Claire Miller
@clairemiller.bsky.social
Data journalist, maths geek, feminist, responsible for a lot of the ICO's FOI caseload.
clairemiller.net
clairemiller.net
Reposted by Claire Miller
PS we've also published all the documents and the judgement too 😀
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/victory-we...
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/victory-we...
Victory! We’ve won major legal battle exposing car industry lobbying
After two years we can finally reveal “backdoor channels where corporate money hijacks our democracy.”
democracyforsale.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:58 AM
PS we've also published all the documents and the judgement too 😀
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/victory-we...
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/victory-we...
Reposted by Claire Miller
This is the *fourth* information tribunal Democracy for Sale has won this year.
We’re fighting more cases to prise open government secrecy and expose hidden lobbying across British politics.
Sign up to Democracy for Sale to read @lucasamin.bsky.social 's scoop + more
democracyforsale.substack.com
We’re fighting more cases to prise open government secrecy and expose hidden lobbying across British politics.
Sign up to Democracy for Sale to read @lucasamin.bsky.social 's scoop + more
democracyforsale.substack.com
Democracy for Sale | Peter Geoghegan | Substack
A newsletter dedicated to revealing how dark money and hidden influence threaten our democracy. Click to read Democracy for Sale, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
democracyforsale.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:57 AM
This is the *fourth* information tribunal Democracy for Sale has won this year.
We’re fighting more cases to prise open government secrecy and expose hidden lobbying across British politics.
Sign up to Democracy for Sale to read @lucasamin.bsky.social 's scoop + more
democracyforsale.substack.com
We’re fighting more cases to prise open government secrecy and expose hidden lobbying across British politics.
Sign up to Democracy for Sale to read @lucasamin.bsky.social 's scoop + more
democracyforsale.substack.com
Reposted by Claire Miller
Government by WhatsApp
The latest Covid Inquiry report criticises Ministerial use of informal communication channels during the pandemic. It says the practice has serious implications for govt decision-making, FOI, court proceedings and public inquiries.
The latest Covid Inquiry report criticises Ministerial use of informal communication channels during the pandemic. It says the practice has serious implications for govt decision-making, FOI, court proceedings and public inquiries.
November 21, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Government by WhatsApp
The latest Covid Inquiry report criticises Ministerial use of informal communication channels during the pandemic. It says the practice has serious implications for govt decision-making, FOI, court proceedings and public inquiries.
The latest Covid Inquiry report criticises Ministerial use of informal communication channels during the pandemic. It says the practice has serious implications for govt decision-making, FOI, court proceedings and public inquiries.
Reposted by Claire Miller
Investigation: Dozens of councils do not hold data on how many home-educated children are subject to child protection enquiries – suggesting many authorities are underprepared for new duties to protect vulnerable children
schoolsweek.co.uk/safeguarding...
schoolsweek.co.uk/safeguarding...
Safeguarding risk data missing from home education records
Dozens of LAs hold no data on at-home kids potentially at risk, spelling trouble for new duties
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Investigation: Dozens of councils do not hold data on how many home-educated children are subject to child protection enquiries – suggesting many authorities are underprepared for new duties to protect vulnerable children
schoolsweek.co.uk/safeguarding...
schoolsweek.co.uk/safeguarding...
Reposted by Claire Miller
I never thought a comparison could be overly harsh on Stevenage. But here we are.
November 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I never thought a comparison could be overly harsh on Stevenage. But here we are.
Reposted by Claire Miller
Worth remembering as this unfolds that it was disabled people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds who disproportionately died. Tens of thousands needlessly lost their lives, many who died alone or with just an iPad. Thousands more were left with life changing Long Covid. A true scandal.
BREAKING: The UK’s response to Covid was “too little, too late”, a damning official report on the handling of the pandemic has concluded, saying the introduction of a lockdown even a week earlier than happened could have saved more than 20,000 lives.
November 20, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Worth remembering as this unfolds that it was disabled people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds who disproportionately died. Tens of thousands needlessly lost their lives, many who died alone or with just an iPad. Thousands more were left with life changing Long Covid. A true scandal.
Reposted by Claire Miller
If only there had been some clues Boris was like this
November 20, 2025 at 4:20 PM
If only there had been some clues Boris was like this
Two stories this week highlight the usefulness of FOI for campaigners...
