Labour call time on open government

According to several newspapers, Jack Straw last week suggested that government departments publicised as much bad news as possible in order to bury it in all the hoo-hah and coverage of the inquiry into Lady Diana's death by Lord Stevens.

As it happened this was the same day that Tony Blair was helping old Bill with their inquiries and the Serious Fraud Office were dropping their inquiries concerning BAE "commission payments" to Saudi Arabia.

Rather more startling was the announcement that Lord Falconer is pressing ahead with plans to limit the freedom of the information Act by curtailing rights of access and increasing charges.

It looks like new Labour are going the same way as their predecessors, and appear to be sliding into a pool of sleaze and corruption so much for open government.

The sort of news management that new Labour seems to employ these days, appears to betray all that pious crap about open government during their first term in office, it looks to me that whilst Jack Straw maybe uncomfortable with a veil that covers the face, a veil of secrecy created by distraction or misdirection is OK.