In the latest episode of Media Confidential Alan Rusbridger and @lionelbarber.bsky.social chat to Peter Geoghegan about lawsuits being used by the wealthy to silence and intimidate critics

In his latest political intervention Blair continues to flag his dislike of transparency, as pushed famously in his autobiography. State transparency doesn't prevent efficacy. It enables it, cutting waste and allowing us to identify what is going wrong before it blows up.

I should add that this vital story - about a company and an issue that most of Britain’s media is chasing - was broken on a v small investigative website’s newsletter. The power of independent media! Do support Democracy for Sale if you can 😊 democracyforsale.substack.com/subscribe

“‘These are not disinterested stakeholders,’ he said. ‘Let’s not forget this is pretty lucrative stuff for them.’” Democracy for Sale on the impact of SLAPPs – and the media law lobby that’s stymied efforts to legislate against them: https://bit.ly/4v0Iz4h

1) 💥 NEW: It's very encouraging to hear the Justice Secretary David Lammy recommit to tackling SLAPPs – abusive legal tactics used by the rich and powerful to silence critics – but much more urgency is needed in delivering on this promise. 🧵

🔴 NEW: Justice secretary David Lammy has told Parliament the government will "bring forward legislation" to tackle Slapps - abusive lawsuits used by oligarchs and the super-rich. Comments come in response to Democracy for Sale's recent investigation: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-investi...

On the SLAPP trap, legal intimidation, and our alumnus Cormac Kehoe: great piece by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and Jenna Corderoy in the New Statesman www.newstatesman.com/investigatio...

Disappointed that #KingsSpeech said nothing about SLAPPs, which enable the powerful to stymy activists & stop journalists publishing stories in the public interest. The legal sector has successfully lobbied to sink efforts to legislate, for now. Excellent piece in the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social

This is the one piece you need to read to understand where we are with libel lawfare in London. You'll learn tons and chew on delightful phrases like "myriad well-heeled Britons" and "a charabanc of colourful characters". This is art. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-lawyer...

Why do we still have oppressive defamation laws? Because of highly effective lobbying by a handful of libel lawyers, and a Government that broke its promise to act. Important investigation from Peter Geoghegan and Jenna Corderoy: www.newstatesman.com/investigatio...

A remarkable lament of Labour's failure to reform UK libel laws by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social & @jennacorderoy.bsky.social in the NS this morn. It details the genesis of the law from Postwar era to Londongrad, up until my own & @londonermag.bsky.social case today newstatesman.com/investigatio...

Don’t miss the ground breaking investigation by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @jennacorderoy.bsky.social exposing how lawyers for the ultra-rich derailed Labour’s plans to tackle SLAPPs. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-lawyer...

This investigation took months of work, hundreds of pages of FOI documents and conversations with so many different sources. If you value this kind of reporting, please subscribe to Democracy for Sale. We can only do it because of our readers. 😀 democracyforsale.substack.com/subscribe

Our investigation - a Democracy for Sale co-production with @newstatesman1913.bsky.social by me and @jennacorderoy.bsky.social - is already prompting cross-party calls for libel reform. www.newstatesman.com/investigatio...

🔴 Keir Starmer promised to crackdown on "Slapps" - abusive libel cases to silence journalists and critics Then Labour quietly dropped it We can reveal why: a three-year lobbying blitz by libel lawyers who've acted for Russian oligarchs, Epstein + more democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-lawyer...

Fantastic news! Very proud of Peter

🔴 SCOOP: Remember Labour Together paid PR firm APCO £36,000 to investigate journalists? Now the firm has been reported to Serious Fraud Office + senior APCO executive told a freelance contractor to destroy evidence of Labour Together work NEW on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/labour-tog...

Investigative journalism Substack outlet Democracy for Sale has passed 50,000 subscribers, of whom about 1,650 are paying supporters. It has launched a membership drive to get to 2,000 paying subscribers by the end of April democracyforsale.substack.com/p/weve-reach...

Some good news 🎉 Democracy for Sale now passed 50,000 subscribers To celebrate we’ve launched a fundraising drive Can you help us do even more hard hitting independent investigative journalism? 😊 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/weve-reach...

Weakening Freedom of Information is an attack on all our civil liberties, and a clear case of democratic backsliding This needs to be fought, hard - which is exactly what Democracy for Sale will do For shame on Labour giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

In yesterday's FT anonymous government officials talked of need to 'tighten' to FOI to stop China (!?!) The real story, though, is how much govt spending on legal fees to fight FOI requesters in court Campaigners, citizens, journalists all paying price democracyforsale.substack.com/p/government...

