Ex-UK ambassadors are lobbyists for sanctioned pro-Russia genocide deniers democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ex-uk-amba...

Troubling new reporting on the effort of the Kremlin-backed Bosnian Serb secessionist regime in Banja Luka to secure the lifting of UK sanctions, after the US already lifted its own measures following a multimillion dollar lobbying campaign by Dodik’s proxies in Washington.

My latest!

Remember Starmer's "urgent" review into foreign interference after Nathan Gill? Well, there's already two ex-UK ambassadors working in Westminster on behalf of a pro-Russian foreign government whose de facto leader is under UK sanctions... New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ex-uk-amba...

Exc with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social: Former British ambassadors are being paid to lobby for pro-Putin, genocide deniers in Srpska. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/ex-uk-amba...

Hmm. The amount of money spent by Reform Councils with the private sector has doubled since the local elections. Wonder what's going on here... www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

I've written for the New Statesman on Reform's troubles cutting outsourcing spending: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Can’t get too much into this for ~reasons~ but this is a massive thing in the UK especially. In coming years reporters will expected to be their own distribution channel more and more, and imv this will have a huge impact on media ethics going forward.

the west australian newspaper said they couldn’t do it. and they were correct. honestly great call by the west australian newspaper

I don't have the words to describe how much I love this story from @bengartside.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

A reader writes in; the Flight of the Conchords did an anti-knife crime song parody of the same name…almost a decade previously.

Exclusive: The Home Office secretly funded a boyband to tour schools in Muslim areas and sing songs about 7/7. By me, for PoliticsHome. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Wildest @politicshome.bsky.social headline I’ve seen for a long time www.politicshome.com/news/article...

A secretive Home Office department funded a little-known boyband — trio, Mr Meanor — to travel around Muslim areas of the UK and sing songs with anti-radicalisation themes during the height of ISIS terror attacks, PolHome can reveal Ben Gartside reports

Exclusive: The Home Office secretly funded a boyband to tour schools in Muslim areas and sing songs about 7/7. By me, for PoliticsHome. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Exclusive: The Attorney General is a defendant in a torture claim from a Libyan military commander and sanctioned ‘terrorist’ that he represented until weeks before the 2024 election www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Exclusive: Lord Hermer is a defendant in a civil suit he drafted and represented until weeks before the 2024 election, which implicates the previous Labour government in complicity in torture www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Quite the story: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Exclusive: The Attorney General is a defendant in a torture claim from a Libyan military commander and sanctioned ‘terrorist’ that he represented until weeks before the 2024 election www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Ben is a phenomenal reporter. Commissioning editors are in luck - he's now available for freelance work. Do reach out to him below if you're on the hunt for scoops 👇

Unfortunately The i Paper is making several reporters redundant today, and my role is one of them. I'm very proud of the work I've published over the last three years, and I'm looking forward to continuing my reporting freelance. Want to chat? Drop me an email, text or DM.

Can not recommend Ben MORE highly - he brings in some jaw dropping scoops. Hire this man:

Unfortunately The i Paper is making several reporters redundant today, and my role is one of them. I'm very proud of the work I've published over the last three years, and I'm looking forward to continuing my reporting freelance. Want to chat? Drop me an email, text or DM.

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S. www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Brilliant but troubling scoop from Ben here:

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Remember this? Well, the Government have quietly scrapped it. Read our story here: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

A revealing quote (from a well-sourced piece). Some of the transfers in and out are virtually identical by CV: fmr senior Blair adviser in, one out too. Youngish Treasury bod out, one in too. Quote (and the piece) speaks to ‘phase 2’ feeling quite aimless. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

here's the crowd at the zimbabwe v new zealand test last week. test cricket *is* dying. it's just dying in the bits nobody wants to speak up about

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff. £1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020. The Government says it’s reviewing its processes. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff. £1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020. The Government says it’s reviewing its processes. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

The great question of our age: WHERE are all the briefcase wankers? economist.com/britain/2025...

Nothing like the sound of the MoJ's earsplitting flute tunes while you're on hold on a warm friday afternoon

Given the chat around air conditioning: worth reading this report from Bloomberg from 2023. Highlights clearly how new build homes, especially flats with floor to ceiling windows, are uniquely awful for overheating. More AC needed, but also better design. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Good take. I thought it was notable that a few of the ministers who had seen more speculation and briefing had ended up with better settlements.

Exclusive | Dozens of council workers across Britain have been paid for multiple full-time jobs they held in local authorities at the same time

Excl: At least 37 suspected cases of local government staff members working multiple full-time jobs at once have been identified, The i Paper can reveal inews.co.uk/news/council...

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away. He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition. This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research. Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

David's cricket team is playing the Royal Household CC in Windsor in his memory on Saturday, and they're hoping to raise money to support the British Heart Foundation, to help others like him. Please donate if you can.

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away. He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition. This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research. Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

🔴 Exclusive | UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape' inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill. The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape. Read more here: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill. The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape. Read more here: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Huge scoop from @sanyaburgess.bsky.social

Cracking story from @bengartside.bsky.social Civil servant held three jobs in different departments at the same time inews.co.uk/news/politic...