NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
So much for the Manx governments short lived freedom of information, openness, public consultation etc.
According to a document circulated by Trevor Cowin (who seems to be something of a bête-noire for government) today – the Cabinet Office are having an ‘internal consultation’ about dealing with ‘vexatious complaints, correspondence and behaviour’
Trevor’s mail is accompanied by several pdf files with copies of the ‘new procedure’ for ‘dealing’ with potential miscreants. Note ‘taking action to restrict their contact with us’ – what does this portend!
I won’t bore you with the detail (I feel sure that Trevor will be waxing lyrical about it to the media so I won’t steal his thunder) but basically it seems to be designed to ‘shut people up and shut people out’.
I just wonder how much more like a totalitarian State this place will get?
Trevor’s email reproduced below gives a taster:
{“In this morning’s post I received a copy of a letter from…..the Cabinet Office, to Members of the Legislature etc about consultation on a policy for managing vexatious complaints, correspondence and behaviour. The policy document enclosed with it, which is clearly aimed at me, is marked CONFIDENTIAL.
I currently have a complaint against the Civil Service Commission, which is presently with the Chief Minister, over the way in which the Commission dealt with my complaint …..
Included within the policy there are the following 2 sections –
“Persons who are unreasonably persistent in their enquiries”
“Persons who have submitted groundless, vexatious or multiple complaints”
In both of these cases the policy states that we will “ask them to change their behaviour” and “we will warn them that if such behaviour continues “we will consider taking action to restrict their contact with us”
This is clearly intended to be a gagging policy.}
I had a feeling that FOI rather than introducing an ‘New Age of Enlightenment’ would instead return us to ‘The Dark Ages’.
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
05/02/16
THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.
The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues
