Journalists are concerned that the UK's freedom of information laws are being undermined.
More than 100 journalists, politicians, and campaigners have signed an open letter warning that a lack of resources and government departments obstructing lawful requests are undermining the UK's freedom of information (FoI) laws. The Guardian's Katharine Viner and the Observer's Paul Webster are among the signatories, as are the shadow solicitor general, Andy Slaughter, former Brexit secretary David Davis, and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas. The letter, coordinated by the online news organisation openDemocracy, is addressed to John Edwards, the new information commissioner in charge of enforcing FoI law, which gives members of the public the legal right to request official information from public bodies. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Edwards' organisation, reviews complaints against public bodies that have refused FOI requests and can order them to release material if they have failed to comply with the law. However, journalists and researc