A neat summation of the findings of a 2023 investigation by the Guardian, @tbij.bsky.social and international media partners. www.thetimes.com/article/f191...

The web of offshore companies that allowed Chelsea to cheat the system

As FA chairman at time of rule breaches says club got off lightly, we take closer look at £47m secret payments that helped secure star players such as Eden Hazard

thetimes.com

In yesterday's FT anonymous government officials talked of need to 'tighten' to FOI to stop China (!?!) The real story, though, is how much govt spending on legal fees to fight FOI requesters in court Campaigners, citizens, journalists all paying price democracyforsale.substack.com/p/government...

Government spent over £1m on court cases to keep information secret

Whitehall departments spent seven-figure sum on legal fees to fight Freedom of Information requests

democracyforsale.substack.com

Make no mistake that any weakening of FOI is an attack on all of our civil liberties, and would be a clear example of democratic backsliding. It is clear that the government is now seriously considering an attack on your right to know. www.ft.com/content/2c34...

UK considers FOI clampdown as requests soar

Moves to tighten system likely to be met with resistance from campaigners

ft.com

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

Fines for UK financial crime nosedive to ‘pitiful’ lows

Penalties from the FCA drop by 78% in five years as it prepares to take on a new role as 'super-regulator'

thebureauinvestigates.com

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

Independent police corruption investigations plummet by 70% in five…

Campaigners slam ‘broken’ complaints system as corruption probes by the watchdog hit alarming lows

thebureauinvestigates.com

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.

Investigative Simulations Lab

investigativesimulations.org

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

Carter-Ruck partner prosecuted for ‘improper’ threat to sue

Claire Gill understood to be facing tribunal over letter attempting to silence victim of a huge fraud scheme, as reported by TBIJ

thebureauinvestigates.com

🚨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’s lawyer helped manage millions for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of…

Mark Bridges worked for ‘butcher of Hama’ while advising the British monarch

thebureauinvestigates.com

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

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

Exclusive: Mark Bridges of Farrer & Co was trustee for Rifaat al-Assad, who was charged with war crimes in 2024 Queen Elizabeth II’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of the uncle of the recently deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, an investigation has established. Rifaat al-Assad became known as the “butcher of Hama” after allegations he played a key role in a massacre of thousands of Syrians at the city of Hama in 1982. In 2024, Switzerland formally charged him with war crimes. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

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...

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

Exclusive: Mark Bridges of Farrer & Co was trustee for Rifaat al-Assad, later charged with war crimes in 2024

theguardian.com

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...

HMRC prosecutes less than five tax evasion enablers in a year

Legal actions against facilitators stand at next to nothing – and new figures differ wildly from those previously given

thebureauinvestigates.com

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

Questions Unanswered, Concerns Remain: The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition calls for clarity and transparency from the SRA - UK Anti-Slapp Coalition

The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition wrote to the SRA seeking answers to a number of outstanding questions regarding its decision-making process as it relates to SLAPPs after it discontinued Eliot Higgins' com...

antislapp.uk

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...

UK ministers and officials treated to hospitality 3,500 times in five years, study finds

Some of firms providing meals and tickets also among those to secure most meetings in key departments

theguardian.com

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?

Index on Censorship@indexoncensorship.org · last yr.

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

"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

Spelthorne council report shows local government is on the brink

Huge debts, few checks and balances and a culture of denial led Spelthorne council to financial meltdown, just like a similar disaster in nearby Thurrock

thebureauinvestigates.com

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?

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last yr.

Automated dating 💀 www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

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/

Huge win! Government announces plan to open up Land Registry

This post is by Guy Shrubsole. Today the UK Government has announced plans to open up the Land Registry – which, if delivered, will finally reveal more about who owns land in England and Wale…

whoownsengland.org

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...

More than 170 mothers killed by their sons in 15 years in UK, report reveals

Data analysing deaths of all 2,000 women killed by men since 2009 reveals hidden scourge of matricide

theguardian.com

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...

Treasury Department Announces Suspension of Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act Against U.S. Citizens and Domestic Reporting Companies

The Treasury Department is announcing today that, with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act, not only will it not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership informati...

home.treasury.gov

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?

Inside Roman Abramovich's yacht-rental tax scam

The oligarch’s scheme to skirt taxes on his boats was enterprising, elaborate – and illegal. Here’s how it worked

thebureauinvestigates.com