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mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Martin Rosenbaum
@mrosenbaum.bsky.social
2.8K followers 720 following 290 posts
Freedom of information expert & consultant. Honorary Research Fellow, Birkbeck College politics dept. Author, 'Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook', http://amzn.to/3L2tuKi. ExBBC political journalist & radio producer. https://rosenbaum.org.uk/
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mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Martin Rosenbaum @mrosenbaum.bsky.social · Jan 10
Since my recent revelations using FOI seem to have sparked some interest here, this seems like a good time to say that if you also want to use FOI effectively, I recommend you buy my book: 'Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook' www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Info...
Front cover of 'Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook'
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
For the first time the Scottish Info Commissioner @foi.scot has launched legal action against a public authority - the Scottish Government - for failing to comply with an FOI decision.
www.foi.scot/statement-sc...
The Scottish Information Commissioner has instructed his solicitors to bring legal proceedings against the Scottish Government in the Court of Session. This follows a failure by the Scottish Government to provide evidence of compliance with a December 2025 decision requiring the Scottish Government to disclose some information relating to the James Hamilton Report into the conduct of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and associated legal advice.
January 23, 2026 at 12:02 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
From today you can make a FOIA request to the Trump Presidential Library for records from Trump's first term of office - www.trumplibrary.gov/research/sub...
Submit a FOIA Request | Donald J. Trump Presidential Library
www.trumplibrary.gov
January 20, 2026 at 6:32 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
My quote in this important article:
January 20, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
gavinfreeguard.bsky.social
Just under a month away!

Join @mysociety.org and others (in London and online) for FOI FEST 2026

Keynotes, discussions, lightning talks, skills tasters

Thursday 19 February

Sign up here: pretix.eu/mysociety/fo...
FOI Fest 2026
Thu, Feb. 19, 2026
pretix.eu
January 20, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Greenland: my archive research last year on how a century ago the UK briefly tried to assert an interest in the territory of Greenland but the Danes resisted - rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/no-britain...
The Foreign Office informed the Danish ambassador in London that the UK would only recognise their complete sovereignty over Greenland on one condition: that ‘should Denmark ever wish to dispose of the island, she would grant the right of pre-emption to the British Empire’.
January 5, 2026 at 10:07 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
For the first time a public authority has been found to be in contempt of court by the Upper Tribunal for failing to comply with a lower tribunal ruling about disclosure of information. Cornwall Council has been forced to apologise and pay £35K in legal costs to the requester.
January 13, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
FOI Fest is coming! A one-day conference about FOI's achievements and challenges in both policy and practice - Thurs, 19 Feb 2026, at Birkbeck College in central London (and also online). Sign up here - pretix.eu/mysociety/fo... - and see you there. If you're interested in FOI, this is for you.
FOI Fest 2026
Thu, Feb. 19, 2026
pretix.eu
December 15, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
mysociety.org
Freedom of Information is all grown up - it turns 21 this year!

