‘A grotesque attack on democracy’: Journalism industry anger over council calls for weakened FoI Act

The Daily Telegraph has condemned local council calls to weaken the Freedom of Information Act as a "grotesque attack on democracy".

Press Gazette revealed submissions from the Local Government Association and several councils calling for FoI charges and reduced time limits yesterday. In addition, one council submission attacked "lazy journalism".

Press Gazette also reported that UK universities want to be exempt from the act.

These reports were followed by coverage in The Times, Daily Mail and on the front page of The Daily Telegraph today.

In an editorial, the Telegraph said: "Submissions to a (mistaken and troubling) Government review of the legislation reveal that local councils want 'stricter controls' on what should reveal to the people whose taxes they spend, including charges and reduced time limits to make it easier to reject applications.

"There is a certain grotesque irony here, since the submissions to the review were of course written by council officials whose salaries are funded by the taxpayers whose right to information they seek to curtail.

"The irony does not stop there. Universities, institutions supposedly dedicated to enlightenment and debate, also want to make it harder to find out how they operate and spend public money."

The Telegraph said: "This would be darkly comic, if only the stakes were not so high. Faith in government and politics is waning, because many people do not trust those in power. The best remedy is government that uses money and power frugally, and stands accountable for that use. However modestly, the Act helps deliver that transparency. Ministers must ignore the siren calls of self-preserving officialdom and protect the electorate’s right to know."

Council and university submissions were also condemned by individual journalists yesterday:

‘Lazy journalism’: a term that, when used by politicians, almost always means ‘annoying scrutiny’ https://t.co/svMUke4j4y

— Isabel Hardman (@IsabelHardman) December 8, 2015

Very concerned about weak local journalism – at time when much more public £ to be raised/spent at local level @isabelhardman @pressgazette

— Liam Halligan (@LiamHalligan) December 9, 2015

Local councils want power to decide what is 'lazy journalism' https://t.co/LIkZQ0fZDQ

— David Lindsell (@SWLondonwebed) December 8, 2015

The Local Government Association will get torn to shreds for this response on FOI.. And rightly so https://t.co/XU5oTBtVbU

— Dylan Sharpe (@dylsharpe) December 8, 2015

Or "Please God, don't let light shine in here…": Councils call for FoI fees, more curbs,blames 'lazy journalism' https://t.co/TB2QLSjsO7

— Neil Wallis (@neilwallis1) December 8, 2015

Who'd have thought!> Councils call for FoI fees, lower cost limits, public interest tests and attack lazy journalism https://t.co/zRqrx1hEBS

— Murdoch MacLennan (@MMacLennanTMG) December 8, 2015

Some politicians want to rein in the Freedom of Information Act. You know why, don't you? https://t.co/YmUuJBi7p0

— John Wilson (@johnwilsonWN) December 8, 2015

There's no doubt a debate to be had on FOI. But calling journos lazy shouldn't be part of that debate @pressgazette https://t.co/DYGT6mjXvO

— Paul Masterman (@InterimBoy) December 8, 2015

Wicked, wicked journalists are duffing up lazy, bloated councils stuffed with overpaid time servers: https://t.co/D3fAcEX3Oh

— Martin Hoscik (@MartinHoscik) December 8, 2015

That last council quote is effectively "We want to limit FOIs because we don't like negative coverage" https://t.co/Fne1m1YQMg

— James Connington (@JamesConnington) December 8, 2015