Henry Dyer
@direthoughts.com
Investigations Correspondent, The Guardian | Tips: henry.dyer@theguardian.com/henrydyer.01 (Signal) | Interested in Politics/Media/🚂/CofE https://www.theguardian.com/profile/henry-dyer http://direthoughts.com
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said: "Once again, the union calls on all political parties to uphold press freedom, freedom of expression and the public's right to be informed." www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...
NUJ responds to reports of Conservative party banning Byline Times journalists from conference
The NUJ has responded to reports that Byline Times journalists have been denied access to the Conservative Party conference.
nuj.org.uk
At Reform party conference a few weeks ago, I caught wind of a fascinating member of the team who "keeps [the top donors] happy". Katie Lewis has a super low profile - and as I started asking around about her, posts were deleted or edited to keep it that way observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
‘Nigel loved her’: the mystery woman looking after Reform...
Former Cameo executive Katie Lewis has flown under the radar since working with the party’s crypto donors, with online posts that mention her name being swiftly deleted
observer.co.uk
Imo any polling on the public's view of the triple lock should be preceded by questions checking whether respondents can actually define the triple lock
“Hugh and his friends interrupted their IKEA shopping spree and rushed to the restaurant after hearing the event announced over the loudspeakers at 5.30pm. completely unaware the buffet was taking place.”
Angry People in Local Newspapers@apiln.bsky.social · 5d agoThis looks important.
🔴 BREAKING: BP, Uber, Amazon and more paying Tony Blair's think tank $25,000 for “networking” opportunities with politicians and policy makers at party conferences Experts say "looks and smells like cash for access" Full story on Democracy for Sale democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-t...
BREAKING: Tony Blair Institute’s $25,000 corporate network “smells like cash for access”
Exclusive documents show Tony Blair's think tank offers corporate members such as BP and Uber "networking" at party conferences and "a stronger voice" in policy debates.
democracyforsale.substack.com
Watch the official trailer for NAZA, an award-winning documentary produced by the Guardian that details the systems behind Israel’s mass killings in Gaza. It will be released in cinemas in more than 50 countries in the coming weeks, and then will stream on the Guardian’s website, for free.
NAZA - official trailer
YouTube video by The Guardian
youtu.be
Watch the official trailer for NAZA, an award-winning documentary produced by the Guardian that details the systems behind Israel’s mass killings in Gaza. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBR...
NAZA - official trailer
YouTube video by The Guardian
youtube.com
I've been trying to track down what happened to the Cabinet Office's FOI centre of excellence, which supposedly replaced the notorious "Clearing House" criticised for "Orwellian" tracking of journalist requests. I haven't had much luck... relightmyfoia.blog/2026/09/23/t...
The hunt for the missing FOI “centre of excellence”
As often seems to happen when ministers are being hauled over the coals for their decision making, Cabinet Office record keeping policies have been back in the news. As I reported in The Times back…
relightmyfoia.blog
Worrying scenes in the Channel today, for all interested in asylum policy and maritime tactics. A small boat from Normandy spent more than 30 hours at sea. Those on board now on their 2nd rescue vessel as Border Force forced to play cat and mouse with far-right activists who have their own boat.
LAST ONE TO TAKE THEIR HAND OFF THE GOLD RESERVES WINS CHALLENGE (IMPOSSIBLE?)
a rare photo of sean connery signed by roger moore@steamedhamms.bsky.social · last wk.i see
Barred from deporting asylum seekers back to places they face jail or death, Trump struck 35 secret deals to send people to places which will deport them there instead. - 25,000 people deported - $410 million spent. - UN aid used to sweeten the deals. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Banished to alien lands: Trump’s secret deportation deals
After a plane journey in shackles, an Iranian woman found herself in the middle of Africa in a country she did not know existed. She is one of thousands deported from the US on the back of shadowy dea...
theguardian.com
Victims say Home Office attempt to curtail spycops inquiry will result in a ‘cover-up’
Victims say Home Office attempt to curtail spycops inquiry will result in a ‘cover-up’
Shabana Mahmood is concerned about length and £144m cost of inquiry into intrusive police surveillance Victims of intrusive police surveillance have accused the government of seeking to cut short the spycops public inquiry that has been examining widespread misconduct committed by undercover officers. The independent judge-led inquiry is scrutinising how officers, who spied on tens of thousands of political activists over more than four decades, carried out abuses such as deceiving women into sexual relationships and fathering children. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
By my reckoning, billionaire Betfred boss Fred Done has threatened to close about twice the number of shops that Betfred actually owns since 2018. In the meantime, in no particular order...
Brilliant piece of writing. Featuring a marvellous parenthetical throwaway remark about Magnason’s family.
Miles Ellingham@milesellingham.bsky.social · 2w agoI wanted to write about the end of world but I didn’t know how. So @observeruk.bsky.social sent me Iceland to meet the extraordinary writer, @andrimagnason.bsky.social . Four days, one frozen helicopter ride and one dead glacier later I started work on this. observer.co.uk/style/featur...
Only reasonable lever really left to government - and probably a sensible step to take in any case given campaigning is constant and not just in election periods. And it takes away the governing party's advantage in (possibly) knowing when the election will be called & therefore what spending counts
Jim Pickard@pickardje.bsky.social · 2w agoMinisters are exploring limiting how much money British political parties can spend *in non-election periods* for the first time, as concerns over the size of gifts grow after two cryptocurrency billionaires pledged £72mn to Reform UK. www.ft.com/content/5bf1...
we're doomed: 'the world’s most advanced media operating system, powered by DeFi and AI, ironically to protect human-created journalism from AI - by providing the tools, technology, global-scale monetization and self-sustaining distribution to empower this critical art to protect our human rights.'
Matthew Holehouse@matthewholehouse.bsky.social · 2w agoLiz Truss is coming to save the Free Press (via playbook) www.thestreet.com/crypto/marke...
Threats intensify against Israeli directors of Gaza documentary NAZA www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Threats intensify against Israeli directors of Gaza documentary NAZA
Human rights organisations express support for directors of Guardian-produced film facing threats from Israeli ministers and far-right activists
theguardian.com
Great to have our story about Peter Mandelson's vetting shortlisted for the national investigation of the year category in the Media Freedom Awards alongside top stories from journalistic colleagues www.societyofeditors.org/events/media...
Shortlist 2026 – Society of Editors
Society of Editors. Protecting the freedom of the news media
societyofeditors.org
Fascinating insight into the UK nuclear deterrent with lots of interesting details
Duncan Campbell@duncanc.bsky.social · 3w agoSerious news - not reported until now. In the week the UK and NATO accused Russia of armed drone attacks in Leipzig, Britain's nuclear deterrent backup link was destroyed over the Yorkshire. Our story is here. bylinetimes.com/2026/09/08/k...
Absolutely astonishing light and views on the Bernina line between Switzerland and Italy. Got off and walked from Ospizio Bernina to Alp Grum, the path passing between the railway line and Lago Bianco, travelling by regional services instead of the pricey Bernina Express.
Turns out you can reach a whole new level and play the “Fata Morgana” barrel organ, typically seen in Eindhoven. Not that it is easy work!
Henry Dyer@direthoughts.com · 4w agoI’m Central European maxxing to levels not seen before
Releasing this? What, while I’m on holiday?
Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 4w agoWell, this is a marmalade dropper
