“The whole system is near-criminal in its ability to harvest public money so that exploitative providers can provide inadequate housing & support to vulnerable people" For our last Naked Week-Observer investigation of the year, we delve into exempt accommodation observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Season finale of the Naked Week out last night— been an absolute pleasure to work on. Investigation from me @catneilan.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social below — it’s about the scandalous mess that is Supported Exempt Accomm & its massive economic and social costs observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

One minute warning for the final episode of the current series of The Naked Week, and it's a (Christmas) cracker. Fabulous work from our fab investigations team @coramazov.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social yet again - all will be revealed soon!

As ever, this was a massive team endeavour, with @coramazov.bsky.social, @freyashaw.bsky.social and myself reporting, & @garethceredig.bsky.social @jonholmes.bsky.social and @andrewhunterm.bsky.social on the Naked Week side - listen below if you haven't yet www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Unbelievable stuff once again from @direthoughts.com www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

@insidehousing.bsky.social follow-up to our April investigation (www.londoncentric.media/p/james-gold...) into a "dishonest" developer using a loophole to takeover council blocks across LDN and then attempting to build extra flats on the roofs. Wild West stuff www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/mp-urge...

"Pro-Kremlin posts attacked BBC after Panorama scandal" @theobserveruk.bsky.social @catneilan.bsky.social

This weeks joint BBC Naked Week and Observer investigation with @catneilan.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social. Read/Listen below. observer.co.uk/news/nationa... www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Fence is launching a fighting fund to help us keep doing what we do, and grow in just the right ways to do much more. To help us do this, we're also offering some insanely bougie things as part of our first ever full festive Fence-tastic prizedraw. Treats and treasures galore - while slots last!

London’s unemployment rate keeps rising. We spoke to the people behind the statistics. www.the-londoner.co.uk/there-are-a-...

The brutal reality of life as an Android owner in London: First you’re shocked as you’re mugged. Then you’re humiliated as the thief returns the device. www.londoncentric.media/p/london-pho...

Investigation in the world’s oldest Sunday paper this morn. It’s about sponsored workers being exploited by a franchisor at Papa John’s. When they complained, he threatened to cancel their visas. Dire stuff. An increasingly common issue in the industry. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

🚨 Read our investigation into "Papa Johns saviour", how he exploited migrant workers and threatened to cancel visas if they complained This week, he was still on the Home Office's list of approved sponsors. As a result of our work, that's no longer the case 👇 share.google/VFDvHHCxcfza...

Investigation with @coramazov.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social - which you can also listen to as part of BBC Radio 4's The Naked Week

No, it's nothing to do with witches But The Naked Week's latest investigation is something to do with Papa Johns, the exploitation of migrant workers - and action taken by the Home Office as a result of our work With @coramazov.bsky.social and @freyashaw.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Scoop in @computerweekly.bsky.social- A "major issue" with the PSNI's ControlWorks software (used to record info reported by the public) led to a delay in critical info being passed to investigators during a fast-moving investigation @billgoodwin.bsky.social www.computerweekly.com/news/3666343...

Charles Ross, @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and I had a look at what the shadow ministers in the House of Lords were working at. Turns out many of them are being paid to ‘advise’ the same industries that they’re supposed to be scrutinising. democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-lords-...

Our first investigation was into the slew of fake companies selling all manner of tat on Amazon - in some cases doing so despite being dissolved Estimated to cost the Treasury £700m, we understand there are conversations taking place w govt to address the issue observer.co.uk/news/busines...

Absolutely delighted to join the team for one more heist/third season of The Naked Week with @andrewhunterm.bsky.social Investigations throughout the run from @coramazov.bsky.social @freyashaw.bsky.social and myself Week one *might* have something to do with witches www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Our London Centric piece this morning about the eviction of four more restaurateurs from Elephant and Castle, the major international money behind it, and the rapid diminution of the areas Latin America community www.londoncentric.media/p/elephant-c...

Who keeps crashing cars at speed into the front of a specific Tesco Express in east London? It’s happened four times in the last three weeks. It looks like a robbery - but London Centric has learned nothing is stolen and it appears to be the same driver. www.londoncentric.media/p/tesco-expr...

4 times in the last 3 weeks someone has smashed a car through the front of the same Tesco in the dead of night. Weirdly, nothing has been stolen. It just appears to be an attempt to damage the store/shut it down. But why? and whose behind it? Insane mystery. www.londoncentric.media/p/tesco-expr...

Our follow-up story this morning about how Asif Aziz’s company is now also renting retail spaces in Edinburgh to students who vanish, leaving huge unpaid tax bills behind. This follows our recent investigation into millions being lost by HMRC at Aziz’s properties in LDN.

Prospect’s exclusive review of former ministers’ post-government careers found many working in lobbying or with firms connected to their former briefs. ✍🏼 Charles Ross and @coramazov.bsky.social (@tcij.org)

Intriguing to see the page layouts, text formatting, placement of illustrations, and exact colour scheme of our small mag The Fence (L) receiving such 'sincere flattery' from a 200k+ circulation 'nuke the small boats' newspaper like The Telegraph (R). Very cool.