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 26/7/2024 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Two stories this week highlight the usefulness of FOI for campaigners. Poor air quality A Greenwich mum is fighting for improved air quality after her three-year-old son was hospitalised and now relies on an inhaler twice a day. Alice Potter, 37, moved to Charlton nearly five years ago with her partner and said that in
clairemiller.net
November 20, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Two stories this week highlight the usefulness of FOI for campaigners...
How many attempts did Britain's most persistent learner driver's need in order to pass their theory or practical tests (probably even more impressive given how hard it is to book tests!)
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 19, 2025 at 1:43 PM
How many attempts did Britain's most persistent learner driver's need in order to pass their theory or practical tests (probably even more impressive given how hard it is to book tests!)
Reposted by Claire Miller
What causes child poverty?
A fall in earnings is the event most likely to put household incomes below the poverty line. But nearly a fifth of families tip into poverty after the arrival of a new child. Knock-on impacts like someone giving up work for childcare add to the risk.
A fall in earnings is the event most likely to put household incomes below the poverty line. But nearly a fifth of families tip into poverty after the arrival of a new child. Knock-on impacts like someone giving up work for childcare add to the risk.
November 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
What causes child poverty?
A fall in earnings is the event most likely to put household incomes below the poverty line. But nearly a fifth of families tip into poverty after the arrival of a new child. Knock-on impacts like someone giving up work for childcare add to the risk.
A fall in earnings is the event most likely to put household incomes below the poverty line. But nearly a fifth of families tip into poverty after the arrival of a new child. Knock-on impacts like someone giving up work for childcare add to the risk.
Workers have been threatened, punched, hit with a cricket stump, bitten, had hair pulled from their scalp, or even had their homes targeted, as #FOI shows rising attacks on Wirral Council staff:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 18, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Workers have been threatened, punched, hit with a cricket stump, bitten, had hair pulled from their scalp, or even had their homes targeted, as #FOI shows rising attacks on Wirral Council staff:
Reposted by Claire Miller
Steve is a well known investigate journalist for the Texas Observer, The Barbed Wire and other outlets. His signal info is on his bio to reach him for anyone who might want to reach out
A swatting incident that occurred last Thanksgiving, has been confirmed.
Read 👇🏼
A swatting incident that occurred last Thanksgiving, has been confirmed.
Read 👇🏼
Last Thanksgiving, two Dallas Police officers knocked on my door, citing a tip from the FBI national threat operations center that I was beating my girlfriend. The incident report confirms this. Today, I obtained a file from the FBI via FOIA that states the FBI has no record of receiving such a tip.
November 18, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Steve is a well known investigate journalist for the Texas Observer, The Barbed Wire and other outlets. His signal info is on his bio to reach him for anyone who might want to reach out
A swatting incident that occurred last Thanksgiving, has been confirmed.
Read 👇🏼
A swatting incident that occurred last Thanksgiving, has been confirmed.
Read 👇🏼
Reposted by Claire Miller
The FoI Reform Bill may run out of time before completing the 3 stage parliamentary process, according to the Minister for Parliamentary Business when speaking at today's annual FoI Conference. Lots of work to do by March 2026!
@rmtunion.bsky.social @unitescotland.bsky.social
@rmtunion.bsky.social @unitescotland.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The FoI Reform Bill may run out of time before completing the 3 stage parliamentary process, according to the Minister for Parliamentary Business when speaking at today's annual FoI Conference. Lots of work to do by March 2026!
@rmtunion.bsky.social @unitescotland.bsky.social
@rmtunion.bsky.social @unitescotland.bsky.social
Reposted by Claire Miller
Worth noting:
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
November 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Worth noting:
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
Securing a study spot in the uni library can be a challenge. Edinburgh University ran a pilot scheme to dissuade students from 'hogging' desks.
#FOI shows how many were spotted in just a week:
#FOI shows how many were spotted in just a week:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 18, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Securing a study spot in the uni library can be a challenge. Edinburgh University ran a pilot scheme to dissuade students from 'hogging' desks.
#FOI shows how many were spotted in just a week:
#FOI shows how many were spotted in just a week:
Thousands of elderly and vulnerable people have received eviction notices from their care homes in the past year, #FOI has revealed.
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Thousands of elderly and vulnerable people have received eviction notices from their care homes in the past year, #FOI has revealed.
Some classic and creative uses of #FOI this week.
