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MINISTERS in Tony Blair’s government were advised to use Post-it notes for sensitive messages to avoid having to release them under new Freedom of Information, according newly released official files.
The Labour government passed the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) in 2000.
But there was growing disquiet among ministers and senior officials at the implications as the full implementation date approached on January 1 2005.
Newly released National Archives documents reveal that a No 10 adviser wrote to the then prime minister: “I also think Cab Ministers will want to make sure that Perm Secs are gripping this and information does not just filter out of the machine.
“Also people will want to give consideration to the vast array of emails etc…
“Post-it notes are the answer!”
Mr Blair subsequently regarded the FoI Act as one of his greatest mistakes as prime minister, writing in his memoirs that he had been a “naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop.”
