UK Open Gov
The UK Open Government Network (OGN) is a coalition of active citizens and civil society organisations committed to making government work better for people through increased transparency, participation and accountability. The OGN mobilises and coordinates civil society to effectively advocate for open government reforms, and works with government to identify, develop and implements the UK’s commitments under the global Open Government Partnership.
UK OGN response to Community Cohesion Inquiry published
The submission from the UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee has been published and it available to view here. The submission focused on: Lack of Trust in Government and Institutions Exclusion from Decision-Making Misinformation and Social Media Polarisation Lack of Transparency and Accountability in Public Spending…
Read more ›
Opening Up Government to Build Trust
Thought provoking conversation about open government and related themes of trust, transparency, accountability, and participation. 1-35PM to 2-20PM Book here: www.stateofopencon.com
Read more ›
Is the UK entering a Data Winter?
When: 12 February 2025, 12:00 — 13:00 Book your place Is accessible and open data becoming a scarce resource in the UK? Are concerns about AI and data security leading to a reluctance to share data within government, even when it is safe and crucial for our work? Join us for an hour-long discussion on “Data Winter” and…
Read more ›
UK Procurement Act Goes Live – Now What?
Please join the Oxford POGO Club’s session next Tuesday, 25 February, 4 – 5 pm (UK) to discuss the newly live Procurement Act 2023, Procurement Regulations 2024, and National Procurement Policy Statement — just one day after the Act and its trappings go into effect. Sign up here. The session is online. There is no fee. All are welcome. Please…
Read more ›
Advancing Civic Space and Media Freedom through anti-SLAPPs Legislation | OGP Europe Dialogues series
Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are used to censor, intimidate and silence critical voices, often amongst media and civil society, by burdening them through litigation and requests for manifestly disproportionate remedies. Creating legislative protections against the use of SLAPPs can therefore help countries protect media freedom as well as civic space. The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe’s (CASE) report found…
Read more ›
UK OGN response to House of Commons Modernisation Committee published
The submission from the UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee has been published and it available to view here. The Modernisation Committee was set up to ‘consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices.’ The House of Commons Modernisation Committee has today launched a call…
Read more ›
“I hope that this can be the beginning of renewed interest in open government.” Leaders brief Northern Ireland Assembly
On Wednesday 4th December, representatives of the Northern Ireland Open Government Network briefed the Committee for Finance at the Northern Ireland Assembly on the current precarious state of Open Government in Northern Ireland. They included Rebekah McCabe (Chair), Colm Burns, and Andrew Bolster. The open remarks prepared by the Chair can be read here and…
Read more ›
Rebuilding Trust Requires A Strategic Response from Government | Kevin Keith
The immediate response to reject any future clothing donations was a missed opportunity by the government. This issue around ‘freebies’ is an uncomfortable one, but it highlights a critical function of our democratic system: politicians making disclosures, and journalists holding them accountable in the public interest. A more strategic approach would have been to embrace…
Read more ›
How damaging is ‘giftgate’? | Ben Worthy & Michele Crepaz
Ben Worthy and Michele Crepaz dig into the Labour gifts row, saying that while Starmer may not have broken any rules the story creates difficulties for the PM. They suggest that reforms to the ethics system need to be visible to shift public perceptions. Keir Starmer is in trouble over lobbying. Following a drumbeat of…
Read more ›
BLOG | How do we Solve a Problem like Lobbying? | Dr Ben Worthy & Dr Michele Crepaz
Lobbying is a vital part of democracy but the perceived connection between money and politics has damaged UK politics since the 1990s. Over the last few years, there have been a slew of damaging high-profile lobbying stories, including the then Prime Minister not properly declaring interests, and one MP claiming to manipulate the rules to keep hospitality secret.…
Read more ›