Organisations focused on good governance, anti-corruption and innovation have written to Keir Starmer asking him to affirm his commitment to open government.
The letter, coordinated by the UK Open Government Civil Society Network, asks the new prime minister to “commit to re-energising open government as the basis of a more democratic, equal, and just society”.
Leaders of more than 50 organisations, including Transparency International, Spotlight on Corruption, the Open Data Institute and Bond, have signed the letter calling for a “revival” of governance based on transparency, integrity, accountability and participation.
The letter argues that open government is the “foundation of good government” and “done well” can reduce opportunities for corruption; help ensure officials act in the public interest; enhance the integrity of public institutions; build trust through a collaborative approach to problem-solving and policy development; and support growth and efficiency by leveraging technology and data.
It says achieving these potential benefits of open government requires talented civil servants – and states that there are many – a willing civil society, and strong political leadership, but says the latter “was at times non-existent under the previous government”.
In 2011, the UK became a founding member of the Open Government Partnership – a multilateral initiative instigated by former US President Barack Obama which now has 75 members.
The letter says the adoption of open government principles in the UK has led to progress including developing the world’s first algorithmic transparency standard and developing the UK Anti-Corruption Strategy.
But it adds that “so much more could be done” in light of a series of government scandals that have damaged public trust.
Kevin Keith, chair of the UK Open Government Network and co-chair of the UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum, said: “The Post Office scandal, PPE procurement, the opaque mortgage-raising 2022 mini-budget, the impact of corruption on UK growth, and the disregard for public standards and subsequent collapse in trust, demonstrate that open government is not peripheral to people’s lives: it is central. And that so much more could be done.
“This is why we welcome the opportunity to work with a new government to revive this agenda, broaden participation in policy-making, and rebuild trust.”
The letter welcomes Starmer’s commitment in his first speech as PM to “rebuild trust through actions not words” and says collaboration between government and civil society can support this.
Labour has also committed to reform standards through the creation of an ethics and integrity commission “to ensure probity in government”. The letter says this provides "an opportunity for ongoing engagement with standards experts and civil society groups to restore trust in public life".
The letter sets out a series of benefits that an open government approach can drive, such as helping to combat corruption, supporting innovation in procurement, addressing inequality and improving the impact of official development assistance.
The letter also argues that Labour’s mission-driven government approach -which suggests that "government is at its best when working in partnership” - is itself open government.
The letter says “mission-driven government means a new way of doing government that is more joined up, pushes power out to communities and harnesses new technology". It adds that Labour's missions approach can benefit from the "unique model of co-creation" provided by National Action Plans for Open Government.
These cross-departmental plans are developed by the Cabinet Office and UK Open Government Civil Society Network as part of the Open Government Partnership.
The latest plan, published by Rishi Sunak's government in December, includes commitments to more transparent procurement, strengthened ODA transparency, and more engagement with civil society on anti-corruption.
In a recent CSW feature on Starmer's time as director of public prosecutions, Patrick Stevens, a former colleague at the Crown Prosecution Service, said increased openness and transparency was one his biggest legacies as DPP and that it has been "a constant theme" through his career.
A government spokesperson said: "We want to return politics to public service, and are fully committed to transparency and openness across government."