mrosenbaum.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

The language at #PMQs seems to be getting simpler. Acc to a presentation from data analyst Ned Stratton that I attended last night, #Starmer uses simpler phraseology than any other PM since 1997, and #Badenoch’s is even simpler.

submitted 2 days ago • 4 comments

The British Election Study team are happy to announce the release of our results file, which compiles 2024 election results, census data, candidate information, and other contextual data by constituency in Britain. You can download the results file here: www.britishelectionstudy.com/data-object/...

submitted 2 days ago • 2 comments

The language at #PMQs seems to be getting simpler. Acc to a presentation from data analyst Ned Stratton that I attended last night, #Starmer uses simpler phraseology than any other PM since 1997, and #Badenoch’s is even simpler.

submitted 2 days ago • 4 comments

TICTeC 25 is going ahead exactly as planned. As you might have heard, we were briefly affected by the US federal funding freeze - but we're glad to say we're back on track. www.mysociety.org/2025/02/25/t...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

I went to see this show last night, and there's a lot to enjoy in it, whether or not you've got a particular enthusiasm for access to public records ...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out USAID told me it can’t release documents via #FOIA due to “recent developments” Meanwhile, a memo I obtained sent to DHS FOIA officers this week directs them to “maximize transparency” when processing FOIA requests www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

submitted 7 days ago • 11 comments

Cabinet Office refused FOI request for blank forms for ministerial declarations of interests! They even appealed to the tribunal, which (like ICO) has rejected their case that disclosure would cause damaging "speculative scrutiny" about the form's content (via @jonbainesdata.bsky.social)

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

HMRC was aware a key tax credit was being widely defrauded as early as 2017, but had done little to fix it, The Times can reveal. It fought a legal battle for over a year to avoid disclosing this fact. Taxpayers have lost at least £4.1bn since 2020 to R&D claims. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

submitted 10 days ago • 5 comments

💽Love data? 💽Ready to learn all about the National Pupil Database and how you might use it in a research project? Sign up to our latest training course in partnership with ADRUK: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

submitted 11 days ago • 2 comments

Contrary to some reports, it's NOT true that because of an old treaty the UK has ‘first dibs’ on Greenland if Denmark decides to sell. I've found the documents at the National Archives. The UK did seek this right of first refusal in 1920, but the Danes icily refused.

submitted 18 days ago • 3 comments

Contrary to some reports, it's NOT true that because of an old treaty the UK has ‘first dibs’ on Greenland if Denmark decides to sell. I've found the documents at the National Archives. The UK did seek this right of first refusal in 1920, but the Danes icily refused.

submitted 18 days ago • 3 comments

Brotherly love: How the Foreign Office spent months trying to redact a simple term of endearment between David Cameron and Boris Johnson. relightmyfoia.blog/2025/02/10/b...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

For some reason this parliamentary answer yesterday from the FOI minister doesn't make clear that under its 'Next Steps to Make Work Pay' policy paper issued in November, the govt has actually committed to 'Extend the Freedom of Information Act to private companies that hold public contracts'

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

This is good: the Scottish Info Commissioner's new live dashboard of their casework is publicly accessible, interactive and updated daily - foi.scot/current-inve...

submitted 29 days ago • 0 comments

PQs vs FOI, which is stronger for extracting info? Another example: while this PQ from Charlie Dewhirst got a totally obstructive response from the Cabinet Office yesterday, an FOI request would surely obtain some of this material (and need a proper legal justification for whatever is withheld)

submitted 35 days ago • 2 comments

According to survey research carried out for the Information Commissioner's Office, 16% of UK adults say they have made a freedom of information request

submitted 37 days ago • 3 comments

Found among the AI projects the UK government is building for civil servants: a tool for automatically redacting documents.

submitted 39 days ago • 6 comments

Lots of useful suggestions here from Mark Pack, on fairly easy, incremental measures to improve procedures surrounding UK political polling

submitted 39 days ago • 1 comment

This remarkable story by @georgegreenwood.bsky.social reveals the obstructive and unethical behaviour of the Attorney General's Office in handling one of his FOI requests - a department which should set an example of high standards of integrity has seriously failed to do so

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

ESRC-funded MA and PhD studentship - electoral fraud in Britain, The jobs.ac.uk advertisement is here: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLL511/p... Midlands Graduate School application portal is here: warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

Enjoyed discussing this and the FOI implications with William on #BBCTalkback this lunchtime - www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... , between about 35 and 55 minutes into the show

submitted 42 days ago • 1 comment

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Executive’s attempt to conceal this advice ends up in court. www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/norther...

submitted 43 days ago • 10 comments

Since my recent revelations using FOI seem to have sparked some interest here, this seems like a good time to say that if you also want to use FOI effectively, I recommend you buy my book: 'Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook' www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Info...

submitted 49 days ago • 1 comment

Since my recent revelations using FOI seem to have sparked some interest here, this seems like a good time to say that if you also want to use FOI effectively, I recommend you buy my book: 'Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook' www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Info...

submitted 49 days ago • 1 comment

After an FOI dispute lasting 18 months I've finally obtained the official reasons Boris Johnson gave for the peerages of Charlotte Owen & Ross Kempsell. The reasons cited for Owen seem thin, inadequate and lacking in evidence, leaving her peerage as a mystery rather than justifying & explaining it.

submitted 50 days ago • 50 comments

Why did the polls go wrong at the last election, overstating Labour and understating the Tories? The factors being discussed are late swing, religion, turnout, 'shy Tories' & age. My analysis now at rosenbaum.org.uk/where-did-th... or rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/where-did-...

submitted 53 days ago • 0 comments

Why did the polls go wrong at the last election, overstating Labour and understating the Tories? The factors being discussed are late swing, religion, turnout, 'shy Tories' & age. My analysis now at rosenbaum.org.uk/where-did-th... or rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/where-did-...

submitted 53 days ago • 0 comments