Julia Cushion
@juliacushion.bsky.social
Policy & Advocacy Manager @ mySociety Clumsy, enthusiastic, interested in exciting things like parliament and cryptic crosswords (she/they)
WhatDoTheyKnow isn’t just a place to make #FOI requests. You can get stories from it without making a request, while the ICO is also using it as an enforcement tool:
Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 10/4/2026 – #FOIFriday
WhatDoTheyKnow isn’t just a place to make Freedom of Information requests. Well, if you’re MP Rupert Lowe it’s not a currently a place to make FOI requests at all...
clairemiller.net
We can't take Freedom of Information laws for granted. Join us on Monday to hear from campaigners in Germany 🇩🇪 and Mexico 🇲🇽 about recent FOI reforms, defending the right to know, and what civil society can do. Free, online, 3–4pm GMT. pretix.eu/mysociety/3r...
26 October - Defending ATI in Practice: FOI reform in Germany and Mexico
Mon, Oct. 26, 2026
pretix.eu
TICTeC is back and we'd love to see you next March in Edinburgh! Loads of time to get your session ideas in 👇
mySociety@mysociety.org · 7d agoAre you a civic technologist, a democratic practitioner or working with/in government? If any of these sounds like you, you may wish to present your work in front of an engaged global audience of practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and technologists. www.mysociety.org/2026/10/14/d...
Exclusive: the government doesn’t want you to know who’s advising it on civil service reform medium.com/state-of-the...
Exclusive: the government doesn’t want you to know who’s advising it on civil service reform
The short version
medium.com
Starting online in just one hour - there's still time to join us! pretix.eu/mysociety/3r... #FOI #InternationalRightToKnowDay
28 September - Delivering ATI in practice: How regulators can help people use their right to information
Mon, Sept. 28, 2026
pretix.eu
It's international Right To Know day! 🎉 Celebrate with us at this great webinar @ 4pm pretix.eu/mysociety/3r...
28 September - Delivering ATI in practice: How regulators can help people use their right to information
Mon, Sept. 28, 2026
pretix.eu
We've argued before that a citizens assembly would be a good route to have this conversation about the 'job description' of an MP
Alice Lilly@aliceolilly.bsky.social · last mo.This is absolutely spot-on. I’m increasingly convinced that our revealed sense of what we expect MPs to do (be good legislators, scrutineers, and deal with ever-increasing amounts of casework and correspondence) is, with current resources, unsustainable.
🤩 FOI nerds, assemble! We've got great speakers from around the world for this free three-part series, please register! On Monday 28th Sept (Right to know day) we have Christian Anker from the Chilean Council for Transparency alongside Aiden Clarkson from the UK's @infocommission.bsky.social 💥
mySociety@mysociety.org · last mo.We're running a series of three free webinars on Access To Information globally - looking at how campaigners are defending #FOI in their countries, how people are building new Right To Information platforms, and the role of regulators. Sign up for one or more sessions here: pretix.eu/mysociety/3r...
Our users are a big part of what make @mysociety.org great, and they need support. Come and work with us! apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/...
User Support Officer - Remote - mySociety and SocietyWorks
mySociety is a small, purposeful charity which creates and runs digital services that break down barriers to democratic participation, equipping people to take action and drive meaningful change. We’r...
apply.workable.com
For now, just save the date & sign up for updates at tictec.mysociety.org/tictec-updat... - lots more to come about this global summit on how high-quality deliberative participation can be enhanced through digital tech, in democracies around the world. Hope to see you in Edinburgh! #TICTeC
Useful to see FOI, Duty of Candour, and Inquiries under the same person (as different faces of the same problem)
Gavin Freeguard@gavinfreeguard.com · 2mo agoMinisterial responsibilities for Cabinet Office have been published (h/t @brigidfowler.bsky.social) www.gov.uk/government/o... Includes: - Sally Jameson sponsoring OneGov - Dan Tomlinson sponsoring the UK Stats Authority - Mark Ferguson supporting CS reform - Baroness Twycross gets FOI, standards
Should public data have to pay for itself? 🤑 We think charging for data risks reducing the value of public data and locking useful datasets away for the long term. Quick summary of our response to the government’s call for evidence: www.mysociety.org/2026/08/27/t...
The problem with making public data pay for itself
The government is looking at whether public bodies should have more freedom to charge for access to their data, and we've responded to its call for evidence. There are good reasons to be cautious abo...
mysociety.org
me when people email us (a CHARITY) with their rubbish vibe-coded versions of our FREE sites that we work hard to maintain the OPEN SOURCE CODE for
The Cheek, The Nerve, The Audacity, The Gall
ALT: The Cheek, The Nerve, The Audacity, The Gall
static.klipy.com
We’ve submitted our response to the @infocommission.bsky.social’s new corporate strategy consultation. FOI is a vital part of our democratic infrastructure, and we think it needs much greater visibility in the ICO’s priorities. Our recommendations👇 www.mysociety.org/2026/08/17/t...