Prospect’s exclusive review of former ministers’ post-government careers found many working in lobbying or with firms connected to their former briefs. ✍🏼 Charles Ross and @coramazov.bsky.social (@tcij.org)

“You know what I think is his problem, very, very, honestly?” the man said. “He doesn’t understand that there is a limit". In West London, an Italian charmer is duping the owners of the city's priciest properties, leaving a trail of debt and damage. This is the story of Claudio Di Giovanni.

Great investigation by @coramazov.bsky.social about an amazing character and London's high-end sub-letting market www.the-londoner.co.uk/claudio-is-s...

This morns investigation into a rental arbitrage scheme involving some of London’s priciest properties. We look into the well-connected man behind it & speak to over a dozen victims— from electrocuted tourists to landlords who collectively lost over £100k www.the-londoner.co.uk/claudio-is-s...

Just a quick note on how something like this comes together: Months of reporting from team inc @coramazov.bsky.social, @rachel-rees.bsky.social, and others. Illustrations by @carlydraws.bsky.social to explain it all, plus photos from Jenny F-H (she did the Leveson pictures). High quality lawyering.

He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...

This is incredible: using the same MO, retailer after retailer opens in the same few premium locations, selling the exact same products, then does a runner, leaving tax unpaid - and no one is responsible, certainly not the billionaire landlord who keeps getting so unlucky with his tenants.

Our @londoncentric.media piece this morn shows how Asif Aziz’s company repeatedly rents some of the UK’s priciest retail spaces to students who vanish without paying millions in tax. There’s so much money for HMRC in the WestEnd if it just enforces compliance! open.substack.com/pub/londonce...

What's up with the Harry Potter shops in central London? London Centric's investigation into their finances was raised in the House of Commons by Kensington and Bayswater Labour MP Joe Powell. He asked ministers what it will take to get HMRC officials to check the shops are paying their taxes.

Just published an investigation into ‘We R Blighty, a homeless veteran C.I.C. thats the subject of two investigations. We found evidence of the group misrepresenting itself as a charity, and heard accusations against them ranging from theft to fraud. Read below www.the-londoner.co.uk/we-r-blighty...

Had a scoop in the last edition of the Eye that sheds some more light on our London Centric Harry Potter shop story - look out for the article "Dodgy Shops-Wizard Wheeze". There should be a few copies still on sale until tmo. www.londoncentric.media/p/harry-pott...

Voters are heading to the polls in the seat of Runcorn and Helsby, with Reform confident of winning the seat from Labour. Read @coramazov.bsky.social’s recent report from a Reform campaign event. www.prospectmagazine...

If Reform wins in Runcorn on the 1st May, it will signal a catastrophic plunge for Labour, and position Reform as a credible contender for government, writes @coramazov.bsky.social. www.prospectmagazine...

Very interesting profile of Reform’s candidate in the Runcorn by-election by top hack Cormac Kehoe:

Was up in Runcorn last week with @prospectmagazine.co.uk profiling the Reform candidate for a by-election that will set the course of British politics for the next four years. Read about Sarah Pochin, a very different type of Reform candidate, below.

An oil trader and an Old Etonian with a genius for PR, was Justin Welby the worst Archbishop of Canterbury since Thomas Arundel? @milesellingham.bsky.social and @coramazov.bsky.social investigate www.the-fence.com/speaking-in-...

*The alliance of Sadiq Khan haters and people with “no tolls” on Google Maps overloading the ancient Woolwich Ferry to avoid paying £4 tolls *Calls for a government investigation into London Centric’s housing story *The £30k legal challenge to Mighty Hoopla www.londoncentric.media/p/the-30000-...

@jim.londoncentric.media & I just published an investigation into a developer using a loophole to take ownership of council housing across LDN without the consent of many tenants. Once he takes over, he tries to build new homes on the roofs. Remarkable stuff. www.londoncentric.media/p/james-gold...

My story with @computerweekly.bsky.social this morn-Dónal MacIntyre has filed legal action over allegations police put him under surveillance as he investigated the death of Noah Donohoe. Anyone interested in press freedom should watch this space- way more to come computerweekly.com/news/3666222...

Last month, reviewed @gabrielpogrund.bsky.social and @patrickmaguire.bsky.social 's "Get In" for @prospectmagazine.co.uk My review of Ungovernable, the diaries of ex-Tory Chief Whip also came out in @theneweuropean.bsky.social theneweuropean.co.uk/cormac-kehoe... - last week. Have a read of both

I was in the RCJ yesterday with @computerweekly.bsky.social for @barrybelfast70.bsky.social & Trevor Birney's IPT costs hearing. The court heard that the PSNI's ‘ridiculous’ withholding of evidence had forced the IPT to abandon 2 of the cases previous hearings www.computerweekly.com/news/3666209...

Went to the Trial of the Pyx and held a £1,000 coin, lads. Wrote about here, along with some news on Harry Potter shops, Westminster Bridge, and all the dodgy things of London: www.londoncentric.media/p/pyx-or-it-...

Also had a bit of a Post Office related scoop on page 12 of The Eye as well- pick up a copy if you want to see.

We're in the process of eliminating hereditary peers - good. Time to do the same with life peers. If we must have peers at all, make them fixed term only. Better yet, start all over, with a fully elected upper house.

To cap off a busy day, did a data deep-dive with @prospectmagazine.co.uk into the 500 life peers appointed since May 2010 to see what makes a Life Peer. Rather unsurprisingly its usually nepotism. The extent to which that's the case is, however, surprising www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/691...