I have demanded an investigation into @michaelgove breaking the Ministerial Code by misleading Parliament following a judge ruling that the Cabinet Office misled a court.
The Ministerial Code is clear that Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign. (1/9)
The Ministerial Code is clear that Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign. (1/9)
After a 3 year legal battle the government lost a significant legal case regarding a secretive "Clearing House" in the Cabinet Office which handles FOI requests.
The judge in the case ruled that the Cabinet Office's case & defence was "misleading". (2/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
The judge in the case ruled that the Cabinet Office's case & defence was "misleading". (2/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
However, in December 2020 @michaelgove told Parliament that: "the idea that there is a secret clearing house... is... not correct".
This statement has just been proven to be untrue by the court judgement, so Michael Gove misled Parliament, either knowingly or unknowingly. (3/9)
This statement has just been proven to be untrue by the court judgement, so Michael Gove misled Parliament, either knowingly or unknowingly. (3/9)
.@michaelgove also denied that "any sort of blacklist" exists, saying that "all freedom of information requests are treated in exactly the same way".
This contradicts evidence that the 'Clearing House' has acted to withhold information and requests are treated differently. (4/9)
This contradicts evidence that the 'Clearing House' has acted to withhold information and requests are treated differently. (4/9)
For eg @openDemocracy revealed that the 'Clearing House' blocked a campaigner whose father died of HIV from accessing information about the infected blood scandal.
Emails also show requests from journalists being 'flagged' and treated differenly. (5/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
Emails also show requests from journalists being 'flagged' and treated differenly. (5/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
More information here on the 'Clearing House', with departments referring certain FOI requests from journalists and campaigners to it, and requests from some journalists being treated differently - contradicting what @michaelgove told Parliament. (6/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
As the court ruled, because of the lack of transparency about the 'Clearing House', we do not know the truth about how it operates, and therefore whether @michaelgove misled Parliament for a second time when he said "all FOI requests are treated in exactly the same way". (7/9)
However the truth will be revealed in the documents that the judge in this case ruled must now be released.
That is why we need an investigation, including these documents that a court has ruled must be published, to find out whether @michaelgove misled Parliament twice. (8/9)
That is why we need an investigation, including these documents that a court has ruled must be published, to find out whether @michaelgove misled Parliament twice. (8/9)
Rules matter and standards matter. We can't have Ministers going around misleading Parliament and not telling the truth.
A court has already found that @michaelgove misled Parliament once, and potentially twice. So let's have the truth. (9/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
A court has already found that @michaelgove misled Parliament once, and potentially twice. So let's have the truth. (9/9)
opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
