The value of fines handed out by the UK’s financial regulator has plummeted to “pitiful” levels, undermining the country's fight against economic crime, according to data we obtained from public releases and freedom of information requests

NEW: Independent police corruption investigations plummet by 70% in five years Campaigners slam ‘broken’ complaints system as corruption probes by the watchdog hit alarming lows

Today I’m proud to launch the Investigative Simulations Lab (@investigativesimulations.org), an organization that designs and delivers simulation games that show journalists and researchers how to follow the money and uncover wrongdoing.

In a week of Epstein revelations, headlines focused on the powerful men involved. Amid politicking, we risk sidelining survivors. I don’t usually write comment - I investigate corruption. But this felt important enough to step outside my lane. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...

From today you can make a FOIA request to the Trump Presidential Library for records from Trump's first term of office - www.trumplibrary.gov/research/sub...

Highly commended in Technology Journalism sponsored by Amazon are @tbij.bsky.social‬ and @itvnews.bsky.social - @simonlock.bsky.social Sam Holder & @danielboal.bsky.social #BJA2025

Innovation of the Year winner is @tbij.bsky.social - Lucy Nash @eleanorrose87.bsky.social & Edward Siddons for Silenced Stories #BJA2025

A partner at Britain’s “most feared” libel firm, Carter-Ruck, is set to be prosecuted at a disciplinary tribunal over an “improper” threat to sue

🚨BREAKING: We’re deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups. This is the latest in a succession of measures taken by the UK government to clamp down on protest in the UK.

🚨 Queen Elizabeth’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of the “butcher of Hama” – an uncle of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad who has repeatedly been accused of war crimes

Queen Elizabeth II’s solicitor managed offshore wealth for Assad’s uncle

Another exclusive from the Enablers team's @edsiddons.bsky.social, with David Pegg and the Guardian Queen Elizabeth II’s private solicitor spent eight years helping manage the offshore wealth of Bashar al-Assad's uncle, later charged with war crimes www.theguardian.com/law/2025/apr...

Minimum wage for a 9-5 full time job (40 hours a week) is, as of today, £25,396 a year for anyone over 21. Which is why it's amazing to see journalism jobs requiring a degree, job experience, and driving licence advertised at a "competitive salary" of £22,380. tindlenews.co.uk/careers/jour...

NEW: Prosecutions of the enablers of tax evasion have plummeted by at least 75% in the past five years It's prompted anger in Parliament because the figures are lower than previously claimed by HMRC Latest from @edsiddons.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

The SRA discontinued @eliothiggins.bsky.social complaint against Discreet Law who represented the warlord Prigozhin. Too many questions remain, so that is why the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition has written to the regulator. Read the letter here: antislapp.uk/2025/03/28/q... #stopSLAPPs 1/3

Pretty remarkable findings from @spotlightcorruption.org, focussing not just on the corporate lobbying of ministers but also officials, meaning Whitehall's doors are being opened several times a week to banks and consultancy companies. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I continue to be appalled at the lack of accountability around the SLAPP case that targeted me. If I can get sued for saying a warlord sanctioned by the EU, UK, and US for his role in Wagner is involved with Wagner then can we really say there's any protection for journalists in the UK from SLAPPs?

"Total b*****ks" Lord Sugar got a bit prickly when asked about our joint investigation with @thetimes.com into his tax affairs 👀

"It's not a rotten borough, it's a rotten system" My analysis of the latest UK local government scandal, this time at Spelthorne in Surrey, and the familiar failings that led to it

The Times reports that the Government will introduce a US-style tax whistleblower scheme. If you report your employer's tax fraud, you'll make up to 25% of the tax recovered. Quick thread on why it's a good idea, and two caveats.

What happens if she is also using a bot to chat to you, friend?

Huge win! Government announces plans to open up the Land Registry. If delivered, will finally reveal more about who owns land in England and Wales. Read my blog post for more details & how you can write to the Minister to make sure this now happens: whoownsengland.org/2025/03/06/h... 🧵1/

Nearly one in 10 of all women killed by men are mothers killed by their sons, new research suggests. Mental illness is a factor in the majority. Yet there is no specific prevention policy for mothers who are caring for mentally ill sons. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The US Treasury has announced a halt in enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act. Companies won't have to meet filing deadlines to declare details of beneficial ownership - for now at least Enabling fraud to boost the economy is an ... interesting move home.treasury.gov/news/press-r...

Can’t stop thinking about the Trump Zelenskiy meeting and how it was like an embarrassing family argument except with the “leader of the free world” and in the most serious possible forum. What a nightmare we are all entering, especially the people of Ukraine.

The funder landscape for NGOs is under pressure internationally, not only just because of the USAID funding cuts, but developments in The Netherlands as well.

Superyachts come with a *lot* of added costs – and some go to great lengths to bring those costs down by sidestepping certain taxes Roman Abramovich did exactly this, but what precisely did those arrangements entail? And why was it unlawful?

