Andrew Kersley
@andrewkersley.bsky.social
Investigative journalist at @londonermag.bsky.social - andrew@the-londoner.co.uk Subscribe to support my work - https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/#/portal/signup Previously freelance at Observer, Sunday Times, Mirror, Private Eye etc
My favourite fact that didn't make this article is that there's a corner store in Crouch End called Frescos that keeps getting smashed into by buses.
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 10h agoThere were 44 bus crashes in London every day last year. Engineers are trying everything from experimental sleep pods to eye-monitoring cameras to stop it, but experts still aren't entirely sure why it's happening. Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's deep dive:
Would you go to a theme park with Mission Impossible rollercoasters, a mock high street and a Mary Anning-themed restaurant? Oh, and it's in the middle of a huge marsh. My new story for @londonermag.bsky.social is on the absurd rise and fall of London Resort, one of the funniest sagas I've covered.
A Kuwaiti millionaire tried to build a Disneyland rip-off. Then it all went wrong.
'It would have been a great asset to a part of Kent that God forgot'
the-londoner.co.uk
Ten years ago, a Kuwaiti millionaire came to London promising to build the city its own Disneyland rival. Last year, he was bankrupt and in court facing accusations of fraud and creating “sham” investments. What happened? Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's long read:
A Kuwaiti millionaire tried to build a Disneyland rip-off. Then it all went wrong.
'It would have been a great asset to a part of Kent that God forgot'
the-londoner.co.uk
In 2013, I ‘leaked’ George Osborne’s budget and nearly got fired for it. A few years later, Osborne was appointed as the paper’s editor, another blow to its credibility. I’ve written the sad/mad inside story of the fall of the Evening Standard - enjoy! www.the-londoner.co.uk/falling-stan...
Falling Standards: How Evgeny Lebedev saved - then sank - London’s newspaper
‘Everyone was being run ragged by his absolutely ludicrous requests and tantrums’
the-londoner.co.uk
I've spent the last month investigating Beam, a City Hall and Keir Starmer backed start-up that promised to end homelessness. Former staff claim it’s powered by a “cult”-like culture, a Donald Trump obsessed AI and sheer lies. Read my full exposé for @londonermag.bsky.social:
A tech bro promised to solve homelessness. The reality was a mess
City Hall lavished Beam with support. Ex-staffers claim it’s powered by a “cult"-like culture, a MAGA AI and sheer lies
the-londoner.co.uk
Beam is a start-up promising to end homelessness that has gotten glowing endorsements from the mayor, Keir Starmer and national newspapers. But ex-staff say it’s powered by a “cult”-like culture, a Donald Trump obsessed AI and sheer lies. Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's investigation:
A tech bro promised to solve homelessness. The reality was a mess
City Hall lavished Beam with support. Ex-staffers claim it’s powered by a “cult"-like culture, a MAGA AI and sheer lies
the-londoner.co.uk
Hilarious that lobbyists tried to bribe @peteapps.bsky.social of all people to write articles criticising post-Grenfell building safety rules That would be the Peter Apps who literally wrote the book on pre-Grenfell building safety failures (and would never agree to this sort of thing anyway)
Lobbying giant filmed offering reporter payment for flattering client coverage in national press
Exclusive: Guardian investigation of CT Group uncovers practice that appears to seek hidden influence over public opinion
theguardian.com
Really important investigation showing that the Govt's and Palantir's claims fall apart when they're subjected to scrutiny. And NHSE knows the numbers don't add up: "Over the course of four days of calls and emails, NHS England did not respond to any of the questions we sent them about the data".
Andrew Kersley@andrewkersley.bsky.social · last mo.Chelsea and Westminster is the poster child for Palantir – the first hospital to use its tech. It claims to have cut waiting lists there by 183,000. But when I investigated for @londonermag.bsky.social, I found evidence that wasn't true. Now MPs are calling for an inquiry. Read my full expose:
The hits keep coming for Palantir's NHS tech. It's revealed that at the Federated Data Platform's flagship hospital, Chelsea and Westminster – which received £3m from the UK govt to help implement the tool – waiting lists are going up, not down.
Andrew Kersley@andrewkersley.bsky.social · last mo.Chelsea and Westminster is the poster child for Palantir – the first hospital to use its tech. It claims to have cut waiting lists there by 183,000. But when I investigated for @londonermag.bsky.social, I found evidence that wasn't true. Now MPs are calling for an inquiry. Read my full expose:
Chelsea and Westminster is the poster child for Palantir – the first hospital to use its tech. It claims to have cut waiting lists there by 183,000. But when I investigated for @londonermag.bsky.social, I found evidence that wasn't true. Now MPs are calling for an inquiry. Read my full expose:
Palantir cleared 183,000 patients from one hospital's waiting list. Or did it?
Chelsea and Westminster Trust claimed the tech giant’s software helped it clear a patient backlog, even as its actual waiting list was rising fast
the-londoner.co.uk
Chelsea and Westminster is the poster child for Palantir – the first NHS hospital to use its tech. Publicly it claims to have reduced waiting lists there by a whopping 183,000. But we found out its actual waiting list has skyrocketed by one of the highest rates in the country. So what's going on?
Palantir claims it cleared 183,000 people from the waiting list of just one West London hospital. So why has their actual waiting list been rising by one of the fastest rates in the country? And why do doctors say the hospital is a mess? Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's full investigation:
Palantir cleared 183,000 patients from one hospital's waiting list. Or did it?
