Tony Blair famously regretted his government’s introduction of freedom of information laws. ‘You idiot. You naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop. There is really no description of stupidity, no matter how vivid, that is adequate. I quake at the imbecility of it,’ he wrote in his memoirs.
Blair complained that FOI is not used by ‘the people’ but by journalists as a mallet to beat the government over the head with. But in recent years in Scotland, FOI has at times been used by the public to reveal critical information the SNP administration at Holyrood would rather keep secret.
An extraordinary FOI response was published this week, outlining secret advice on the prospects for an independent Scotland joining the EU. It confirms that SNP politicians who claim that secession creates a pathway for Scots to reclaim their EU citizenship are misleading the electorate. One section of a report to Scottish ministers reads:
There would be a direct trade-off, the report states, between an independent’s Scotland integration into the EU and cooperation with the rest of the UK.
There may be areas in which Scotland, upon independence, is not ready to take on full requirements of EU membership.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in