Join us for a one day conference to celebrate, scrutinise, and share everything around #FOI in the UK: pretix.eu/mysociety/fo...
January 7, 2026 at 9:32 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
The ICO has published its decision in a high profile FOI case, backing the EHRC's refusal to disclose internal communications about its interim guidance after the UK Supreme Court judgment last April (which ruled that the meaning of "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 is biological)
42. However the Commissioner also considers the early stage at which the information was requested - shortly after the judgement and whilst the process to produce amended guidance was very much ongoing - to be a pivotal factor in the public interest considerations in this case. The EHRC, in its role as the independent regulator for equality and human rights, is trusted with providing guidance for policy makers, public sector bodies and businesses on equality and human rights law. Where any amendments occur to such laws, the Commissioner considers it vital that the EHRC is allowed a safe space to carry out its function of producing updated statutory and non-statutory guidance to the highest standard. The Commissioner does not consider it to be in the public interest to disclose information that would risk inhibiting the advice and deliberations feeding into that guidance. 43. Giving due consideration to the emotive subject matter and wideranging implications of the judgement in this case, the Commissioner is satisfied that disclosure of the requested information would be likely to provoke further polarised reactions. Having regard for the extreme nature of some of those reactions, such as threatening communications and vandalism at EHRC offices, the Commissioner is further satisfied that the EHRC is correct that the free and frank provision of advice, and the free and frank exchange of views for the purpose of deliberation would likely be inhibited. Whilst it is correct that officials should not to be easily deterred from expressing their views by the possibility of future disclosure, it is reasonable to understand in this case why they would likely be fearful of expressing their views so candidly.
January 6, 2026 at 11:16 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
In Scotland the consultation exercise has opened on whether FOI should be extended to the care homes and 'care at home' services run by private businesses and charities/third sector - you can comment here: www.gov.scot/publications...
Extension of FOISA to private and third sector providers of care home and 'care at home' services - Consultation
This consultation seeks views on whether Freedom of Information law should be extended to cover private and third sector (i.e. voluntary and not-for-profit) providers of care home and 'care at home' p...
www.gov.scot
January 5, 2026 at 5:39 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Greenland: my archive research last year on how a century ago the UK briefly tried to assert an interest in the territory of Greenland but the Danes resisted - rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/no-britain...
The Foreign Office informed the Danish ambassador in London that the UK would only recognise their complete sovereignty over Greenland on one condition: that ‘should Denmark ever wish to dispose of the island, she would grant the right of pre-emption to the British Empire’.
January 5, 2026 at 10:07 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Newly declassified documents reveal how Tony Blair quickly regretted the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act - my article for the Telegraph today:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...
January 4, 2026 at 11:13 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
New releases from the National Archives of government records from 2005 show how ministers and officials reacted uneasily to the implementation of FOI, and how they handled some initial cases - "This is becoming a real problem". What I found in the files: rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/tony-we-ha...
Memo about FOI from Jonathan Powell, chief of staff, to Blair: “This is becoming a real problem”. The prime minister writing in reply: “What is the solution?! I need a recommendation”.
December 31, 2025 at 10:24 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
I thought this was the most striking point - depressing but entirely plausible as pragmatic advice. (The whole piece is good and worth reading).
Do as little as possible cross government. The state is interconnected: health outcomes are influenced by educational policy which is influenced by welfare policy… etc. The division of government into 20-odd departments is somewhat arbitrary. That means that there is always an argument that a given policy would better be delivered through multiple departments. It can sound alluringly grown up to launch a cross-departmental, cross-cutting policy initiative. But you and your Minister have limited time, and any action requiring other departments to do stuff is 200% harder. Getting stuff done in your own department is hard enough.
December 30, 2025 at 1:47 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
The government says it's not planning to extend FOI to cover Electoral Returning Officers. However, the forthcoming elections legislation will be a good opportunity to raise this issue further and for someone to propose an amendment to change this.
December 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
Latest quarterly FOI statistics out today show a big increase in FOI requests to UK central govt departments - this is my chart going back to 2005 based on the official figures
Chart of FOI requests to UK government departments since 2005, showing big jump in the last quarter
December 17, 2025 at 10:12 AM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
The ICO has issued an enforcement notice against the FCDO because of its persistently "unacceptable" delays in processing FOI requests and its failure to improve properly, despite the ICO's previous more limited interventions.

