Right Honourable Minister
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
1 Victoria Street, London
SW1H 0ET
Date: 2 August 2025
Dear Lord Valance,
I am writing under the public interest disclosure provisions to formally report serious and systemic wrongdoing within the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), with specific reference to one of its senior legal officers, Mr Richard Bailey.
Over the past decade, Mr Bailey has played a central role in overseeing and facilitating an unlawful campaign to obstruct my legal and civil rights under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and UK GDPR. These actions include: The fraudulent and weaponised application of Section 14(1) FOIA, labelling my legitimate requests as “vexatious” in order to suppress access to information that is clearly in the public interest.
Introduction and enforcement of Section 50(2)(c) FOIA specifically to impose a blanket ban on my right to escalate complaints to the ICO, effectively nullifying my legal remedies under FOIA.
Breach of fiduciary duty by Mr Bailey, who has knowingly: Participated in coordinated obstruction of justice, acted in collusion with rogue public authorities and judicial officers, contributed to a pattern of defamation and reputational harm against me as a whistleblower and public interest advocate.
These actions have resulted not only in the denial of my personal rights but have also had a chilling effect on hundreds—if not thousands—of ordinary citizens whose FOIA requests have been wrongly refused under the so-called “Dransfield Vexatious Precedent.”
This abuse of statutory exemptions constitutes a gross misuse of power, a breach of Article 10 ECHR (freedom of information), and a potential violation of the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention.
I respectfully request that your Department: Initiate an independent investigation into the role of Richard Bailey in orchestrating these actions, conduct a formal review of how FOIA Section 14(1) and Section 50(2)(c) have been applied since 2013, consider referral of this matter to the Public Accounts Committee, Justice Select Committee, and/or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
This is not simply about my personal case—it is about the erosion of democratic transparency, government accountability, and the deliberate targeting of whistleblowers.
Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint. I am willing to provide further evidence upon request,
Yours sincerely,
Alan M. Dransfield
Public Interest Litigant and FOI Campaigner
Return to Bomb Alley 1982 – The Falklands Deception, by Paul Cardin
Amazon link
Wirral In It Together 