They can run but they cannot hide.

D. Stanley, Gourge, France

I believe that, following on the furore over MP's pensions, the passing of this bill by the the House of Commons, drives yet another wedge between Parliament and the people. I am absolutely disgusted by the special pleading of MP's relating to correspondence, which by all accounts is already adequately protected by Section 40 and Data protection rules.
What protection are MP's now prepared to offer District & County Councillors who may feel that they equally require this exemption? Don't hold your breath.

C Inward, Ramsbury, Wiltshire

Shame on all those MPs who voted for the FOI Bill. But then, I suppose they have long forgotten the word "SHAME" because if they still do, they would not be so arrogant and contempteous in their attitude.

lean-see may Lim, london, UK

it is not a matter that public interest is involved in this issue.

the bill should be amended by the lords to be more specific in its operation. no doubt the government will hide behind this law on a number of issues which are not specified. what is the point of having an freedom of information act.it is already becoming monetarily impossible for members of the general public to have information because the government has imposed a high cost usage

philip jackson, bradford, england

These MPs have voted themselves huge pay & allowances rises, plus pensions increases, all of which are ring fenced & so are safeguarded from any outside interference, a protection which they deny the rest of the population & now, after forcing the Freedom of Information Act on the population and public services, they have the bare faced cheek to vote themselves an exemption from it. What sort of a democracy have we got in this country when the legislators can get away with telling us to do what they say & not what they do. It's a disgrace. It's behaviour that even Mugabe in Zimbabwe would have trouble getting away with. How can something this important be voted through by a handful of MPs. Only 90 odd of them voted for it. Let's hope that the other useless lot in the Lords votes against it. What a bunch of hypocrites & parasites our MPs are. When are the ordinary people of this country going to wake up and insist that we have our democracy back & remove the MPs snouts from the trough

Lynda Plum, London, england

I am utterly outraged and disgusted at this blatant attempt by many MPs to create a different set of rules for themselves. The cynical among us would have to believe that they have something to hide.
At a time when much of the population feels disenfranchised, I believe that the approval of such a bill can only serve to make people view politicians with even greater cynicism.
I shall be emailing my MP and asking him what he intends to do about this bill, and would urge any like minded citizens to do the same.

M. Hart, Hatfield,

Blair's neo-presidency will be remembered above all for two-things. 1. Iraq. 2. t6he relentless reduction in the rights of ordinary members of the public and a corresponding increase in privilege for politicians.

Nic Coidan, Huddersfield,

So MP's have exempted themselves from FOI. What a surprise! When their snouts are in the public trough, MP's show themselves to be so like the pigs of Animal Farm where "some animals are more equal than others".

Some people may well say that Guy Fawkes had a point.

N Buxton, Macclesfield,

I believe this vote was deliberately fixed for Friday when many MPs would shoot off to their country homes. Cynical? Moi?

Do they really call this democracy. I can only hope the Lords throw it out.

Joy, Wiltshire,

This is a sad day for domocracy and for the UK.
This squalid action is beneath contempt.
It is quite obvious that the MPs have much to hide and they will do anything not to be accountable to the electorate.
Shame on this Parliament!

Darnthesafetynet, London,

I cannot improve on the comments of Labour MP Mark Fisher: "We are going to bring this House into derision, contempt and discredit with this Bill". What were they thinking? Are they so out of touch with those they are supposed to serve - not govern? Parliament used to protect us from despotic monarchs but now MPs have assumed that role.

Julian Carpenter, London, UK

Disgusting! If the reason for this was to protect constituents privacy why can't they create a bill specifically for that? I can't believe they are getting away with this - scandelous!

VB, London.,

It is simply another exmple of our quasi democracy at work . Within such an oligarchy as ours the leaders will of course secure their immunity from draconian laws which they impose on the proles .
'Mother of parliaments ' how can we be brainwashed like this The Greeks had the first democracy , it was not full democracy as women and other groups were not allowe to vote , but hey ykou know what neither were they allowed to here 200 years after the first steps in democracy .
There is only one way forward , and that is by people not accepting the status quo by active , peaceful demonstrations and protests............One day we might have democracy

our parliament did not even all

Demetrios , Edmonton , u.k

It has come to be just what one can expect of M.P.'s these days. They may be elcted to represent the people but they look after themselves.
First they vote themselves a large pay rise but expect other public service workers to accept low pay rises. Now they are trying to meke themselves outside the laws that will apply to every other citizen.
Is it any wonder that people don't turn out for elections.

