Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP and leader of the Restore Britain party, has been banned from submitting freedom of information (FOI) requests on the website WhatDoTheyKnow. The move has drawn criticism from Mr Lowe, who described it as contrary to the spirit of transparency.
The MP had made more than 1,000 requests through the platform, which helps users file FOI applications to Whitehall departments and public bodies. His inquiries covered topics including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring and training, grooming gangs, and universal credit for refugees.
WhatDoTheyKnow, an independent website that serves as a public archive of FOI requests, said Mr Lowe’s account was suspended after he used it to “send general messages to public authorities or for personal messages” to public organisations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Lowe told the Press Association: “Sadly our access has been restricted, which I do not believe is in the spirit of transparency. Our teams have uncovered huge scandals through FOI and investigation work. This censorship will not stop us from containing those efforts.” He added that Restore Britain was the only political party that had correctly identified issues and outlined solutions.
A spokesperson for WhatDoTheyKnow confirmed to the Press Association that Mr Lowe had been banned from using the website but declined to comment further.
