Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Unnecessary secrecy breeds distrust (uk)

Unnecessary secrecy breeds distrust

The rising costs of the Newhaven incinerator were leaked to The Argus by MP Norman Baker

As an Albion fan and natural conservative, it pains me to say this but hooray for Lewes MP Norman Baker. He was right to reveal the rising cost of the incinerator that is planned for Newhaven (The Argus, February 5). Equally, it was wrong of East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council to hide their deal, done with our money, behind the hazy veil of commercial confidentiality.

Councillor Peter Jones, in particular, should consider his position.

The sort of unnecessary secrecy he seems to advocate breeds distrust and provides the fertile soil in which corruption can flourish. We would be better off with politicians who have the courage to take even their unpopular decisions with confidence in the spotlight. Open and transparent working are more likely to inspire trust.