No tracking. No cookies
Subscriptions
SubscriptionsCategory: Whitehall and the Civil Service
-
‘What is he Doing for his Wage?’: Lord Philip Hammond’s Revolving Door Continues
ust two years after leaving office, the former Chancellor and life peer is now free to lobby the Government on behalf of businesses registered in tax havens and set up by Conservative peers
-
Mind the Gap: Top Male Government Special Advisors Paid 22% More than Female Counterparts
Analysis of the gender pay gap in Government by the Byline Intelligence Team shows that Westminster has a long way to go to achieve equal pay
-
Qatari Officials, Tabloid Supremos and Conservative Donors: Ministers’ Meetings Revealed
Sam Bright delves into the new records showing who has had the ear of Government ministers
-
The Runaway Train: Whistleblowers Accuse HS2 of ‘Concealing the Truth’ Over Controversial Project’s Costs
Two former senior members of staff claim that they were sacked after they sought to reveal the true property costs of the project
-
The Tory Takeover: More Conservative Insiders Appointed to Key Whitehall Roles
David Hencke and Sam Bright report on the ever-growing number of Conservative-linked figures who are filling senior roles in Government departments and bodies
-
David Cameron in Government Summit with Firm Employing him as a Consultant
The former Prime Minister and one of his clients met with a Business minister days before the Greensill lobbying scandal hit the headlines
-
No Meetings Held by ‘Powerful’ Committees Set Up to Iron-Out Brexit Problems
One of the bodies – established to deal with post-Brexit chaos in the fishing industry – hasn’t met for three months, Sam Bright reveals
-
The Death Of Convention
Stephen Colegrave considers how Boris Johnson has used the vagueness and vulnerability of Britain’s unwritten constitution to erode democracy
-
Business Department Advisors Lobbied Government Bank Over Greensill Loans, Report Reveals
David Hencke reports on a new twist in the Greensill Capital lobbying saga uncovered by the independent public spending watchdog
-
Firm Chaired By Government Health Procurement Advisor Wins New £20.6 Million Contract
The company has now been awarded deals worth close to £60 million during the pandemic, reports Sam Bright
-
The Revolving Door Created by the Conservative Party Has a Long History
The same, well-connected insiders are allowed to sit at the side of power, especially in the field of education policy, reports Karam Bales
-
Undeclared Health Minister Meetings With Firm Owned by Conservative Donor
One of the companies involved secured a £16 million grant from the Government, reports Sam Bright
-
Health Department Failed to Declare Minister’s 27 Meetings Held at Outset of Pandemic
The companies involved went on to win £1.14 billion in Government contracts, reports Sam Bright
-
Government By WhatsApp: Departments’ Secrecy Around Advisors’ Messages Exposes Johnson Administration’s Unaccountable Power
Iain Overton’s investigation into one simple question revealed fundamental truths about where accountability lies in British politics today
-
Hancock Plans to Hide his Health Data Grab From Parliamentary Scrutiny
The collection of medical information proposed by the Health and Social Care Secretary could have vast consequences, despite limited oversight, reports David Hencke
-
How Much Did We Pay For PPE? Data the Government Doesn’t Want to Reveal
John Lubbock inspects data that has been leaked and accidentally released about the amount the UK actually paid for PPE during the Coronavirus crisis
-
The Transparency Gap: Government Publishes £4.2 Billion in PPE Contracts a Year Late
The Prime Minister previously claimed that ‘all the details are on the record’, reports Sam Bright
-
Court Criticises Cabinet Office for ‘Profound Lack of Transparency’ Over ‘Orwellian’ Clearing House Unit
In a case brought against Michael Gove’s department by openDemocracy, a judge has found that it provided misleading information about a unit coordinating Freedom of Information requests
-
The Anatomy of a PPE Deal Awarded to a Matt Hancock Associate
After Dominic Cummings was pressed on Government procurement, during which the Health and Social Care Secretary attracted scathing criticism, Sam Bright reveals more alleged details about a £14.4 million PPE contract
-
Government Faces Both Ways on Conflicts of Interest
New official guidance makes a mockery of the UK’s procurement policies during the Coronavirus pandemic, reports Sam Bright
-
The Contradictions of Dominic Cummings
The Prime Minister’s former chief aide helped to create the system that he now rightly denounces, says Sam Bright
-
Government Ignored PPE Warnings in December 2019, Supplier Tells MPs
Officials were warned months in advance about an upcoming shortage of equipment yet failed to act, a major supplier has told a parliamentary committee
