BREAKING: Massive new poll for Wales There has been a shift…

New polling for Wales puts Reform one seat ahead of Plaid. You can read the full analysis here:
willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/breaking-m...

How Europe’s Retreat From Corporate Transparency is Shielding the Corrupt For investigative journalists, beneficial ownership data is a proven weapon against crime and corruption. But with public registries closed across the continent — and a key reform deadline likely to b...

Why beneficial ownership transparency is so important for investigative journalism and securing justice, from @occrp.org www.occrp.org/en/feature/h...

Delighted to have published this brilliant and important collection

Who Funds Nigel Farage? Mapping His Millions Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is the highest-paid Member of Parliament. In less than two years as the MP for Clacton, Farage has racked up £2 million in personal income and gifts, on top of his £94,00...

Some interesting data analysis by @desmog.com @writesbright.bsky.social based on the Register of Intetests

www.desmog.com/2026/04/18/m...

Got to the right answer, after trying all the other options

The Mandelson fiasco reveals the true nature of Starmerism This is a prime minister who does not understand the difficult trade-offs involved in governing

The Mandelson fiasco reveals the true nature of Starmerism ft.trib.al/VacJXdd | opinion

The Drone and AI Delusion What Defense VC Firms Get Wrong about Military Evolutions and War

This is a good piece that fleshes out and backs up some of the warnings and conditions in this blog, and flags up the blurring of strategy and tactics when discussing when and where drones will matter secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com/p/the-drone-...

Why a Reform Government wouldn’t last We are just three weeks away from the election…

Why a Welsh Reform Government wouldn’t last

Eyes and ears, and potentially so much more: the role of parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister—a case study Abstract. Both advocates and critics of the ‘presidentialization’ thesis agree that the British Prime Minister’s power depends on the effective use of the

Really great article by @timbale.bsky.social on Ian Gow (Thatcher's first (best) Parliamentary Private Secretary). An interesting man in a fascinating role. Well worth a read: Eyes and ears, and potentially so much more share.google/K1Pa0x02jn9e...

Another happy customer. You can be too! www.ft.com/newsletter-s...

For transparency campaigners, the move to government-controlled apps is long overdue. Democracy groups have lamented how end-to-end #encrypted communication and #cybersecurity policies such as disappearing messages on consumer apps have pushed important decisions into the shadows. /11

So the theme I want to look at this week is gifts received in a private capacity vs where there's some kind of professional justification

I misread this. I thought readers won a Zepplin in WW1. Like on Bullseye when they won a speedboat.

Publishers warn reduced FOI cost limit would put public-interest information 'beyond scrutiny' UK news publishers have warned the Government against "extremely concerning" proposals to reduce the cost ceiling for processing FOI requests

UK news publishers have warned the Government against "extremely concerning" proposals to reduce the cost ceiling for processing Freedom of Information requests pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/fo...

The Staple Singers - A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (1965) YouTube video by musicandlit

"A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall," The Staple Singers. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrfc...

Ok. My understanding of the electoral fraud situation is this.

1. Democracy volunteers put out a statement at one minute past poll close. They said this was at a level they’d not seen before

I've said this before, but still true that it's well worth following Claire's work if you're interested in FOI

Freedom of Information in the news – week ending 27/3/2026 – #FOIFriday - Words + Numbers The Scottish Government is having another week of it Freedom of Information-wise. It did manage to score a victory in the seemingly never-ending saga involving several FOIs into an investigation into Nicola Sturgeon’s conduct in relation to complaints about her her predecessor Alex Salmond.

Nine #FOI requests!!

Either a sign of apparent extremism or the average number of requests Scottish opposition parties are hoping to get in before the election...

Campaigners warn that pause on cryptocurrency donations may need to stay in place indefinitely Unlock Democracy says there must be a guaranteed way of tracing crypto donations back to their original source

The Rycroft Review is right to press pause on crypto donations.

They are hard to trace and easy to move across borders, creating a clear risk of foreign money entering UK politics.

The moratorium should only be lifted once we can be sure it is safe to do so.

buff.ly/GfaAs1N

The UK Covid Inquiry has laid bare the avoidable horror of the second Covid wave It is becoming ever clearer both how devastating the second wave of winter 2020/21 was, and how much of that devastation could have been avoided.

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social 's commentary on the latest Covid Inquiry report
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-uk-cov...

The UK Covid Inquiry has laid bare the avoidable horror of the second Covid wave It is becoming ever clearer both how devastating the second wave of winter 2020/21 was, and how much of that devastation could have been avoided.

Incredible substance here from @chrischirp.bsky.social. The 2nd wave of COVID-19 in the UK was a) devastating and b) avoidable. Take time to play the clip of Prof Kevin Fong who breaks down when describing the scale of death and its impact on ICU staff.
christinapagel.substack.com/p/the-uk-cov...

Is it a giant wooden horse

launch of Digital Investigations Lab Launching the Digital Investigations Lab at King’s College London bringing together researchers and practitioners from academia, civil society, and the arts and media to share and discuss the investig...

launching a new Digital Investigations Lab ✨ jonathangray.org/2026/03/23/d...
co-led by David Young @lboungr.bsky.social & I

Why the United States attack on the school in Minab matters 23rd March 2026 The facts of the incident point to a breach of international law   * Hello and welcome to The Empty City blog, the new name of which is explained here. * Let us assume the foll…

NEW

Why the United States attack on the school in Minab matters

A follow-up post to the Prospect article at The Empty City Blog

Substack emptycity.substack.com/p/why-the-un...

Non-Substack theemptycity.com/blog/2026/03...

The illiberals do not always get to win.

Curbing our right to know would be a blow to democracy Government sources have said they are considering restrictions to freedom of information (FOI) requests

Curbing our right to know would be a blow to democracy.

My Thunderer in today’s Times on floated government plans to kneecap key anti-corruption legislation by weakening FOI.

www.thetimes.com/article/77a1...

In preparation for the former class, the students and myself put together a playlist of songs related to Postcolonial London. Here’s a thread of the selections we listened to today... 🧵

What FOIA requesters are DOJ OIP talking about here? Me?

How can this go on for another 3 years?

good New Yorker story about how we got to this war, cites my recent book on U.S. policy toward Iran