It is wrong for the taxpayer to fork out for Prince Charles’s privacy when the Tories are trying to take it from us

Last Updated: April 19, 2016By
Prince Charles: He gets his privacy - WE lose ours.

Prince Charles: He gets his privacy – WE don’t. [Image: PA].

As This Blog’s friend Kanjin Tor has pointed out on Twitter, “This is interesting because the Government believe YOU have no right to privacy”.

He’s absolutely right – a law to that effect, the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill – is being pushed through Parliament at the moment.

The other notable part is that we – the taxpayers – are paying to ensure that we are kept in the dark about matters that the Information Commissioner has stated are in the public interest.

I consider that an insult. Don’t you?

The Government has won a taxpayer-funded legal battle to keep details of discussions between Prince Charles and ministers confidential.

Charles met with the then housing minister Greg Clark and then transport minister John Hayes at Clarence House in 2014.

Papers detailing their discussions will remain confidential, after the Government won an appeal last week against a previous ruling from the Information Commissioner that it would be “in the public interest” to release them, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The newspaper, which has been trying for 18 months to gain access to the papers, has argued they should be made public under European Union laws known as the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), which seek to guarantee transparency from public bodies around policies affecting the environment.

The Information Commissioner’s Office found in October last year that much of the information contained in the papers was related to green issues and therefore should be published under EIR rules.

The Department for Transport, however, successfully appealed the ruling at a hearing in London last week presided over by judge Peter Lane. A DfT spokesperson said it welcomed the decision that “the disputed information is was not of an environmental nature”. The ICO has not confirmed whether it will appeal.

Source: UK Government wins right to keep secret talks between ministers and Prince Charles confidential | UK Politics | News | The Independent

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

3 Comments

  1. casalealex April 19, 2016 at 7:22 am - Reply

    The saying, “the law is a ass” has been usurped by. “the law is bulldozed by the government”.

  2. NMac April 19, 2016 at 7:24 am - Reply

    Bring on the Republic and an elected Head of State.

  3. mrmarcpc April 21, 2016 at 3:22 pm - Reply

    Pay for it himself the rich, posh, privileged, bone idle, inbred tosser, this is one of the reasons why I hate the monarchy and want a republic!

Leave A Comment