Number crunching: Iran war

From the new Private Eye, out now.

For Tues Metro

In @privateeyenews.bsky.social In the Money: hedge funds’ (incl GB News owner’s) stratospheric profits from economic turmoil; PFI returns to pour taxpayers’ money into BlackRock; latest crapto-currency scam; watchdog who wants ‘more Shoreditch, less Whitehall’; plus student loan accounting lunacy

Private eye latest cover

Can the JD Vance humiliation world tour possibly get any worse...

Is the Pope a Catholic?

A photo of the front cover of issue 1673 of Private Eye magazine, with the caption “on shelves now.” The main headline reads “HUNGARY: ORBAN LOSES HISTORIC ELECTION.” The central image shows Viktor Orbán standing on stage alongside JD Vance, both raising their arms in front of a cheering crowd with Hungarian and US flags in the background. A speech bubble reads, “Who says America can’t achieve regime change?” A strapline at the bottom reads “HUGE TRIUMPH FOR MAGA (SURELY MAGYAR? ED.).”

Hungary: Orban loses historic election

The new Private Eye is out now.

Flagship Freeport Teesside gives up on “customs zone” that behind the policy in the first place as if falls into financial disarray - and more on scandalous shake down of a local company to extract millions for the businessmen controlling it. Details in current @privateeyenews.bsky.social.

Plus: gov’t fails to free up land information as promised; the delightful world of small cap investment (“pour gasoline over this scum”); and the “all time low” customer service record of the HMRC boss brought in to sort out the National Savings fiasco 2/2

In a packed @privateeyenews.bsky.social In the Money section this issue - more cash in circulation when legitimate use falling - wonder why?; the fall of Macquarie-backed NCP; Farage’s new mate’s dubious Covid loan; the towering cronyism of “Manchesterism” 1/2

Full story by In The Money columnist ‘Gold Digger’ in the latest issue.

You can contact Gold Digger with financial stories at: golddigger@private-eye.co.uk

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Using loans from the authority’s Housing Investment Loans Fund, it has built 80 percent of the city’s 40-storey-plus apartment blocks, receiving around 60 percent of its near £1bn loans.

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Andy Burnham’s Greater Manchester Combined Authority is fighting a claim from local property developer Weis that a rival, Renaker, has been unduly favoured and effectively subsidised by GMCA over a decade.

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A photo of the front cover of issue 1672 of Private Eye magazine, with the caption “on shelves now.” The main headline reads “TRUMP’S EASTER MESSAGE OF HOPE.” The central image shows Donald Trump seated at a table beside US defence secretary Pete Hegseth with US flags behind them. Speech bubbles add dialogue: Trump says, “I’ve got a brilliant plan for the war,” Hegseth replies, “What is it?”, and Trump answers, “I’m going to blame you!”

Trump’s Easter message of hope

The new Private Eye is out now.

They were supposed to be the great “Brexit benefit”, so how are the UK’s freeports doing? Er, wasting money and distorting investment. Special report in latest @privateeyenews.bsky.social In The Money…

Ben Houchen’s Darlington Question Time: his top 30 inaccurate statements Chris Lloyd of the Northern Echo was compere for the evening. Here’s my report on the proceedings, neatly summarized into the 30 most inaccurate statements made by Ben Houchen over 110 minutes on Wedn...

What's this?

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen being economical with the truth?

Who knew?

Ben Houchen’s Darlington Question Time: his top 30 inaccurate statements northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...

Just read the book, an outstanding account of this desperate scandal, might need an updated version with the continued delay in payments and the surely inevitable criminal cases to follow

In latest @privateeyenews.bsky.social In the Money - more Mandy money; Farage’s gold-into-crypto alchemy; over-priced karats in the gold coin market; and an assessment of Britain’s freeports five years on.

Number crunching: Compensation to (unconvicted) victims of the Post Office scandal v compensation paid to Peter Mandelson on being sacked as US ambassador.

From the new Private Eye, out now.

A photo of the front cover of issue 1671 of Private Eye magazine, with the caption “on shelves now.” The main headline reads “HORMUZ CRISIS – TRUMP IN DIRE STRAITS.” The cover features two side-by-side images: on the left, Donald Trump sits at a desk holding a telephone receiver with a speech bubble saying “I need help.” On the right, UK prime minister Keir Starmer sits at a desk in front of shelves of legal books, also on the phone, replying in a speech bubble: “We’ve known that for years, you nutter!” A strap-line at the bottom reads: “NATO’S MINEFIELD POLICY – ‘AMERICA FIRST’.”

Hormuz crisis: Trump in dire straits

The new Private Eye is out now.

Private Eye | In the Money : Laundry list ‘Gold Digger' writes…

From current @privateeyenews.bsky.social, chance to read online. New issue tomorrow!

www.private-eye.co.uk/columnists

In @privateeyenews.bsky.social In the Money: bankers’ bonuses ratcheting up thanks to inflation hitting everybody else; Farage’s friend’s money laundering book highlights areas favoured by Reform backers; and more AI-perbole as govt makes Accenture “reinvention” boss an “AI champion”.

Closer examination of the Epstein files provokes fresh questions about Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy and his brother Christian’s development of the One Hyde Park super-prime apartment block: messages within the latest release appear to contradict their tax-avoiding account of the project.

L: Private Eye front cover, yesterday.
R: News headline, today.

Stay ahead of the news; buy the Eye.

A photo of the front cover of issue 1669 of Private Eye magazine, with the caption “on shelves now.” It has a yellow banner quoting “AN ABSOLUTE RAG OF A PUBLICATION” attributed to Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyer, 2011. The main cover line reads “ANDREW THE NET TIGHTENS.” The central image shows Prince Andrew in a suit standing outside a building beside a police officer in tactical gear. Speech bubbles read “What’s the time officer?” and “About 25 years.”

Andrew: The Net Tightens

The new Private Eye is out now.

Find out who’s heading headfirst down a slippery slope - and who’s skating on thin ice…

No, it’s not the Winter Olympics. It’s PRIVATE EYE WEEK.

New issue in shops and with subscribers from Wednesday.

In case you haven’t had enough Mandelson, here is my account of his disingenuous role in foisting the Horizon IT system on the Post Office. From Post Mortem - available from all good booksellers!

As all revealed in @privateeyenews.bsky.social !

Also in this Reform UK story, how man-of-the-people Nigel Farage has moved his personal company to Candy’s offshore-owned Mayfair office.
@privateeyenews.bsky.social

Private Eye | Nick Candy : Candy cash saga FOR a man brought in by Nigel Farage as Reform UK's treasurer, charged with raising an election-winning war chest, Nick Candy's own commercial prowess is increasingly hard to discern.

The questionable business record of Reform UK’s money man, and the awkward tax questions posed for him by an email in the Epstein files, in latest @privateeyenews.bsky.social.

www.private-eye.co.uk/news

From Foreign Correspondent - To Uber Driver

NEW EPISODE:

"From Foreign Correspondent - To Uber Driver".

Steve Scherer was one of many legacy media workers to lose his job - in his case as a Bureau Chief for Reuters

Here's what he's learned - as told to @goldbergradio.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social

open.spotify.com/episode/1ffR...

Removing this vital resource is a bitter blow to open justice Ministry of Justice has decided to shut down Courtsdesk, a court-reporting archive that collated magistrates’ court records

I've written today's Thunderer on Courtsdesk, the archive the MoJ has scrapped.

It mustn't double down out of embarrassment. Every day the system is down is a day court access is curtailed.

Not resolving this would be a choice to undermine open justice.

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...