SubscriptionsColumn / Investigation: Crypto Politics
Dark money, lobbying, regulatory capture, state institutions hollowed by donor factions, foreign interference, and the financialisation of political power.
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Beyond Trumpland: What a Second Trump Presidency Means for Moscow’s ‘Forever Wars’
Experts say Donald Trump’s fiery brand of boardroom geopolitics would have disastrous consequences even beyond the theatre of Russia’s active conflict with Ukraine
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‘The Political System Needs Fundamental Reform – From Capping Party Donations to Scrapping Voter ID’
‘It is a scandal that, in so many constituencies, people did not really have a choice of MP – as the real choice lay with a party machine that can foist MPs upon them’
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JD Vance and the Radicalisation of the Right
Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, used to be a harsh critic of the former US president – now he’s a “dutiful ventriloquist of the Trumpian gospel”. Here’s what happened
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Keir Starmer Urged to Work With Leaders in Governance and Transparency to ‘Rebuild Public Trust’
A letter, coordinated by the UK Open Government Network, has been sent to the Prime Minister offering him support and requesting a meeting
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‘Labour Won’t Reverse Brexit But a Starmer Victory Will Lead to an Immediate Reset of Trust and Goodwill with the EU’
While we should not expect too much of an incoming Labour government, we should not forget just how dark the last few years have been, writes Chris Grey
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From Russia With Likes: Nigel Farage Dominates Social Media During General Election – Boosted by Bots Stoking Racism
The Reform Party is hovering around 18% of the vote, yet Farage’s and his party’s Facebook posts generated six times more reactions and shares than either Labour or the Conservatives and their leaders
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The ‘Spiral of Silence’ and the Rise of the Bots
Explained: How malicious bots and other automated programmes are used to spread misinformation – and how widespread they are
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How Far-Right Billionaires are Destroying French Politics – and What the UK Must Learn
The French media have boosted the far-right National Rally party. Are the British media doing the same in the UK?
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A ‘Russia Hoax’ or Russian Hopes? How Putin’s Troll Farms are Boosting Nigel Farage’s Campaigns – Again
Islamophobia, the Great Replacement Theory, and GB News are key elements in the Russian propaganda networks supporting the Reform Party
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‘Wales Could Lead the Way Across the Globe if it Criminalises Political Lying’
A dishonest doctor gets struck off the medical register. The banker who steals from his clients goes to jail. A deceitful military officer gets cashiered. Why should politicians not expect to play by the same rules?
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The Likely Labour MPs Who Lobbied Against Key Party Policies – Amid Concerns of ‘Whole New Raft of Scandals’
Prospective Labour candidates have worked as lobbyists for trade bodies and companies that will have a vested interests in shifting the party’s key election pledges in government
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Another Time Nigel Farage Worked with a Putin Ally to ‘Harm Democratic Governance’ – and Refused to Speak About it
Heidi Siegmund Cuda revisits that time Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was part of an operation to divide California known as Calexit, which collapsed after it was revealed to be funded by Russia
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The 1900 Club and the Conservative Party: An Inside Look at the Secretive ‘Dining Club That Does More Than Dine’
A recently unearthed booklet on The 1900 Club sheds some light on the history of the organisation and its ties to the Conservative Party
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Having Outlawed Foreign Influence, Georgian Dream Initiates Anti-LGBTQ+ Law
Tbilisi Pride says that it is in the ‘ultimate battle for our lives… and if we lose, we will have to go into exile’
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‘Britain’s Long History of Corruption and Cover-Ups and the Dire Consequences for Those the Government Chooses to Ignore’
If a likely new Labour government wants to truly mark a difference from the Conservatives, it needs to fix the systemic failings, writes former diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall
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The Five Questions Nigel Farage is Never Asked About Brexit, Trump and Russia
As the media provides the Reform Leader with a prominent platform, Peter Jukes considers all the concerning lines of enquiry that journalists never confront him with
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Nigel Farage Claims ‘Corruption’ in the UK’s Postal Vote System – and Suggests Trump Lost to Biden due to ‘Ballot Harvesting’
Nigel Farage echoes Trump supporters’ conspiracy theories about electoral fraud in 2020 and makes unevidenced claims of corruption in the UK postal voting system
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‘In the Sixth-Richest Country in the World, How Can You Build a Welfare State on Food Banks?’ The Stats that Reveal Just how Widespread Food Poverty Is In the UK
Combined Trussell Trust and Independent Food Aid Network data lays bare the breadth of food banks in the UK – themselves symptoms of a far deeper food poverty crisis
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‘Keir Starmer’s Defence of the Two Child Benefit Cap is Indefensible’
The Labour leader’s refusal to commit to scrapping George Osborne’s austerity-era policy risks committing hundreds of thousands more children into poverty
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Nigel Farage and an ‘Extraordinary Lack of Curiosity’ from UK Government and Intelligence Services Over Possible Russian Interference in Brexit
“It did strike me as ridiculous that, given the overt nationalism of the Leave.EU campaign, it was involved in discussions with representatives of the Russian Government”
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Helicopter Cash: Rishi Sunak’s Reliance on Taxpayer-Funded Air Travel Exposed – and the Conservative Donors who Fund his Trips and Benefit From Huge Government Contracts
The Prime Minister’s penchant for air travel dwarfs that of his predecessors flies in the face of the Government’s net zero pledges and comes days after his D-Day dodging shame
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‘We Can Stop Lying in Politics – But Will a New Government Pay Attention to the Public’s Demand for Honesty?
