For your information...I mean.....Freedom of information

Freedom of information as defined by UK definitions;

"The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an act of the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament defining the ways in which the public may obtain access to government-held information. The intent is to allow private individuals and corporations reasonable access to information while minimizing the risk of harm to any entity. The concept was first put forward in 1997, was passed in 2000 and came into full effect in 2005. A similar act was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2002."

Although FOI is extremely popular especially amongst journalists it is not so widely appreciated by MPs due to its restriction on privacy. Tony Blair when interviewed by Andrew Marr expressed his regret at installing the Freedom of Information Act, referring to himself in first person:

"You idiot. You naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop. There is really no description of stupidity, no matter how vivid, that is adequate. I quake at the imbecility of it."

He described it as dangerous saying that governments need to be able to discuss matters with a reasonable level of confidentiality and blamed Journalists for using it as a 'weapon'. But now with the FOI anyone can request almost any information they want on a public body. In Tony went on to say

"If you are trying to take a difficult decision and you're weighing up the pros and cons, you have frank conversations... And if those conversations then are put out in a published form that afterwards are libel to be highlighted in particular ways, you are going to be very cautious. That's why it's not a sensible thing."

A February 2008 Freedom of Information Act request for the release of details of MPs' expenses claims was allowed by an Information Tribunal exposed the parliamentary expenses scandal. This was a massive story on what Mp's were claiming millions of pounds on. This was all leaked by the Daily Telegraph which began publishing details in daily instalments from 8 May 2009.

Should we get rid of the FOI act? in my very humble opinion certainly not. If they were to abolish it information like the the expenses scandal would never have been released or even known. So although it may be annoying and inconvenient for MPs, it is certainly not an inconvenience for us journalists!