Blair’s Actions on FOI Exposed: An article by Maurice Frankel, published by the Campaign for Freedom of Information, discusses former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s obstruction of freedom of information, as disclosed in his just-published memoir.
Although Blair says his views are based on experience of FOI in practice, the article says it is clear that his hostility began well before the legislation was passed. It points out that Blair links his criticism of FOI to his realization that it could help expose Labour Party scandals.
Transparency in Real Estate: A new World Bank report discusses the impact of large-scale land acquisitions on food prices, and other matters. It also calls for greater public disclosure about real estate transactions.
The report says that “in some countries, deals with outside investors have lacked transparency,” according to the Bank press release, saying that this makes it difficult for existing landowners to negotiate good terms or ensure investors keep their promises. It also tends to turn off responsible investors, the report says.
An article on the report by Inter Press Service News Agency states, “While the World Bank report anticipates that demand for land may be increasing, it admonishes that, `at the same time, scarcity of information on what is happening encourages speculation on a large scale.’ ” Another summary was written by the Financial Times.
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