Good - the FCDO's track record on FOI is terrible.
The Commissioner considers it unacceptable for a government department’s compliance with the timeliness obligations of FOIA to be so far removed from the law set by parliament and his minimum expected standard for compliance, as well as the average performance for that sector. As the data in Annex 4 demonstrates the FCDO’s performance has been at such a level for a number of years and the Commissioner’s previous interventions and engagements with the FCDO have not led to sustainable improvements, but have demonstrated that better performance has been possible when sufficient focus has been applied to this area. The Commissioner agrees with recent comments by the First-tier Tribunal that compliance with the statutory timetable is vital and that “Significant delays can cause real difficulties to applicants, who often need information within a particular period of time for important reasons”.
December 16, 2025 at 2:55 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
FOI Fest is coming! A one-day conference about FOI's achievements and challenges in both policy and practice - Thurs, 19 Feb 2026, at Birkbeck College in central London (and also online). Sign up here - pretix.eu/mysociety/fo... - and see you there. If you're interested in FOI, this is for you.
FOI Fest 2026
Thu, Feb. 19, 2026
pretix.eu
December 15, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
The Covid Inquiry revealed how the use of chat apps in gov't created an unprecedented document trail, along with a temptation to avoid record keeping or to lose/delete records. By @benworthy.bsky.social & me, for @politicalquarterly.bsky.social - thepoliticalquarterly.substack.com/p/government...
Government by WhatsApp?
The Covid Inquiry revealed that there were ‘substantive discussions’ of important policy decisions through texts and messages. Is this ever acceptable? By Ben Worthy and Martin Rosenbaum.
thepoliticalquarterly.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
The Covid Inquiry revealed how the use of chat apps in gov't created an unprecedented document trail, along with a temptation to avoid record keeping or to lose/delete records. By @benworthy.bsky.social & me, for @politicalquarterly.bsky.social - thepoliticalquarterly.substack.com/p/government...
Government by WhatsApp?
The Covid Inquiry revealed that there were ‘substantive discussions’ of important policy decisions through texts and messages. Is this ever acceptable? By Ben Worthy and Martin Rosenbaum.
thepoliticalquarterly.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
There's an interesting point in this on how automatic transcription of video calls creates more information subject potentially to FOI. While the article presents this as a problem for public bodies, it is equally an opportunity for FOI requesters. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
December 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
How much has the Cabinet Office spent in the last year on legal advice in FOI cases where initial refusals were later overturned? - asks @jimmcmahon.co.uk.
We're not going to tell you - replies the minister, @chriswardmp.bsky.social.
Jim McMahon Labour/Co-operative, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on legal advice for Freedom of Information requests which were first declined and subsequently provided following challenges by (a) internal review, (b) Information Commissioner ruling and (c) first tier tribunal ruling in the last 12 months. Chris Ward The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
December 3, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
cfoiscot.bsky.social
Read the published responses to the SPPA Committee's consultation on the Bill here: yourviews.parliament.scot/sppa/freedom...
Published responses for Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill - Scottish Parliament - Citizen Space
Find and participate in consultations run by the Scottish Parliament
yourviews.parliament.scot
December 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
In the Commons yesterday, Tory frontbencher Caroline Johnson initiated a debate on government transparency and accountability - including on the pincer movement sometimes needed using both written PQs and FOI to extract answers (the reply from the minister Chris Ward did not engage with this point)
I will give an example. After the strategic defence review in 2025, I submitted a written parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Defence to ask which industry bodies, defence industry companies, media organisations and other non-government bodies or people were given access to the review ahead of its publication, and at what times. Because they did not answer the question, I submitted an FOI request. I did not receive a timely response to that. I therefore had to go back to where I started and submitted a written question on 1 September, asking when the Department planned to respond to the FOI request. I finally received a grossly belated response on 16 September—yet it was dated 9 September—from the Secretary of State. That reply was incomplete and I have had to submit another FOI request to get the rest of the information. Is this not the kind of wasteful and inefficient use of time in Government Departments and the civil service that our constituents want rooting out? Why should Members need to submit an FOI request to get an answer to their written question and then submit a written question about that very FOI request in order to get the answer that the Department clearly had all along?
November 28, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Martin Rosenbaum
profjanegreen.bsky.social
UK politics followers, these graphs are in a paper by @jamesdgriffiths.bsky.social and co (inc. me).

There's so much useful info in them.

The long-term context for the politics of our time, how the 'Brexit elections' differed, though note the Y axes may need to be bigger for the next election!!
November 28, 2025 at 9:29 AM