Make no mistake that any weakening of FOI is an attack on all of our civil liberties, and would be a clear example of democratic backsliding. It is clear that the government is now seriously considering an attack on your right to know. www.ft.com/content/2c34...

Should add, do support Democracy for Sale if you can! Thanks! democracyforsale.substack.com/subscribe

Wow. Josh Simons has resigned as govt minister Follows weeks of reporting by Democracy for Sale and others about how he paid PR firm to smear journalists investigating Labour Together Huge thanks to all our supporters. Couldn’t have done it without you democracyforsale.substack.com/p/starmer-al...

The Elections Bill is really very thin on political finance. Some loopholes closed, some warm words, but still unlimited political donations. That's why we're working with @38degrees.bsky.social to call for a cap on donations Please sign and share: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...

Great to hear a Democracy for Sale story on heads of news on Today on Radio 4 Also very good to see a proper credit for us - as an ‘investigative website’ not ‘a Substack’ - high up in the story www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🔴 BREAKING: Labour Together paid controversial PR firm £30k to investigate journalists who were digging into how its undeclared funding Reporters from Sunday Times, Guardian and other outlets targetted *And* Morgan McSweeney knew about it Full story: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

WOW c 10k people have now watched Democracy for Sale's video about our new undercover investigation, with Led By Donkeys. An ex-Tory MP introduced our fake Chinese AI investor into MPs and ministers - and all for just £5k! 😱 Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKof...

Our latest investigation, in collaboration with Democracy for Sale 👇 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

🔴 BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access to 10+ Labour MPs and minister Brand new investigation by Democracy for Sale and Led By Donkeys. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

Democracy for Sale’s first ever Christmas party - and of course it starts with a panel discussion about Freedom of Information 🥳😬 Great panel with @jennacorderoy.bsky.social @alexgoodmankc.bsky.social Heather Brooke and more. And so much to see so many D4S friends in the audience

🔴"FOI is the democratic canary in the coal mine. When official information flows freely, it signals that power is shared. When it’s withheld or delayed, it signals the opposite: power concentrated in the few." Vital by Heather Brooke on Democracy 4 Sale democracyforsale.substack.com/p/why-the-br...

Really looking forward to speaking at this FOI event on 2nd December at City University. Register to attend!: www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

At Institute for Government in London for an event on the Freedom of Information Act at 25. My Democracy for Sale colleague @jennacorderoy.bsky.social rightly stressing that FOI responses are at an all time low. So much prevarication from government departments in particular

Insane lengths the government goes to to fight transparency. Great to have Lucas Amin @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @jennacorderoy.bsky.social fighting back. The Cabinet Office refused, claiming disclosure could harm “the effective conduct of public affairs.” - Ridiculous.

This is going to be a really, really good discussion on Freedom of Information - get along if you can!

Looking forward to speaking at the Institute for Government's panel discussion on the Freedom of Information Act. Registration details for the September event are here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/foi-ac...

Looking forward to speaking at the Institute for Government's panel discussion on the Freedom of Information Act. Registration details for the September event are here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/foi-ac...

After 14 years of Tory failure to clean up our politics, it's time for Labour to deliver. We urgently need an elections bill to close the glaring loopholes in our donation rules.

An Elections Bill is expected very soon. This is a test for Starmer’s government: will it close the loopholes — or let dark money shape the next election too? If you want more fearless, independent journalism that follows the money — support Democracy for Sale today: democracyforsale.substack.com

So thrilled about this - such a pleasure to work with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @lucasamin.bsky.social

Important piece from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/starmer-ha...

Incredibly proud of @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @lucasamin.bsky.social

Now live on Democracy for Sale with @seththevoz.bsky.social talking about who funds Reform! democracyforsale.substack.com/live-stream/...

🔴 Whitehall departments responded in full to just 29% of Freedom of Information requests in 2024 - an all time low A Labour MP calls on government ‘to put an end to the culture of obfuscation’ open.substack.com/pub/democrac...

Lovely piece about how the government sought to misuse FoI law, and how the government was defeated. Enjoy the story.

🔴 Remember Aria, the “moonshot" research agency dreamed up by Dominic Cummings? It's funded by £800m in public money but exempt from FOI laws We decided to fight for transparency... and we won 🎉 New on Democracy for Sale w/ @lucasamin.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/dominic-cu...

“It is absolutely disgraceful – strong language that accurately reflects the culpability of the Department – for the Cabinet Office to continue to refuse to come clean about who Gove and other ministers were lobbied by” – @jolyonmaugham.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/reform-uk-...