Chelsea and Westminster Trust claimed the tech giant’s software helped it clear a patient backlog, even as its actual waiting list was rising fast
the-londoner.co.uk
There are 206 casinos dotting London's high streets. That's four times the number of Greggs and twice the number of Nandos. How did they get so big? And why can't councils do anything about them? Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's investigation:
Mini-casinos are coming to your local high street
And it's almost impossible to stop them. Why? We mapped out the scale of the problem and went on a hunt for answers
the-londoner.co.uk
At 12:30am on 6 June, four angry men jumped out of a van outside Shawarma Hut, a viral South London restaurant. They were looking for its owner Ali. Why? And what does it have to do with ice cream trucks? Read my @londonermag.bsky.social story to find out: www.the-londoner.co.uk/how-a-viral-...
How a viral shawarma restaurant fell afoul of an ice cream van mafia
‘You cannot fuck with me. I'm Albanian. I’m Catholic. I would’ve died for my area 500 years ago’
the-londoner.co.uk
Shawarma Hut is one of London's most viral restaurants, famous for its sub £5 meals, and beloved by influencers like Eating with Tod. So how did it end up in a fight with an illegal ice cream truck gang? Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's crazy saga www.the-londoner.co.uk/how-a-viral-...
How a viral shawarma restaurant fell afoul of an ice cream van mafia
‘You cannot fuck with me. I'm Albanian. I’m Catholic. I would’ve died for my area 500 years ago’
the-londoner.co.uk
Very late to this, but I’ve just caught up with @andrewkersley.bsky.social’s story for @londonermag.bsky.social about Joan and Tracey Turnell. A harrowing, profoundly sad, but wonderful piece of journalism.
The body in the wheelchair: How did a troubled family get lost by the state?
A decayed corpse was found being wheeled through the centre of Walthamstow. Who was she? And who is to blame for her death?
the-londoner.co.uk
Why have the Met become reliant on a Harry Potter-themed facial recognition tool? Read my piece, where I spent the day following the force as it tries to crack down on shoplifting, to find out.
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoShoplifting has almost doubled in London since 2023. Now the Met are fighting back, with fake bait products, undercover operations and a Harry Potter-themed facial recognition algorithm. Read @andrewkersley.bsky.social's dispatch: www.the-londoner.co.uk/police-crack...
My extremely talented (and award shortlisted!) colleagues at our sister paper in Sheffield are in the middle of a new campaign to get more members. If you're in the area and value good reporting, please consider supporting them.
Sheffield Tribune@sheffieldtribune.bsky.social · 2mo agoA lot of what shapes this city happens behind closed doors - in rooms most people never see ❌ Decisions get made. Policies get agreed. And it affects all of us, whether we hear about it or not.
This, by @andrewkersley.bsky.social, is the best piece of journalism I've read this year. A gut-wrenching account of the human cost of bureaucratic failures and a testament to what you can discover when you set out to answer the question - how the fuck did this happen?
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
I am normally very proud of my home, Waltham Forest. But this? I'm deeply ashamed by the "neglect & lies" that led here. Huge kudos to @londonermag.bsky.social & @andrewkersley.bsky.social for a harrowing, but vital must-read. Heartened by those who tried to help, crushed by too many that didn't...
Malkintrash@malkintrash.eurosky.social · 2mo agoThe contrast between the care taken over the writing of this article, the evidence of its sustained pursuit of the truth, & the neglect & lies of social services & the council that it reveals, is in itself staggering, beyond the desperate sadness of the story it tells.
This is certainly not an easy read but it is a stunning and important piece of reporting by my very talented colleague @andrewkersley.bsky.social and the @londonermag.bsky.social team.
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
Thank you to @andrewkersley.bsky.social for pursuing and writing this harrowing story. The lack of accountability and action at every juncture is astounding. He has brought Tracey’s story to light with such dedication, care and warmth. Truly touching, in the face of such devastating bleakness.
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
Exceptional reporting of a tragic story. At the centre of it is violent institutional failures despite persistence from a small number of individuals who noticed major safeguarding risks. Staggering that no one has lost their job or even been disciplined for these multiple and abject failures.
Andrew Kersley@andrewkersley.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police found the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. In the hardest piece I've worked on for @londonermag.bsky.social, I worked out who she was and who was responsible.
This is superb reporting, a really heartbreaking story.
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
Please read this and remember. Utterly devastating reporting by @andrewkersley.bsky.social. How many others are in the same, or similar, situations due to a litany of errors and failures to protect them?
The Londoner@londonermag.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
In November 2023, police found the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. In the hardest piece I've worked on for @londonermag.bsky.social, I worked out who she was and who was responsible.
The body in the wheelchair: How did a troubled family get lost by the state?
A decayed corpse was found being wheeled through the centre of Walthamstow. Who was she? And who is to blame for her death?
the-londoner.co.uk
In November 2023, police discovered the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market. She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her. It was as if, in her far too public death, she entered the public record for the first time. Who was she?
The body in the wheelchair: How did a troubled family get lost by the state?
A decayed corpse was found being wheeled through the centre of Walthamstow. Who was she? And who is to blame for her death?
the-londoner.co.uk
Before it was a high-end, tourist trap, Borough Market was a failing wholesale market on the brink of collapse. The man behind that change was an avowed socialist called George Nicholson, who influenced huge sections of London without anyone noticing. What did he think of his creation?
The man behind Borough Market was an avowed socialist. So how did it become a bougie hotspot?
‘We never really liked what it became’
the-londoner.co.uk
EXCL: Seven years on, I finally discovered the real reason Hammersmith Bridge was closed. Read my full @londonermag.bsky.social investigation to find out how a series of council failures and delays risked the "catastrophic collapse" of one of London’s oldest bridges.
Exclusive: The real reason Hammersmith Bridge is closed
How a series of engineering and council failures risked the ‘catastrophic collapse’ of one of London’s oldest bridges
the-londoner.co.uk