10 March - Bexley council still keenly pursuing its anti-democratic agenda
If you run an incompetent and sometimes dishonest outfit such as Bexley council, the Freedom of Information Act must be the bane of your life
as interested individuals strive to prise the truth out of an organisation
unfamiliar with the concept. So naturally Bexley council puts obstacles in the
way and their latest is to publish the names of applicants on its website. That
puts a legal FOI request into the same category usually reserved for fugitives
from justice and bus vandals. How long before the same technique is applied to
late library books or bin lids left slightly open?
Councillor Colin Campbell, cabinet member for corporate affairs is the bright
spark who has dreamed up this latest assault on democracy. He says that FOI
requests are costing more than the council leader’s allowance. Perhaps he should ask
himself which provides the best value for the money.
Personally I’m not convinced that putting names on a website is much of a
disincentive and I hope that Colin Campbell’s authoritarian scheme fails.
Does anyone have any idea why so-called Conservatives are so keen to act like
left wing dictators these days? I suspect that it’s not unconnected with the
party’s abysmal poll ratings. If the choice is between two sets of idiots you
might as well vote for the party which is the acknowledged expert in that field.
I’ve not yet found any FOI names on the council website even though they
are said to be there. My name won’t be included, I’ve not made any FOI requests.