Phil Chamberlain
@philchamberlain.bsky.social
Tobacco Control Research Group at University of Bath; author Blacklisted and Drones & Journalism; investigative journalist and academic; radical press historian; Wiltshire Cllr
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.
This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.
www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...
This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.
www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...
MoJ orders deletion of UK’s largest court reporting archive
Courtsdesk, which supports the media in monitoring records, is an important tool for journalists and the move raises concerns over open justice
www.thetimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:51 PM
The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.
This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.
www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...
This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.
www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Yesterday we were in Bristol, UK at the Annual General Meeting of Imperial Brands, one of the world's largest tobacco companies.
We put a number of questions to the board about the company’s activities.
TCRG co-directors @robbranston.bsky.social and Dr. @allengallagher.bsky.social explain more.
We put a number of questions to the board about the company’s activities.
TCRG co-directors @robbranston.bsky.social and Dr. @allengallagher.bsky.social explain more.
January 29, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Yesterday we were in Bristol, UK at the Annual General Meeting of Imperial Brands, one of the world's largest tobacco companies.
We put a number of questions to the board about the company’s activities.
TCRG co-directors @robbranston.bsky.social and Dr. @allengallagher.bsky.social explain more.
We put a number of questions to the board about the company’s activities.
TCRG co-directors @robbranston.bsky.social and Dr. @allengallagher.bsky.social explain more.
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that Searchlight’s founder, Gerry Gable, has died at the age of 88. He had been in frail health for some time, but a recent hospital admission proved too much and he died peacefully last night.
You can read more here:
You can read more here:
Gerry Gable (1937-2026) | Searchlight
Gerry Gable It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that Searchlight's founder, Gerry Gable, has died at the age of 88. He had been in ...
searchlightmagazine.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:50 PM
It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce that Searchlight’s founder, Gerry Gable, has died at the age of 88. He had been in frail health for some time, but a recent hospital admission proved too much and he died peacefully last night.
You can read more here:
You can read more here:
Thousands of surveillance reports compiled by undercover #spycops on political campaigners were routinely passed to MI5, documents obtained by an inquiry have revealed. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Spycops sent thousands of surveillance reports to MI5, inquiry documents reveal
Security Service was able to compile detailed files on members of legitimate protest groups infiltrated by undercover police officers
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Thousands of surveillance reports compiled by undercover #spycops on political campaigners were routinely passed to MI5, documents obtained by an inquiry have revealed. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Martin Rosenbaum on new National Archive releases about the implentdtiok of the FOI Act. open.substack.com/pub/rosenbau...
Tony, we have a problem
New disclosures from the National Archives reveal how ministers and officials struggled with the freedom of information system when it came into force in 2005.
open.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Martin Rosenbaum on new National Archive releases about the implentdtiok of the FOI Act. open.substack.com/pub/rosenbau...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
The polluter pays principle, big oil pays the politicians and the politicians oppose net zero.
'Fossil fuel lobbyists, polluting industries and climate deniers have donated £8.4 million ($10.6 million) to the Conservative Party since December 2019. Within the same period, they provided 92 per cent of the funds raised by the rightwing Reform UK' newint.org/democracy/20...
Big Oil is bankrolling the UK’s election
UN advisor Ibrahim Özdemir argues that urgent action is needed to protect Britain’s democracy.
newint.org
December 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The polluter pays principle, big oil pays the politicians and the politicians oppose net zero.
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Final publication of the year: I examined 10 years of panellists on BBC Question Time. Some interesting findings - thread below:
(1/6)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
(1/6)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Constructing impartiality in a polarised news environment: An analysis of BBC Question Time contributors 2014-2024 - Matt Walsh, 2025
Televised panel discussions are an increasingly used form of journalism, providing cheap content without expensive newsgathering. In recent years, panel constru...
