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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 21h

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish conglomerates...

www.occrp.org

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · 20d

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Afghans who worked for the British Army are deported back to the Taliban

Pakistan expels 13 Afghans despite them being under the care of the UK's relocation scheme

inews.co.uk

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Sanya Burgess @sanyaburgess.bsky.social · 20d

Brilliant but troubling scoop from Ben here:

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · 20d

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Afghans who worked for the British Army are deported back to the Taliban

Pakistan expels 13 Afghans despite them being under the care of the UK's relocation scheme

inews.co.uk

13 11

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · 20d

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Afghans who worked for the British Army are deported back to the Taliban

Pakistan expels 13 Afghans despite them being under the care of the UK's relocation scheme

inews.co.uk

24 19

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Sep 4

Remember this? Well, the Government have quietly scrapped it.

Read our story here: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Sep 1

A revealing quote (from a well-sourced piece).

Some of the transfers in and out are virtually identical by CV: fmr senior Blair adviser in, one out too. Youngish Treasury bod out, one in too.

Quote (and the piece) speaks to ‘phase 2’ feeling quite aimless.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Jonathan Liew @jonathanliew.bsky.social · Aug 4

here's the crowd at the zimbabwe v new zealand test last week. test cricket *is* dying. it's just dying in the bits nobody wants to speak up about

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Jul 21

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff.

£1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020.

The Government says it’s reviewing its processes.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

DWP staff stole benefits that should have gone to pensioners and disabled people

Some DWP staff have been diverting benefits payments for vulnerable people into their own bank accounts

inews.co.uk

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Jul 21

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff.

£1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020.

The Government says it’s reviewing its processes.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

DWP staff stole benefits that should have gone to pensioners and disabled people

Some DWP staff have been diverting benefits payments for vulnerable people into their own bank accounts

inews.co.uk

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · Jul 10

The great question of our age: WHERE are all the briefcase wankers?
economist.com/britain/2025...

Where are all the briefcase wankers?

The nerd:jock ratio in government is askew

economist.com

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Jun 27

Nothing like the sound of the MoJ's earsplitting flute tunes while you're on hold on a warm friday afternoon

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Jun 19

Given the chat around air conditioning: worth reading this report from Bloomberg from 2023.

Highlights clearly how new build homes, especially flats with floor to ceiling windows, are uniquely awful for overheating.

More AC needed, but also better design.

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

‘I Don’t Want to Go Home.’ Europe’s Housing Is Not Heat-Ready

Millions of people on the world’s fastest-warming continent live in houses and apartments ill-equipped for rising temperatures.

www.bloomberg.com

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Jun 11

Good take. I thought it was notable that a few of the ministers who had seen more speculation and briefing had ended up with better settlements.

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · Jun 11

One of the biggest winners? Ed Miliband! The minister who commentators keep insisting is imminently for the chop or is having his budget slashed, whispering net zero is in doubt or GB Energy is being quietly binned.

The reality is he got the the biggest increase in capital and GBE alone got £8bn.

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The i Paper @theipaper.com · May 7

Exclusive | Dozens of council workers across Britain have been paid for multiple full-time jobs they held in local authorities at the same time

Dozens of council workers caught doing multiple jobs - with WFH blamed

Increased home and hybrid working is leading to more public sector workers being paid for doing several jobs at the same time

inews.co.uk

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · May 7

Excl: At least 37 suspected cases of local government staff members working multiple full-time jobs at once have been identified, The i Paper can reveal

inews.co.uk/news/council...

Dozens of council workers caught doing multiple jobs - with WFH blamed

Increased home and hybrid working is leading to more public sector workers being paid for doing several jobs at the same time

inews.co.uk

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · May 2

We’re already half way to our target which is amazing, thank you so to everyone who has donated or shared.

Here’s me and the man himself from 2023, sharing our cricket team’s ‘RSPB conservation award’ for most ducks in a season.

Please keep giving if you can!

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Apr 30

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away.

He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research.

Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Olivia Rudgard @oliviarudgard.bsky.social · Apr 30

David's cricket team is playing the Royal Household CC in Windsor in his memory on Saturday, and they're hoping to raise money to support the British Heart Foundation, to help others like him. Please donate if you can.

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Apr 30

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away.

He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research.

Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Mark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · Apr 30

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

Memorial Cricket Match for David Knowles. Larkhall Wanderers CC vs Royal Household CC. Fundraising for the British Heart Foundation.

Help Larkhall Wanderers raise money to support British Heart Foundation

www.justgiving.com

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · Apr 30

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

Memorial Cricket Match for David Knowles. Larkhall Wanderers CC vs Royal Household CC. Fundraising for the British Heart Foundation.

Help Larkhall Wanderers raise money to support British Heart Foundation

www.justgiving.com

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Apr 30

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away.

He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research.

Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

2 28 66

Reposted by Ben Gartside

The i Paper @theipaper.com · Mar 23

🔴 Exclusive | UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws

Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws

Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

inews.co.uk

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Reposted by Ben Gartside

Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Mar 24

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill.

The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape.

Read more here:

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws

Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

inews.co.uk

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Mar 24

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill.

The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape.

Read more here:

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws

Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

inews.co.uk

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Ben Gartside @bengartside.bsky.social · Mar 14

Huge scoop from @sanyaburgess.bsky.social

Sanya Burgess @sanyaburgess.bsky.social · Mar 14

EXCLUSIVE: Investigators tracking Ukranian children abducted and taken to Russia have had to stop work as the Conflict Observatory's funding is cut by Elon Musk's DOGE.

The funding freeze impacts intelligence sharing w Ukraine and the efforts to bring these kids home
inews.co.uk/news/world/m...

Musk cuts the team finding Ukrainian children stolen by Russia

Donald Trump’s federal cost-cutting - led by DOGE's Elon Musk – has now hit the unit helping rescue Ukrainian children taken by Russia

inews.co.uk

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