Freedom of Information reform is vital for the future of Scotland's democracy, argues Labour Councillor Fiona Higgins

Every so often, a quiet piece of Scotland’s constitutional machinery jolts into life and shows us what is really going on behind the scenes. That is what has happened in recent months, as the Scottish Information Commissioner has exposed not just isolated failures but a deeper truth: our freedom of information system is now running on goodwill and habit rather than on clear structure, duty and consequence.

Into this picture steps David Hamilton. Not a headline-seeker, but a commissioner shaped by 26 years in policing and public service, with a forensic instinct for evidence and a talent for cutting through euphemism. In his calm determination that the law means what it says, there is a hint of Rebus: follow the trail, don’t flinch when it reaches power, and ignore the noise around you.

Hamilton isn’t the story; the system is. But his clarity has made it impossible to pretend it is functioning as intended.

Hamilton’s session with MSPs last week was true to that style: no theatrics, just a quiet authority and a controlled energy that held the room. He was giving evidence on Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark’s Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, backed by the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland. It is evidence-led reform and, for the second Parliament in a row, MSPs are not just praising transparency but arguing over what FOI should........

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