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85375 lexij Fri, 15 May 2009 14:47:08 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85375 It's a partial victory in that we still can't see the actual accounts. The drip-feed is very frustrating; I'd like to be able to make up my own mind. It’s a partial victory in that we still can’t see the actual accounts. The drip-feed is very frustrating; I’d like to be able to make up my own mind.

]]> By: Nick Leaton http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85371 Nick Leaton Fri, 15 May 2009 14:24:14 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85371 The FOI is a first step. You can only really ask a FOI if you know what you are looking for. Lets have all contracts and all public accounts automatically published. Google can then index it, and we can see what's going on. The FOI is a first step. You can only really ask a FOI if you know what you are looking for.

Lets have all contracts and all public accounts automatically published.

Google can then index it, and we can see what’s going on.

]]> By: Mike Taylor http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85367 Mike Taylor Fri, 15 May 2009 14:08:30 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85367 Will this also cover MEP expenses? Will this also cover MEP expenses?

]]> By: Peter Neal http://www.mysociety.org/2009/05/15/mps-expenses-the-best-example-yet-of-why-foi-is-a-good-law/comment-page-1/#comment-85358 Peter Neal Fri, 15 May 2009 13:56:03 +0000 http://www.mysociety.org/?p=1185#comment-85358 I would be great once you have the data if you could cross reference it against our MPs so we can decide whether or not to vote for them at the next election! I would be great once you have the data if you could cross reference it against our MPs so we can decide whether or not to vote for them at the next election!

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