-
‘Government Could Have Saved More Than 100,000 Lives During Pandemic’, Says Former Chief Scientist
Sir David King speaks to Byline Times about herd immunity, private sector outsourcing, the vaccine roll-out, and future threats
-
Downing Street Refurbishment Conducted by Firm With Conservative Links
Two Tory peers and a Government ‘advisor’ have close ties a firm tasked with revamping Downing Street, Sam Bright reveals
-
From Cameron to COVID: 10 Years of Broken Transparency Promises
John Lubbock explains how the Coronavirus pandemic has unravelled the Government’s glib commitment to openness over public contracts
-
Post-Nolan Cronyism: The 10 Year Conservative Campaign to Rig the Public Appointments System
The recent appointment of Government sympathisers to the BBC must be seen in the context of a years-long effort to wrest control of public bodies, says Julian Petley
-
Government Pays £38 Million to Firm After Reneging on COVID Contract
Matt Hancock’s department was forced to pay a large settlement to a company after deciding to pull out of a ‘Test and Trace’ deal, reports Stephen Delahunty
-
£11.6 Billion in Public Contracts Won by Registered Lobbying Firms Since 2015
Companies that aim to influence government policy have been awarded deals worth billions in recent years
-
Against the Wall: How Johnson’s Cronyism Contributed to his Woeful Mishandling of the Coronavirus Pandemic
From “she’s buying gold wallpaper” to “let the bodies pile high”, questions must be asked about the priority the Prime Minister gave to the pandemic when it emerged last year – at the same time as he was worrying about matters closer to home
-
Firm Owned by Boris Johnson’s ‘Downing Street Donor’ was Allowed to Bid for £130 Million Public Contracts
A company founded and owned by Lord Brownlow has been awarded access to public contracts
-
David Cameron Spent £93,000 of Taxpayer Cash on Downing Street Residence Renovations During Austerity Years
The former Prime Minister spent significant sums upgrading his living quarters while preaching public-sector restraint, Sam Bright reports
-
Government of the Redacted, by the Redacted, for the Redacted
Sam Bright reports on how officials have struck-out crucial information in two uncomfortable cases
-
I Exposed the Dark Arts of Lobbying – A Decade On Nothing’s Changed
Iain Overton recalls his undercover investigation into a notorious PR firm and explains why the scandal around lobbying and the ‘revolving door’ has worsened under Boris Johnson’s Government
-
Lobbyists Donated £400,000 to Conservative Party in Recent Years
Political donations from registered lobbying firms – which aim to influence government policy – have clustered around the governing party since 2015
-
Government Departments Breaking Guidance on Board Members’ Conflicts of Interest
Sam Bright reports that major departments have failed to log the interests of their non-executive directors
-
Political Links to Firm that Prompted Greensill Demise
Sam Bright reports how a former Downing Street director of communications, a diplomat and an ex-First Minister of Wales all have ties to the company that worked in tandem with Greensill
-
UK in Brexit Limbo with EU Disputes Resolution Bodies Still Not Set Up, Say Lords
Twenty-five committees and five study groups to cover almost every conceivable area of interest between the EU and UK have still not been established
-
David Cameron: Johnson’s Convenient Scapegoat
With his dual tactics of projection and deflection, the current Prime Minister has pulled off a masterstroke by launching an inquiry into the former Prime Minister’s conflicts of interest, says Hardeep Matharu
-
Special Investigation: ‘Mind Boggling’– US Experts Speak Out Against Appointment of New UK Government Counter-Extremism Chief
Robin Simcox’s connections to anti-Muslim conspiracy theories raise concerns across the Atlantic
-
New Government Counter-Extremism Chief’s Ties to Pro-Trump Hate Groups
Nafeez Ahmed reports on the alarm bells raised by the appointment of Robin Simcox as the Lead Commissioner on Countering Extremism
-
Conflict of Interest Concerns Over £15 Million COVID Contract
A new Government deal raises further questions about the Government’s approach to conflict of interest transparency
-
Human Rights Watchdog Boss Quits Amid Lockdown Breach Allegations
Rebecca Hilsenrath appears to be the only senior figure in Whitehall to have resigned over an apparent violation of Coronavirus restrictions, David Hencke reports
-
Mapping the Pandemic: £2 Billion in Contracts Awarded to Conservative Associates
Pulling together a year of evidence, Byline Times and The Citizens can reveal that deals worth billions have been awarded to top Conservative Party associates during the Coronavirus crisis