journals.sagepub.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Final publication of the year: I examined 10 years of panellists on BBC Question Time. Some interesting findings - thread below:
(1/6)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
(1/6)
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
I wonder if a similar survey of local govt would find the same? In Wiltshire, an alliance of Tory and Reform cllrs managed to neuter a motion expressing support for LGBTQ+ residents www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Revealed: how big businesses are rolling back public support for Pride
Guardian analysis of 20 major companies in UK and US shows mentions of Pride on social media have fallen substantially in past two years
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I wonder if a similar survey of local govt would find the same? In Wiltshire, an alliance of Tory and Reform cllrs managed to neuter a motion expressing support for LGBTQ+ residents www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
“Jenner was given a commendation by his superiors for his covert work.” #spycops www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Undercover officer admits deceiving woman into five-year relationship
Mark Jenner strung along activist who wanted to have children with him in an ‘extremely cruel’ way to infiltrate leftwing circles, Spycops inquiry told
www.theguardian.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:56 PM
“Jenner was given a commendation by his superiors for his covert work.” #spycops www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
#spycops inquiry: monitor the police? Expect to be infiltrated www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Police spied on group set up to expose wrongdoing in Met, inquiry hears
The HCDA, which sought to expose police corruption and violence, was secretly monitored for a decade
www.theguardian.com
December 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
#spycops inquiry: monitor the police? Expect to be infiltrated www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Having given evidence to the public inquiry earlier this week, & in anticipation of hearing from Mark Jenner himself next week, ‘Alison’ will be discussing all things #spycops with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 later today around 1pm-ish.
December 12, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Having given evidence to the public inquiry earlier this week, & in anticipation of hearing from Mark Jenner himself next week, ‘Alison’ will be discussing all things #spycops with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 later today around 1pm-ish.
I haven’t seen ‘Winstanley’ but ‘It Happened Here’ is an astonishing film. Great article here on its co-directors www.theguardian.com/film/2025/de...
‘My God, what a story it would make’: film-maker Kevin Brownlow on It Happened Here and Winstanley
Brownlow is best known for restoring silent movies, but in conjunction with Andrew Mollo, he made two features, in 1964 and 1975, that look astonishingly prescient today
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I haven’t seen ‘Winstanley’ but ‘It Happened Here’ is an astonishing film. Great article here on its co-directors www.theguardian.com/film/2025/de...
Packed session on podcasting at #GIJC2025 and a brilliant session. The power of audio stories to cut through different ages, languages and cultures. Plenty of ideas for @tcrg Deadly Industry podcast
November 21, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Packed session on podcasting at #GIJC2025 and a brilliant session. The power of audio stories to cut through different ages, languages and cultures. Plenty of ideas for @tcrg Deadly Industry podcast
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Japan Tobacco International’s name was quietly removed from the Museum’s website last week - the same day that a new report by @tcrgbath.bsky.social highlighted how the deal formed part of JTI’s wider influence & lobbying strategy. www.tobaccotactics.org/news/launch-...
Launch of UK Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 - Tobacco Tactics
A new report led by members of the Tobacco Control Research Group examines the extent to which UK policy making is protected against the vested interests of the tobacco industry, based on evidence cap...
www.tobaccotactics.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Japan Tobacco International’s name was quietly removed from the Museum’s website last week - the same day that a new report by @tcrgbath.bsky.social highlighted how the deal formed part of JTI’s wider influence & lobbying strategy. www.tobaccotactics.org/news/launch-...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
BREAKING: The British Museum’s controversial partnership with tobacco manufacturer JTI is OVER!
www.thetimes.com/uk/media/art...
- Yet this wasn’t the Museum finally making an ethical choice; instead the sponsorship was ended after an intervention by the Department of Health.
www.thetimes.com/uk/media/art...
- Yet this wasn’t the Museum finally making an ethical choice; instead the sponsorship was ended after an intervention by the Department of Health.
British Museum drops tobacco sponsor after claims of WHO breach
Money from Japan Tobacco International could have put institution at odds with agreement to not promote tobacco products
www.thetimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:34 AM
BREAKING: The British Museum’s controversial partnership with tobacco manufacturer JTI is OVER!
www.thetimes.com/uk/media/art...
- Yet this wasn’t the Museum finally making an ethical choice; instead the sponsorship was ended after an intervention by the Department of Health.
www.thetimes.com/uk/media/art...
- Yet this wasn’t the Museum finally making an ethical choice; instead the sponsorship was ended after an intervention by the Department of Health.
“Are we capable of moving towards this technological future while authentically engaging with the knowledge systems we’ve dismissed, with genuine curiosity beyond tokenism?” Are we moving to a collapse in local knowledge thru GenAI? www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
What AI doesn’t know: we could be creating a global ‘knowledge collapse’ | Deepak Varuvel Dennison
The long read: As GenAI becomes the primary way to find information, local and traditional wisdom is being lost. And we are only beginning to realise what we’re missing
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM
“Are we capable of moving towards this technological future while authentically engaging with the knowledge systems we’ve dismissed, with genuine curiosity beyond tokenism?” Are we moving to a collapse in local knowledge thru GenAI? www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
As the latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index launches, Mary Assunta on how properly taxing tobacco is a win-win for health services www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Taxing tobacco is a win-win for health services under pressure. So why aren’t governments demanding more? | Mary Assunta
The latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index shows how companies are succeeding in influencing governments to ensure taxes remain flat or stubbornly low
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM
As the latest Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index launches, Mary Assunta on how properly taxing tobacco is a win-win for health services www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
“State capture – a form of corruption so deeply embedded that it shapes the rules of democracy itself.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Forget petty bribes, ‘state capture’ is corruption so deep it is shaping the rules of democracy itself | Kenneth Mohammed
Beating the dangerous influence of private interests on governments requires independent judges, journalists and a courageous civil society
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 PM
“State capture – a form of corruption so deeply embedded that it shapes the rules of democracy itself.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
The European Ombudsman "has opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission acted secretively in its dealings with industry before launching a series of business-friendly initiatives".
The Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory
www.politico.eu/article/ombu...
The Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory
www.politico.eu/article/ombu...
October 29, 2025 at 6:21 AM
The European Ombudsman "has opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission acted secretively in its dealings with industry before launching a series of business-friendly initiatives".
The Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory
www.politico.eu/article/ombu...
The Ombudsman was acting on a complaint by the Corporate Europe Observatory
www.politico.eu/article/ombu...
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Reposted by Phil Chamberlain
Lord Strathcarron, a hereditary peer trying to stop a smoking ban for future generations, told me he discussed the bill with a relative at British American Tobacco. His amendments will be voted on in the House of Lords tomorrow. www.theexamination.org/articles/uk-...
Lawmaker with family ties to British American Tobacco attempts to stop UK smoking ban
Lord Strathcarron didn’t publicly disclose his family connection even as he adopted the tobacco giant’s position on a “smoke-free generation” bill.
www.theexamination.org
October 26, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Lord Strathcarron, a hereditary peer trying to stop a smoking ban for future generations, told me he discussed the bill with a relative at British American Tobacco. His amendments will be voted on in the House of Lords tomorrow. www.theexamination.org/articles/uk-...
Peer lobbying to water down tobacco bill fails to declare conflict of interest, story from @theguardian.com and @theexamination.org www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Peer trying to derail UK smoking ban discussed bill with relative at tobacco firm
Lord Strathcarron says he and an in-law ‘high up’ at British American Tobacco discussed bill, which he aims to weaken
www.theguardian.com
October 26, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Peer lobbying to water down tobacco bill fails to declare conflict of interest, story from @theguardian.com and @theexamination.org www.theguardian.com/business/202...
12 hours in to Wiltshire Council full council and so far Tories and Reform have collaborated to support action on screenwash and making press releases nicer to them. They didn’t support a motion of solidarity to the LGBTQIA+ community or back axing of car parking charges for Blue Badge holders.
October 21, 2025 at 9:23 PM
12 hours in to Wiltshire Council full council and so far Tories and Reform have collaborated to support action on screenwash and making press releases nicer to them. They didn’t support a motion of solidarity to the LGBTQIA+ community or back axing of car parking charges for Blue Badge holders.