New report in The Times: football clubs have been claiming £millions of tax back using a tax relief intended to boost science and technology It's a relief that has been widely abused - wrong and fraudulent claims probably cost us all £10bn in lost tax. Were the football clubs really entitled to it?

The Tories’ Rwanda scheme was lurid, but this Labour gov plans to strip legitimate asylum seekers of the possibility of later obtaining citizenship. This will plunge thousands of lives into administrative limbo. Many will have expected different from Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The world's richest man, Elon Musk, is using a 2019 OCCRP investigation to attack the free press and U.S. humanitarian aid. The story in question revealed how Rudy Giuliani enlisted questionable associates to dig up dirt in Ukraine.

🗣️ "If overseas territories refuse to implement meaningful corporate transparency reforms, we must use our powers to ensure they do." An important piece by @joepowell.bsky.social on the need for full public registers in Britain's overseas territories. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

The Trump administration just scored a spectacular own goal on day one of the negotiations, giving the rest of the world an even greater chance of ending global tax abuse. #UNtaxConvention

Exc: The British Virgin Islands (BVIs) have put out their proposals for ending corporate secrecy via a register of company owners. Safe to say the plans have not gone down well with the government and MPs who scrutinise corruption and tax-dodging. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

The US walked out alone from an overwhelmingly positive kick off to the #UNtaxConvention negotiations yesterday, after failing to rally any other country to join a walkout. This is a spectacular own goal for the US and a golden window to end global tax abuse. taxjustice.net/press/us-sco...

EXC from GET IN Lord Alli blocked plan by Angela Rayner to ban foreign cash from British politics She had to scrap December 2023 announcement with Gordon Brown at Chatham House We obtained papers for policy that would have stopped Musk donations www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

NEW: Labour says wants to make Britain ‘anti corruption capital of the world’ - but its drive to cut red tape could unleash new wave of dirty money and corporate bad behaviour that fans populist flames Really important piece from @suehawley.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/labours-de...

UK government spells out its test for whether UK Overseas Territories' beneficial ownership registers are sufficiently accessible or not - "ensure that the conditions of access do not unduly deter effective proactive investigations and analysis" questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

Our latest podcast, the #Taxcast: al-Assad and Guernsey @naomifowler.bsky.social speaks to @edsiddons.bsky.social @tbij.bsky.social Plus: Trump pulls the US out of the OECD’s global minimum tax deal. @alexcobham.bsky.social looks at what nations can do now podcasts.taxjustice.net/episode/150-...

As chair of The APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax, I’ve written to HMRC calling on them to urgently investigate the Abramovich case and recover what is owed following reports of a £1bn tax dodge by the sanctioned oligarch Read more: www.bbc.com/news/article...

MPs have called on the UK government to open an investigation into allegations about the unpaid taxes of Roman Abramovich, following this week’s revelations by TBIJ and partners. Great to see these calls to act on our stories. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

More than 40 MPs and peers have written to HMRC to say that Roman Abramovich's tax affairs must be investigated in the light of an investigation by the Guardian, @tbij.bsky.social and BBC, which found that the former Chelsea FC owner's companies may owe the UK taxman £1bn. [1/3]

🧵 Sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich could owe HMRC up to £1 billion in UK tax - a sum bigger than the Bernie Ecclestone tax settlement. I asked the Leader of the House whether the govt will take urgent action to ensure HMRC has the resources to fully investigate and recover this money. 1/4

NEW: Phenomenal story and huge achievement from @simonlock.bsky.social in partnership with the BBC and the brilliant Rob Davies at the Guardian Simon spent the past year living in these documents. This is a tremendous investigation well worth reading www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

The File on 4 on Abramovich's offshore tax schemes is a great listen. Well done @andyverity.bsky.social Featuring star investigator @simonlock.bsky.social of course www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

One of the things we kept hearing from tax experts we spoke to was doubts about whether HMRC would have the appetite or the resources to pursue this. That will resonate with people (like me) frantically compiling their tax return at the moment.

NEW: Abramovich may owe as much as £1bn to HMRC. Leaked documents suggest the sanctioned oligarch’s billions were in fact managed from UK, undermining his offshore tax avoidance structure. My latest piece for TBIJ, alongside BBC and Guardian! www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

👏 Tremendous work by @tbij.bsky.social and colleagues at the BBC, @theguardian.com and @occrp.org who used documents from @icij.org's #CyprusConfidential project to unravel a network of shadowy companies allegedly used to avoid VAT on the running costs of Roman Abramovich's fleet of superyachts.

New: Roman Abramovich may owe UK taxman up to £1bn, analysis suggests, as investigation reveals elaborate offshore investment scheme appears to have been controlled from his "right hand man" in Britain. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

NEW: Superb investigation by @simonlock.bsky.social & @eleanorrose87.bsky.social & Guardian & BBC into Abramovich's tax dodging by leasing his own superyachts back to himself. This was a monumental amount of work and it deserves your time: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

NEW: our latest investigation on how Abramovich evaded millions of euros on his fleet of superyachts. His associates arranged for commercial exemptions on huge VAT bills by falsely claiming the boats were hired out to customers. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...