On the day that lobbying letters sent by Prince Charles’ to government ministers are due to be published the UK government has revealed that it will make it easier to block the publication of information.

It was said that the government will look to change the ministerial veto, which allows them block publication of information.

This follows the Supreme Court’s ruling that it was unlawful for the government to apply the veto to block Prince Charles’ letters.

Straight after the court’s decision, in March, David Cameron announced that he would seek to toughen up the laws. At the time he said:

“This is a disappointing judgment and we will now consider how to release these letters. This is about the principle that senior members of the royal family are able to express their views to government confidentially. I think most people would agree this is fair enough.”

This was confirmed today a government press briefing, where the Guardian report that: 

“Ministers are planning to amend Freedom of Information legislation to strengthen the ability of the government to veto the publication of documents, in the light of the supreme court’s “black spider” ruling saying some of Prince Charles’s letters to Whitehall departments much be published.”

Unsurprising the announcement hasn’t gone down well:

Matthew Burgess
http://www.mattburgess.co
I am a journalist and author. I am a journalist at the UK edition of WIRED magazine. In 2015, my first book Freedom of Information: A Practical Guide for UK Journalists, was published. My second book Reed Hastings: Building Netflix, was published in March 2020. I created FOI Directory in 2012 and have maintained it in my spare time ever since.