MPs vote to avoid FOI laws

Last Modified: 18 May 2007
By: Cathy Newman

MPs vote for a bill which would exempt them from the terms of the Freedom of Information act.

"Squalid", "shameful" and "a terrible day for parliamentary democracy" - the words of critics after MPs backed a controversial bid to exempt them from Freedom of Information laws.

The measure, introduced by the former Conservative chief whip David Maclean, won a third reading despite a five-hour battle by a cross-party group of MPs to block its progress.

Supporters claimed it would protect the confidentiality of correspondence from constituents - and wouldn't block disclosure of MPs expenses.

But it now faces another tough session to get past the Lords.

At the moment freedom of information requests cannot be directed at individual MPs and peers, but can be applied to parliament as a whole.

Shut inside parliament: information supposedly free to the public that MPs now want to keep behind closed doors.

They already have gold-plated pensions. Now MPs have voted for gold-plated information laws too.

If today's bill goes through, the public would be prevented from extracting information from parliament about MPs and peers.

At the moment freedom of information requests cannot be directed at individual MPs and peers, but can be applied to parliament as a whole.