President George H.W.Bush and John Major in 1991 — Image caption The two leaders discussed foreign affairs and their own domestic troubles

Sir John Major and George Bush senior overlapped in power between late 1990 and early 1993, and their close relationship is illustrated by transcripts of conversations obtained by the BBC.

It's tough at the top, whether you're the British prime minister or the US president, and it can be an irritating nuisance having to fight elections to stay there.

Read full article Revealed: The Bush-Major conversations

Cabinet meeting, 2015, with Sir Jeremy Heywood on David Cameron's right — Image caption Sir Jeremy Heywood (on Prime Minister David Cameron's right) has spoken of the "chilling effects" of FOI

Ministers have chosen not to make sweeping changes to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, including ruling out fees for requests for information.

The decision follows publication of a report by an independent commission asked to examine the Act.

Read full article FOI Commission: Why has it surprised observers?

Records of conversations between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton between 1997 and 2000 - obtained by the BBC - shed new light on their terms in office.

Tony Blair and Bill Clinton told each other that their role was to act like "shrinks" offering therapy to global politicians, as they tried to reconcile various bitter international disputes during their time in office.

Read full article Blair and Clinton: the peace process and fatherhood

The Cabinet Office has lost a tribunal case where it argued that publicly revealing how often a cabinet committee meets would harm the workings of government by introducing the "pollutant of publicity".

Last week the Information Rights Tribunal rejected the government appeal, in a strongly worded judgment which described the Cabinet Office's approach as "irresponsible", its key witness as "evasive and disingenuous", and her evidence as "of no value whatsoever".

Read full article Government loses 'pollutant of publicity' FOI case

Last month the Cabinet Office took control of government policy on freedom of information, removing it from the Ministry of Justice.

This takes FOI closer to the centre of power within Whitehall and the personal involvement of the prime minister. But how good is the Cabinet Office's own record on handling FOI requests?

Read full article Cabinet Office delays over freedom of information

The Supreme Court ruling about Prince Charles's letters to ministers takes freedom of information to the heart of the British state, the most sensitive area of the relationship between the Royal Family and the government.

Or alternatively it's all about a peripheral matter which has little to do with how contemporary political decision-making happens.

Read full article Charles letters: What ruling means for freedom of information

Thermostat being adjusted by elderly woman

This winter just 29 pensioners decided to decline their fuel allowance. It brings the total number of pensioners who relinquish this benefit to probably about 400 out of over 12 million recipients.

That's despite the fact that two years ago the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith encouraged better off pensioners who can afford their heating bills to return the money to the state.

Read full article Winter fuel payment rejected by about 400 pensioners

Forty police forces across the country have dismissed as "vexatious" a BBC freedom of information (FOI) application about police monitoring of journalists' communications.

It appears the police have adopted a virtually blanket policy of now rejecting all FOI requests about the use of their surveillance powers to collect communications data on journalists - irrespective of the questions actually asked or how often, if at all, that requester has raised the issue before.

Read full article Police forces say BBC FOI request is 'vexatious'

The Freedom of Information Act came in 10 years ago. It's led to the unearthing of a trove of facts.

Ten years ago, thanks to the actions of a "naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop", the British people acquired an important new legal right.

Read full article 10 things we found out because of Freedom of Information

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Media captionCivil Service plans for a Neil Kinnock-led government in 1992 are revealed by a BBC Freedom of Information request

Documents obtained by the BBC reveal how Whitehall officials wanted to weaken the freedom of information plans that Neil Kinnock would have introduced if he had become prime minister.

They are part of the briefing pack that civil servants had prepared to give to Lord Kinnock (as he now is) if Labour under his leadership had won the 1992 general election.

Read full article How the Civil Service objected to Kinnock's FOI plans