One of the aims with the weekly blog is ideas that could be applied in other places. Some topics turn up often, others are a bit different:
One of the aims with the weekly blog is ideas that could be applied in other places. Some topics turn up often, others are a bit different:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 17, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Some classic and creative uses of #FOI this week.
One of the aims with the weekly blog is ideas that could be applied in other places. Some topics turn up often, others are a bit different:
One of the aims with the weekly blog is ideas that could be applied in other places. Some topics turn up often, others are a bit different:
Oxford colleges have provided locations for TV series including Prime Target and Ludwig.
But, according to #FOI, how much have they made from filming:
But, according to #FOI, how much have they made from filming:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 16, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Oxford colleges have provided locations for TV series including Prime Target and Ludwig.
But, according to #FOI, how much have they made from filming:
But, according to #FOI, how much have they made from filming:
Last week's #FOI Friday covered a victory in a battle to find out how much shopping centres purchased by a council were worth.
This week we get to find out how much they've dropped in value:
This week we get to find out how much they've dropped in value:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 15, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Last week's #FOI Friday covered a victory in a battle to find out how much shopping centres purchased by a council were worth.
This week we get to find out how much they've dropped in value:
This week we get to find out how much they've dropped in value:
Littering, vandalism, and lost laptops.
And the country's most persistent learner drivers.
It's this week's #FOI round-up:
And the country's most persistent learner drivers.
It's this week's #FOI round-up:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 14/11/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
Some classic and creative uses of the Freedom of Information Act this week. There's some FOI stories which turn up quite often in this Friday list (not mentioning potholes). And others that are a bit new and different. One of the aims with this weekly blog is FOI ideas that could be applied in other
clairemiller.net
November 14, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Littering, vandalism, and lost laptops.
And the country's most persistent learner drivers.
It's this week's #FOI round-up:
And the country's most persistent learner drivers.
It's this week's #FOI round-up:
Reposted by Claire Miller
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!
Issue for Labour now isn't whether they break their manifesto pledge on tax. It is whether they do so in a way which is blatant, honest but sustainable - or whether they do so by a myriad of complex and likely insufficient means whilst arguing they are not.
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
Imho, one seems more toxic than the other
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Yes, I think this is what the “it’s smart not to do income tax” stuff is missing. If you remove salary sacrifice on someone’s pension contributions you are increasing their income tax! If you freeze thresholds you are increasing their income tax!
Reposted by Claire Miller
This is the kind of political thinking, elevating "narrative" and message above literally every actual real world policy question, that makes me want to smash my head into a wall over and over again
Too much analysis was still treating breaking the tax pledge as “just another unpopular decision” rather than recognising consequence of breaking a promise which defined an election for the public. If is correct the govt won’t now break it they may have avoided a deeply scarring loss of public trust
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM
This is the kind of political thinking, elevating "narrative" and message above literally every actual real world policy question, that makes me want to smash my head into a wall over and over again
Child poverty is at a record high (and the Government might finally be about to do something about that).
I dug into the numbers for @theleaduk.bsky.social and what they show about what the impact of child poverty looks like and how we got here.
national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...
I dug into the numbers for @theleaduk.bsky.social and what they show about what the impact of child poverty looks like and how we got here.
national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...
Every number is a life: The child poverty crisis in stats
Millions of children in the UK are going without basic essentials – how we count them matters. Claire Miller drills into the numbers behind child poverty.
national.thelead.uk
November 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Child poverty is at a record high (and the Government might finally be about to do something about that).
I dug into the numbers for @theleaduk.bsky.social and what they show about what the impact of child poverty looks like and how we got here.
national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...
I dug into the numbers for @theleaduk.bsky.social and what they show about what the impact of child poverty looks like and how we got here.
national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...
Got a tip-off on a local crime wave? Council trying to top-up the budget with rising charges? What’s the background to that rebrand?
#FOI is often local but you could make these ideas work for you:
#FOI is often local but you could make these ideas work for you:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 28/3/2025 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers
A lot of Freedom of Information requests are about local issues. So this week that includes the cost of parking permits, vandalism to school signs, dead game birds and alternative names for train lines. Many of these could have a new life slightly less locally (though the one about pheasants does need some local pheasants).
clairemiller.net
November 13, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Got a tip-off on a local crime wave? Council trying to top-up the budget with rising charges? What’s the background to that rebrand?
#FOI is often local but you could make these ideas work for you:
#FOI is often local but you could make these ideas work for you:
Reposted by Claire Miller
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.