🇬🇧 Brit Ali Kennedy 🇬🇧

NOW – 7 months later, frustratingly, the Home Office has refused my Subject Access Request asking for internal records. I am of the belief that hundreds, if not thousands of civil servants need to be fired. They refused it on the grounds that it was “manifestly excessive” In their refusal, they claimed the request was about data relating to “over 100 FOI requests”. This is misleading. My request was not a blanket ask for everything connected to 100 FOIs. What I actually asked for was much narrower: Any internal correspondence, notes, case assessments, or discussions that reference my name, my social media activity, my journalistic work, or my public profile in relation to how my FOI requests were handled, delayed, or refused. I specifically wanted to know whether the Home Office was discussing me personally and whether my public work was being used to influence decisions about my requests. Instead of searching for this information, they refused outright after more than seven months, claiming it would be too much work. I have now submitted a significantly narrowed follow-up request, limited to 2024–2025 and focused only on internal records referencing my social media activity or journalistic work in the context of FOI decision-making. I should not have to wait another seven months for a response to something that should have been dealt with months ago.

This was a sincerely great speech, by far my favourite of the main stage the last few days. It’s always so heartening to hear these personal overtures to our shared heritage from americans, & a genuine recognition of where the yookay is

One NHS, many nationalities. Huge thanks to every single person who helps keep the NHS going 💙

There is no such thing as a rich, low energy society. Fridges deactivated in my local supermarket today, to save money: