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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‘Those Who Enjoyed the Post-1945 Social Progress of the West Were Made Complacent By It: We Forgot Its Price is Vigilance’
AC Grayling explores the factors that have driven the rise of ‘illiberal democracy’
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COVID Cronyism and Mone – The Tip of the Iceberg: Byline Times’ Full Story of the PPE Cash Carousel
Byline Times has been unravelling the dealings behind the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the UK since the very early days of the pandemic. Here’s what we learnt – and what we still need answers to…
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Revealed: Westminster Staff’s Second Jobs
Andrew Kersley takes a close look at the register of interests for Members’ Secretaries and Research Assistants and finds some have surprising other roles
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Michelle Mone’s Lawyer Distances Himself from Baroness’ Claim She Lied to the Press on his Advice
A lawyer acting for the lawyer of Baroness Michelle Mone told Byline Times it would be defamatory to suggest David McKie ‘knowingly represented a false position’
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Government Accused of “Destroying” Independence of UK’s Election Watchdog as New “Priorities” Imposed on Electoral Commission
The Government is now able to steer the strategy and focus of the UK’s elections body.
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Respected Health Professionals Feel ‘Duped’ into Appearing in Michelle Mone PPE Documentary
A film about the PPE scandal did not declare to some contributors it was being funded by a company that won £203 million in Government PPE contracts
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UK’s Politics Now Wide Open to Foreign Donations, Peers Warn, as Government Scraps Time Limit on Brits’ Donations from Abroad
Swing seats could be decided by Brits living in Moscow or Iran following changes to election rules
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‘One of the World’s Most Cyber-Attacked Nations’: Parliamentary Report Confirms Russian Interference Attempts in UK Elections – and Slams Braverman’s Inaction to Prioritise ‘Stopping the Boats’
The former Home Secretary showed no interest in urgent threats to the UK as the National Security Strategy Committee reveals that Vladimir Putin made attempts to interfere with the last General Election
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UK’s Next General Election is Wide Open to Foreign Interference, Corruption Watchdog Warns
The Conservatives have made Britain’s elections more exposed to risky foreign donations, according to Spotlight on Corruption
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Government Defends Hereditary Peers Even as Aristocrats Evade Vetting and Titles Go Entirely to Men
There are still 91 hereditary peers voting on our laws – and they face even less scrutiny than those appointed for life.
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Pressure for a Windfall Tax on Banks Grows As ‘Big Four’ Net Huge Profits
Four of the biggest banks in the UK amassed £41 billion in pre-tax profits in the first nine months of the year alone.
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Outcry as Government Proposes Letting Brits ‘Vouch’ for Overseas Voters’ Identities – While Denying Same Chance for In-Person Voters Who Lack ID
There are fears lax rules could allow unfettered cash to flood in to UK politics from abroad
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Government Refuses to Expand List of Accepted Voter IDs Despite Thousands Being Turned Away From Polls
More than 100,000 voters could be turned away at the next General Election according to one forecast
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Government Challenged Over Massive Hike to Election Spending Limit Which is Set to Benefit Conservatives
The change means parties will now be allowed to spend over £30m in order to win a General Election
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‘The Price of Democracy in the UK has Just Gone Up Massively: The Conservatives Once Again Set the Rules to Benefit Themselves’
Increasing the amount political parties can spend on general elections is another warning sign for British democracy
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Revealed: Britain’s Broken Election Laws Just Got Even Worse
The Government has made it even easier for dark money, foreign influence, and the proceeds of crime to bankroll British politics
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‘The Brexit Effect on Health and Social Care Must Be Pragmatically Addressed’
We need to forge alliances to continue our global health leadership, writes the director of the Independent Commission on UK-EU Relations
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First Past the Post Voting System Barrier to Urgent Action on Climate Crisis, Major Environmental Groups Say
Climate-conscious voters are locked out by our ‘winner-takes-all’ electoral system, a new report finds
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Demand for Investigation into David Cameron’s Appointment as Foreign Secretary Given Lobbying and China Links
The new Foreign Secretary and peer was involved in one of the biggest lobbying scandals of recent years
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‘Lies, Damned Lies and Strategic Lies’
Ivor Gaber examines the technique of repeating untruths for a particular gain and how to counter it
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‘Stability and Strong Government? Not with this Merry-Go-Round’
If the UK’s First Past the Post electoral system can’t deliver its supposed advantages, why we are continuing with it?
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Workers Face the Sack if They Don’t Cross Their Own Picket Lines. What Kind of Country is This?
Strike-breaking is now mandatory.
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David Cameron’s Appointment to Cabinet ‘Another Reminder Why the House of Lords Must Go’
The disgraced former Prime Minister has been handed a seat in the Lords for life.
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As Lukashenka Sides with Putin, the Belarusian Opposition Presses On
Despite their leader’s support for Russia, most Belarusians oppose the war with Ukraine, argues Mark Temnycky
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Government Claims it ‘Takes Seriously Its Constitutional Role and Responsibility’ – As Another Report Raises Concerns About Britain’s Democracy
The United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group believes there is evidence of a desire by some politicians to wholly bypass democracy
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‘Sunak’s Government is Using a Moment of Crisis to Clamp Down on Dissent. We Can’t Let it Stand’
The Conservatives’ rhetoric and actions against the right to protest concern us all, writes Liberty’s interim director Akiko Hart.
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Rishi Sunak U-Turns on Palestine March Protest Ban in Clash With Conservative London Mayoral Candidate
Susan Hall says the protest should have been “refused” permission – but the PM now says they have the right to march
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‘Suella Braverman’s “Hate March” Rhetoric is Another Desperate Attempt to Hold onto State Power’
The crafting of ‘ceasefire’ marches as a transgression of Remembrance Sunday looks like a throwback to a top-down colonial mindset, argues Suriyah Bi
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The Hypocrisy of the AI Summit: The UK is Doing Nothing About Political Misinformation
The Government rejected a cross party Lords recommendation that political advertising should be regulated according to factual accuracy. The former chair of the Select Committee wonders why
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The Empathy Gap and a Politics of Extremes
Empathy – to be of any meaning – needs to be bolstered by a willingness to accept one’s failures, writes Iain Overton
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Time to Tackle ‘Dark Money’ in Politics – As Voters Demand Transparency Over Britain’s Opaque Think Tanks
We know very little about the funding for many of the UK’s leading think tanks – but a new report sheds some light
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Why Are the Conservatives in a ‘Union’ with Viktor Orbán and Narendra Modi?
Peter Geoghegan examines the membership and funding of the International Democracy Union.
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Conservative Think Tank Urges Sunak to Sabotage Labour Plans for Electoral and Political Reform
The opaquely-funded group has close links to the Prime Minister
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‘From BP to Banks: There’s Lots of Money Around – It’s Just Not In Workers’ Pockets’
Despite Government calls for pay restraint, new figures show some people are doing very well out of the cost of living crisis, writes Josiah Mortimer
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Energy Bills Set to Rise Next Year After Colossal Collapse of So Many Companies, MPs Report
Taxpayers have been left with a £2.7 billion bill, according to the Public Accounts Committee
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Government Rejects Voters’ Calls to Make Lying to Parliament a Crime, Over ‘Freedom of Speech’ Fears
Lying to a court is a crime with a prison sentence. Lying to Parliament can lead to a temporary suspension.
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‘Letting Young Adults Vote is One of Labour’s Few Genuinely Radical Proposals’
The extension of the franchise could shift the character of British politics, writes Nicholas Reed Langen
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Reversing the Road to Unfreedom: The Polish Elections are Finally Some Good News for Democracy
Those in America looking for a way out of the toxic Trumpian cycle should look to Poland as a starting point
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‘Easing Post-Brexit Trade Between the UK and EU Would Benefit Business and Industry on Both Sides’
Mike Buckley, director of the Independent Commission on UK-EU Relations, sets out the tangible steps that could improve post-Brexit trade
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Conservative ‘Politicisation’ of the Civil Service Has Damaged Public Trust, Warn Peers
A Parliamentary investigation found senior civil servants were being ousted by the Government for ‘ideological’ reasons
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‘Farcical’: Disbelief as Disgraced Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is Appointed as ‘Democracy Union’ Adviser
Johnson was found to have unlawfully suspended Parliament and lied to MPs.
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‘Scrap Voter ID to Save Cash’, Democracy Group Tells Jeremy Hunt Ahead of Autumn Statement
Mandatory voter ID rules are expected to cost the taxpayer £120m over the next decade.
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Keir Starmer ‘Waters Down’ Labour Commitment to Overhauling Unelected House of Lords
Only last December, Sir Keir backed plans for a “new second chamber” which would have “electoral legitimacy”.