The ICO is changing: it’s an ideal time to demand better
Governing Freedom of Information in the UK Tl;dr: the governance model of the ICO is changing and FOI isn’t well-represented in their new strategy. Here is how it could be made better. Freedom of Inf...
mysociety.org
After complaining about it not being out yesterday morning, my "new register" alert broke. Here's the register for the last month
TheyWorkForYou@theyworkforyou.com · 2mo agoA new House of Commons register of interests has been released and uploaded to TheyWorkForYou https://www.theyworkforyou.com/interests
Still time to register to join us at 12! luma.com/tfn60j3e
Getting the right message to the right place: navigating changes in Welsh democracy · Luma
Join mySociety to relaunch WriteToThem in Wales and learn how to reach the right representative in a changed democratic landscape. Wales's democratic map has…
luma.com
This is tomorrow! Our first big update to WriteToThem.com in a while, we've got lots of lovely stuff to tell you about, and we're hearing from the best of the best, @jessblair.bsky.social!
writetothem.com
mySociety@mysociety.org · 3mo agoJoin us online on 23 July for the relaunch of WriteToThem in Wales, and learn how to reach the right representative in Wales's changing democratic landscape. We'll also be joined by @jessblair.bsky.social from the Electoral Reform Society to discuss how Welsh politics has evolved. luma.com/tfn60j3e
Braf i weld @mysociety.org yn hyrwyddo y digwyddiad yma yn ddwyieithog (gweler : ) luma.com/tfn60j3e?tk=... @annabrychan.bsky.social @plaidcymru.bsky.social
Getting the right message to the right place: navigating changes in Welsh democracy · Luma
Join mySociety to relaunch WriteToThem in Wales and learn how to reach the right representative in a changed democratic landscape. Wales's democratic map has…
luma.com
This account is fake, it's one that's been regularly renamed several times since 2025 - it started as @vatican-news.bsky.social! From Clearsky: clearsky.app/downingstree...
UK Prime Minister Updates@downingstreet.bsky.social · 3mo agoA very warm welcome to Downing Street, Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
It may not be "coming home" in that sense but me, @alexparsons.bsky.social and @zarino.co.uk spent the entire 90 minutes discussing the state of british politics and how we're going to fix everything, so rest assured everyone it's all gonna be ok
Specific bits here (especially commitment on ministers to engage) fit into the "co-produce the whip" section of our blog post on reforming the whip www.mysociety.org/2026/07/01/r...
Reforming the whip
Practical steps to improve parliamentary decision-making and transparency
mysociety.org
Jessica Elgot@jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 4mo agoNEW - Andy Burnham has written a long letter to all Labour MPs tonight - promising a major overhaul of whipping and engagement on legislation, as well as a “broad church” cabinet where ministers routinely engage MPs & select committees. Comes as nominations open for leadership. Letter here 👇
Cracking remote job with @mysociety.org going here. apply.workable.com/j/3808FB03C4/
Digital Service Manager, mySociety (Remote UK based) - mySociety and SocietyWorks
mySociety is a small, purposeful charity which creates and runs digital services that break down barriers to democratic participation, equipping people to take action and drive meaningful change. We’r...
apply.workable.com
Work with us! £45-55k, fully remote, working with the dreamiest team of super smart do-gooders who are also super kind fun-havers! DMs open for qs!
mySociety@mysociety.org · 4mo agoWE'RE HIRING! Data protection, media law, online communities, and FOI: if that sounds like your jam, you might be just the person we're looking for as mySociety's new Digital Service Manager. See the details and apply here: apply.workable.com/mysociety/j/... And please do share!
Andy Burnham has talked about moving away from the whip system - what might that mean in practice? www.mysociety.org/2026/07/01/r...
Reforming the whip
Practical steps to improve parliamentary decision-making and transparency
mysociety.org
Organisation merch goals right?! This week our friends at SPOON in the Netherlands hosted our annual ATI Network day. We discussed what's helping (and hindering) freedom of information in practice, and why effective oversight matters just as much as having a good law.
What makes freedom of information work in practice? Reflections from ATI Day 2026
By continuing to learn from one another, we stand a much better chance of making the right to information work not just on paper, but in practice.
mysociety.org
Over on the blog @alexparsons.bsky.social is doing what he does best - nicely explaining something quite niche but very important! What Parliament can learn from FOI, why MPs should be able to appeal refused PQs & some ideas for joining the dots ⬇️ www.mysociety.org/2026/06/16/i...
Improving FOI and Parliamentary Questions
Why does FOI work better than parliamentary questions? And how can we make both better?
mysociety.org
Just reposting the blog on 'Government by WhatsApp' by me and @mrosenbaum.bsky.social for @politicalquarterly.bsky.social politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/governm...
Government by WhatsApp? Covid, Transparency and Government by Text
The Covid Inquiry revealed that there were ‘substantive discussions’ of important policy decisions through texts and messages. Is this ever acceptable?
politicalquarterly.org.uk
Great to be in Cardiff for the @datajusticelab.bsky.social conference! Say hi if you're here 🏴
The incredible Eleanor Shaikh continues to push for transparency around the #PostOfficeScandal - read the latest here (& how @dracos.co.uk's archive played a part) as she prepares to go to #FOI tribunal to uncover a potentially explosive piece of the puzzle: www.postofficescandal.uk/post/project...
Project Brisbane – a report the Post Office is desperate to keep secret
In January 2022 the researcher Eleanor Shaikh was poring over some written evidence submitted by the Business Department (then known as BEIS) to the Business Select Committee in March 2020. In an a…
postofficescandal.uk
