Diane’s agility course manoeuvres coming along nicely. 😀
And brilliant to see Sophie racing happily round. Hope she’s feeling considerably better now.

Image description: A photo of two people laying down on the floor, smiling towards the camera. They are resting their head on their hands and are seen wearing brightly coloured patterned socks.

🌈 What’s stripy, spotty and zigzaggy that you wear on your feet and raises vital funds and awareness on March 21st on World Down Syndrome Day? That’s right, Rock your Socks!

Sign up today to get your free digital fundraising pack which has everything you need to get rocking brnw.ch/21wQurs

Matt Chorley - 24/01/2025 - BBC Sounds Matt Chorley with political guests, news, and your views on the issues that matter to you.

Completely riveting interview with Nicholas Soames, telling @mattchorley.bsky.social about the funeral of his grandfather Winston Churchill who died 60 years ago today. A perfect piece of broadcasting. It’s 1hr 6mins in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Full details of the poll here: ico.org.uk/media/about-...

Have you done any of the following? Made a freedom of information request: 16%

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

Lots of new walks coming up plus some great Secrets and Symbols walks in the last 2 weeks: Secrets, Romans, Literary and of course Historic Pubs ... hope to see you sometime

Lots of new walks coming up
open.substack.com/pub/samljaco...

‘Too many ex-prisoners are being recalled to prison’ Recalls have risen by 12,000 in 30 years, largely due to non-compliance with licence conditions rather than reoffending, says the chief inspector of probation

Too many ex-prisoners are being recalled to jail because of "excessive" licensing conditions, the probation watchdog tells @thetimes Crime & Justice Commission: www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

@rachelsylvester.bsky.social

Reducing prisoner numbers to European levels could save £2.5bn a year The prison population in England and Wales has doubled over the past 30 years. But are cost-saving measures, including open prisons and tagging, feasible?

Reducing incarceration rates to W European average would save £2.5 billion a year and cutting to Scandinavian level would give Treasury £5.5 billion a year - fascinating economic analysis by @publicfirst.bsky.social for @thetimes Crime and Justice Commission www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

A Gadwall duck hurtles forward with its wings fully outstretched, legs dangling mid-air, and beak open as if letting out an excited "wheee!" Its speckled plumage and bright orange feet contrast against the soft, muted water below.

Ducks: good.
No ducks: bad.

Great decision Rory and your piece setting out your reasons is really compelling. I hope that all your (and Sophie's!) Twitter followers do just that - follow you to Bluesky.

Long title of FOI Act

Freedom of information in the UK is 20 years old today. It was on 1st Jan 2005 that the UK’s FOI laws came into force – giving all of us the legal right to obtain certain information from public authorities.

The perfect end to 2024. Thank you Rory for sustaining all these updates about the incomparable Sophie. They mean so much to thousands of us. Wishing you, Diane, Sophie & Si a 2025 full of positive experiences x

FOI material is in these newly available files (I might have missed some others)
cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/re...
cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/re...
cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/re...
cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/re...
cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/re...

The papers also reveal how in 2003 the constitutional affairs minister Lord Falconer pressed Blair to strengthen FOI (unsuccessfully) - by abolishing the ministerial right to veto disclosures, releasing cabinet minutes after a few weeks & cabinet documents after 5 years, etc

Govt papers from 2003/04 released today by National Archives show how cabinet ministers were uneasy about FOI coming into force - this is a memo from John Prescott to Tony Blair

Some years ago ACPO played a useful role in coordinating police forces on FOI. As a journalist I found ACPO generally helpful & willing to engage constructively with requesters. But since ACPO became the NPCC, the overall FOI performance of police forces has got much worse and is often dreadful.

The ICO yesterday took enforcement action against 3 more police forces due to FOI failings, so 14 forces have now faced this since 2020, nearly 1 in 3 of 44 in E&W&NI - a dire record compared to other services. National action is needed to tackle systemic problems & get the police to obey FOI law.

Freedom of Information statistics: July to September 2024 This page gives Freedom of Information statistics for central government bodies from July to September 2024.

The latest quarterly FOI stats for UK central govt are available at www.gov.uk/government/s...

One govt organisation not lying comfortably in a tepid bath is the National Archives, whose FOI operation still appears to be drowning in the icy waters of a flood of requests for military personnel records which it can't cope with effectively.

The first set of FOI stats for central govt since the general election has been published today and shows a similar pattern under Labour to the FOI performance of the Conservative govt - which is not surprising.

Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook : Rosenbaum, Martin: Amazon.co.uk: Books

If you are interested in taking an FOI case to the First-tier Tribunal, there is a chapter devoted entirely to this with detailed and thorough advice in my book, Freedom of Information - A practical guidebook - www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Info...

Full details on my website: rosenbaum.org.uk/foi-tribunal...
Or Substack: rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/foi-tribun...

Tribunal orders release of the confidential citations Boris Johnson supplied to justify giving peerages to Charlotte Owen & Ross Kempsell, following my 18-month FOI battle with House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook : Rosenbaum, Martin: Amazon.co.uk: Books Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook : Rosenbaum, Martin: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Since today is September 28 and therefore 'International Right to Know Day', can I recommend a book (if you don't have it already) which will greatly assist you in exercising your right to know ... www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Info...

Parkinson’s community ‘felt left out in the cold’ – Rory Cellan-Jones The former BBC News journalist announced in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Even as a journalist you’re sometimes surprised by the headline that emerges from a chat with a reporter but pleased if my visit to the Palace has shone a light on Parkinson’s www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bbc-...

So beautiful and moving. I’m all teary! Your perfect picture elegantly sums up so much about Rory and Sophie. ❤️❤️

Massive congratulations Rory. You’ve contributed so much to so many humans…. And another gong for your services to vastly extending understanding of needs of anxious rescue dogs. Thank you!

A wonderful afternoon at the Palace where nearly every courtier asked after #sophiefromromania

Wonderful to see her on the stairs (presumably having been upstairs?) and calmly having her harness put on. Thank you for sharing this. Each photo with Sophie not behind the sofa is such a joy & shows the exceptional progress she’s made thanks to you both & @sociabledog.bsky.social