Friday, May 25, 2007
FOI Bill Goes to the Lords
It's not always that I agree with Anne Perkins (who wrote a brilliant biography of Barbara Castle), but her piece on CommentisFree today on David Maclean's FOI Bill is spot on. And I am appalled that Lord Tregarne is taking up the Bill in the Lords. Let's hope Peers of all parties unite to throw it out.
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12 comments:
Is Tregarne some buddy of MacLean then?
I Hope it does get through as it will show the Tory party to be as bad as the labour shower. Your party brought it TWICE to the Commons. Your leader had TWO opportunities to stop it but turned away. When the press in unison shouted against this abuse of power, Cameron then said he would stop it. What an absolute wet!
It has shown him to be the coward we know him to be.
I echo the wish that the Lords throw this Bill out. If MPs really need such protection for the contents of their Constituents' communications, then let them bring forward a Bill covering just this explicit matter.
With the cabinet now behind the bill won't the Lords be less likely to throw it out?
Their Lordships will take their cue from Brown, if they know what's good for them - or else get the full benefit of his wrath when the Upper House comes up for reform (no pensions or pay-offs).
I see that this lord is another one with previous with regards to the whips office.
A bloody Conservative to boot. Well, now is your chance "Dave" get on the phone and jump all over this slimy toad and make him drop it !!
Tory peer set to do Labour's dirty work. Has Dave so little influence?
I take it you mean Lord Trefgarne?
Isn't there a famous quote which sums up this odious bill? Seems we hear it from the Government often enough about ID cards.
If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear.
So what have the MPs got to hide from those who elect them?
(We all know the answer to that, of course - but I'd like to hear the question asked of every MP who voted for it, and an answer insisted on, with no waffling about constituents' letters and sundry old rubbish. For starters, they could explain why they fought for TWO YEARS to keep the breakdown of their travel expenses secret - all in the interests of transparency, of course)
There is a large red herring being trailed here, the issue of expenses. Nothing to do with it; what's really at stake is revealing the extent to which special interest groups lobby MPs, with associated pressure and favours, or MPs attempt to put pressure on local councils.That's what the utterly contemptible Maclean and his cronies are trying to hide. Expenses be damned, it's the hidden machinery of government they're trying to keep out of the voters' oversight. This bill must be defeated, not amended, which would just be playing into their gands.
" Lord Trefgarne?"
No f in real Lord!
oops, playing into their hands
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