The UK Government has revealed plans to make the Police Federation subject to Freedom of Information laws. 

The Police Federation is a national organisation representing 124000 officers from the ranks of Constable, Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector.

The plans to include the Federation under the Act comes as part of wider plans to re-shuffle the group.

Theresa May said:

And I will bring forward proposals to make the Police Federation – that is, the national organisation and all the regional branches – subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

I know that some of you will find these changes unpalatable. In particular, I know that some of you will find the Freedom of Information Act an unwelcome intrusion. But the Police Federation is an organisation created by statute, it serves a public function and the Normington Review demonstrated very clearly that it is an organisation in need of greater transparency and accountability. So it is a change that I believe needs to be made.

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.