At this moment in history, lying can no longer be dismissed as an unpleasant by-product of the political game – and we can do something about it, writes Compassion in Politics’ co-founder
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Conservatives Promote JCB’s ‘Revolutionary’ Pothole Machine While Taking Millions of Pounds in Donations from the Company
Senior Conservatives have repeatedly promoted a pothole repair machine made by a company which has donated huge sums to the party and its MPs
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Brexit is the Election Elephant in the Room – But Business Leaders Know the Truth
Brexit has barely been mentioned during the election campaign – but the impact on businesses and the economy is so much worse than the public might think
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‘Donald Trump’s Hush Money Verdicts May Not Hurt his Presidential Run But Will Damage America’s Democracy and Image’
The former US President was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels
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UK Government Accused of Allowing Georgia’s ‘Pro-Russian’ Drift After Foreign Influence Law Passed
The Conservatives said they had no idea a UK-backed Georgian communications unit was using trolls to attack opponents and spread anti-Western disinformation. A source claims the former Foreign Secretary was informed last March
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‘Only a Bold Vision from Labour Will Restore Any Faith in Our Broken Politics’
Jennifer Nadel, co-founder of Compassion in Politics, argues that Westminster’s dysfunctional system under a potential Labour government could leave the door open to far-right politics in the years ahead
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Liz Truss Claims Labour Party is ‘In Hock’ to Terrorists in Conspiracy Laden Rant on Fringe Right-Wing Talk Show
As Rishi Sunak faces calls to strip her of the whip, Liz Truss claims without evidence that ceasefire protests are funded by authoritarian states, amid a litany of strange proposals
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Modi Likely to Win Third Term in India as Voters Urged to End Reign of ‘Dictator’ Amid Fears Country Will Become ‘Russia-Like Autocracy’
India is about to enter the final phase of its general election, amid cries to ‘save democracy’, with Modi expected to further tighten controls and silence opposition voices if he is re-elected
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Calls for the Crown to Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Climate Protesters as Prisons Clogged and Criminals are ‘Let Off’
The Government is accused of pushing public bodies to go tougher on protesters
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Government ‘Anti-Extremism’ Protest Report Launched in Westminster by Think Tank with Ties to US Hard Right
The Counter Extremism Group has close ties both to Government – and to hard-right think tanks
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Sunak’s ‘Anti-Extremism’ Adviser Demands Protest Bans to Protect Defence and Energy Firms While Working as Lobbyist for Arms and Fossil Fuel Industry Groups
Lord Walney’s proposals would impose an effective ban on certain protest groups while handing police forces the power to outlaw regular Gaza protests
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Government Spends Billions on Border and Custom Controls Still Incomplete Three Years After Brexit
No final date has been set for when ‘the most effective border in the world’ will be fully operational, according to a new report by the National Audit Office
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‘Huge Victory for Democracy’ as Rishi Sunak’s Protest Crackdown Found Unlawful by High Court
The Home Office unlawfully gave police the powers to intervene against protests where no serious disruption was taking place, the court found
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Potential Conservative Leadership Candidate Robert Jenrick Blames Donation from Dormant Firm On Administrative Error
The MP reported a donation from a company that appears to be inactive in the UK – which his team has now told Byline Times was a mistake
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Georgian President’s Veto of ‘Russian Law’ Sets Stage for Government’s Showdown with Western Partners
President Salome Zurabishvil tonight announced her veto of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s controversial law on ‘foreign influence’ almost two weeks earlier than expected.
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Rishi Sunak’s Russian Hypocrisy: How the Conservatives ‘Emboldened’ Vladimir Putin
The Prime Minister’s party took millions of pounds in funding from Russia-linked individuals, while rewarding those who played into Putin’s hands
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More Protesters to Face Prison as Government Plans Bans on Face Masks and Flares at Demonstrations
“The Government is determined to shut down the ways in which ordinary people can take to the streets to make their voices heard,” Liberty says
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‘A Relentless Assault’: the Staggering Rise in Child Poverty in the UK
Gordon Brown responds to a shocking UNICEF report that UK child poverty has worsened drastically more than 38 other OECD nations
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Cracks in the Crackdown? Pressure Mounts on Georgian Dream
Amid massive public protests and deepening international pressure, the ruling Georgian Dream party has said it may be willing to negotiate on their controversial ‘Russian law’
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The Kremlin’s Game of Thrones: Why did Putin Sack Shoigu?
Putin may replace his long-standing Defence Minister but cannot tackle the real cause of his disastrous foreign policy – himself
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‘Our Injuries Will Heal, but the Georgian Government’s Reputation Will Not’
Georgia’s accelerating authoritarian slide into Russia’s orbit has now seen its government launch a full-scale Belarusian-style crackdown on opposition voices.
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‘I Had to Argue for My Right to Vote’: Voters Report Being Denied a Say in Local Elections Due to Strict Photo ID Law
Voters say they struggled to prove their identities as polling stations enforced England’s draconian photo ID rules