Brian, Peacehaven, England

Another nail in almost closed and sealed coffin of British democracy. After Blair's years of presidential rule and now Brown's NOMINATION BY 312 individuals to be the Prime Minister of 60 million. Those who are elected by the British public as their servants and representatives want to hide behind their own legislation. To all British MP's of the House of Paliament. You serve the people who elected you. You should have nothing to hide from them if you are an honest and trustworthy person. If you voted for this bill then one can only assume you have things to hide and you are dishonest and untrustworthy - in which case you should now resign.

Jonathan, Malta, Malta

Where is Otis Ferry when you need him?

What we have got is an elected dictatorship, who seem to think that being voted in every five years gives them the right to pass whatever laws they please.

Apparently Gordon respects the 'sovereignty' of parliament over this issue. Under the disguise of protecting their constituents privacy, details of MPs lobbying of some 1000,000 public bodies may now be kept secret.

Once again it will be left to the unelected Lords to try and restore some sense.

Wayne, Bath,

Any one who thinks that this bill is to protect constituents is living in cloud cuckoo land. This is simply another demonstration of arrogance by elected representatives. Rather than protecting their constituents this bill shows the politicians contempt for those who elect them.

Michael, Lincoln, UK

An absolute disgrace. MPs are our servants not our masters. Doesn't it just remind you of George Orwell's novels?

Ian , Bristol,

If MPs are afraid of their letters to and from their constituents being made public the solution is simple. Destroy the letters.

brian uttley, leeds, England

.... and politicians wonder why they are held in utter contempt?

David johnson, Harpenden, Herts

Oh dear. Other example of this current governments control freakery (although I doubt the tories would have done anything different). This isn't going to endear them to anybody and it's just another nail in new labours electoral coffin. It'll be interesting to see whether the tories repeal this decision. What is it they all want hide?

Jethro Tull, Grimsby, N E Lincs

Any faith I had left in the British political system has gone. On the one hand Parliament enthusiastically pushes forward, and extols the virtues of, a "surveillance society". On the other they shamelessly vote to protect themselves from proper and democratic scrutiny. What a joke. Shame on the lot of them.

Jonathan, Auckland, New Zealand

One law for us, another law for them. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.

A shameful day for the Mother of Parliaments and they wonder why fewer and fewer trust politicians !.

This is one reason why the turnout at elections is continuously decreasing.

Rick, London, England

They must be getting worried, not content with feathering their own nests at our expense, preferential pensions and generous expenses, our grand army of legislators now feel the need to hide behind regressive legislation. Where is the equality in this?

Keith Tomson, Gerrards X, UK

one word.. stinks!

mick reilly, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Mark Fisher is not quite right in saying the House of Commons will be held in Derision and Contempt, it is already by me, a elementary educated old man who left school in 1938. What a sorry bunch of individuals that only about 5% appear to represent the vuews of the electorate.

GEORGE CHARLES PAISH, FARNBOROUGH, HAMPSHIRE ENGLAND

This is a typical move by the elite members of parliment who have awarded themselves outsatnding pay, pensions, perks and working conditions, whilst destroying the country and its instituitions like the military. At the same time we have suffered severe financial constraints whilst out work load has increased and deployments never ending. Why can we not get respectable leaders rather than the sorry group of MP's we currently have to suffer.

Rodger Helmn, York, UK

MPs can no longer claim that they maintain high standards in public life. With this bill they remove themselves from Public view, effectively making themselves exempt from public scrutiny. What accountability can the highest public body have, if, like some overtly Stalinist regime it exempts itself from its own laws?

Ron, Andover, UK

Hands up all those that didn't see this coming!! Soon be time for them to vote on their pay rises/pensions/expenses/secretarial allowances etc, (under whatever guise)
Don't quite know where they get the time, what with all those seats on the board they have so that they can keep their finger on the pulse of what's going on in the streets!!

TERRY FREEMAN, KIRKBY, ENGLAND

If MP's are supposed to be working on our behalf why must we be excluded from information to any greater extent than which they could be excluded from our business.

Things continue to go against the public...

...when will we wake up?

Julian Thompson, Macclesfield, , Cheshire