Henry Dyer
@direthoughts.com
10K followers 1.1K following 700 posts
Investigations Reporter, The Guardian | Tips: [email protected]/henrydyer.01 (Signal) | Interested in Politics/Media/🚂/CofE https://www.theguardian.com/profile/henry-dyer http://direthoughts.com
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direthoughts.com
rip ACOBA, u are wiv da angels now 🙏
direthoughts.com
Astonishing to rewatch the Yes Prime Minister episode on the Foreign Office managing the UK-Israel relationship and UN votes while dealing with a British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean and a PM keen to have a good relationship with the Americans - from 1986.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Yes, Prime Minister - Series 1: 6. A Victory for Democracy
Classic sitcom about a beleaguered PM. Jim Hacker begins to wonder whether the government runs the Foreign Office, or vice versa.
www.bbc.co.uk
direthoughts.com
Move aside Hemingway, Freecycle brings its own tragedies
Reposted by Henry Dyer
catneilan.bsky.social
Exc: The Electoral Commission has been given early notice of the UK's first ever crypto donation

The has been "made, but not declared", to a party understood to be Reform

Reform spox said: "All donations above the reporting limit will be disclosed in the usual way"

share.google/VvtjBjEjEjRa...
Calls for transparency on political funding after first c...
Electoral Commission notified of financial contribution, which is rumoured to have been handed to Reform UK
share.google
Reposted by Henry Dyer
danieljbruce.bsky.social
“There appear to be very few levers the government has available to recover anything close to the £122m…. The whole case stands as a further indictment of the ‘VIP lane’ & the flawed, wasteful procurement of PPE during the pandemic.”

@transparencyuk.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
Will UK taxpayers get their £122m back from PPE Medpro?
The high court told the company linked to Michelle Mone to pay up over the supply of defective gowns, but there appears no clear route to reclaim the funds
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Henry Dyer
jim.londoncentric.media
You might have heard of 'dark kitchens' when a row of sheds in a car park churn out food for Deliveroo. They're unpopular and low margin. So the next big thing in London food is 'host kitchens' where local pubs, restaurants and kebab shops cook for big brands. www.londoncentric.media/p/host-kitch...
Why your next upmarket Deliveroo might be made by your local kebab shop
"On one hand, it’s a lifeline... But on the other hand, it’s a harbinger of doom.”
www.londoncentric.media
direthoughts.com
Of course, this raises the question whether the government having the ability to *ask* former ministers to repay any severance is an actually substantive change that will do anything. There’s nothing really stopping them from asking now.
direthoughts.com
I was on LBC to discuss this story and pointed out that a source got in touch yesterday after we first published to say no further action would be taken by the government against Johnson.

A govt spokesperson noted that in future ex-ministers who break rules could be asked to repay severance.
direthoughts.com
Johnson refused to answer specific questions or to provide factual denials to allegations of rule-breaking, while insisting all the rules had been followed at all times. His responses led Acoba’s chair, Isabel Doverty, to find him in breach of the rules.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Boris Johnson breached rules designed to stop abuse of contacts made in public office, watchdog finds
Johnson found to have breached rules after refusing to answer specific questions about allegations published by the Guardian
www.theguardian.com
direthoughts.com
Blair and Clegg, the ex-DPM who at the time was a senior executive at Meta, invited leaders of six tech companies to dine with Poppy Gustafsson, who was the government’s investment minister responsible for persuading firms to invest in Britain.

from @robevansgdn.bsky.social + me
Tony Blair and Nick Clegg hosted dinner giving tech bosses access to UK minister
Exclusive: Six tech leaders dined with investment minister, documents reveal, underlining growing influence of ex-PM’s consultancy
www.theguardian.com
direthoughts.com
Johnson refused to answer specific questions or to provide factual denials to allegations of rule-breaking, while insisting all the rules had been followed at all times. His responses led Acoba’s chair, Isabel Doverty, to find him in breach of the rules.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Boris Johnson breached rules designed to stop abuse of contacts made in public office, watchdog finds
Johnson found to have breached rules after refusing to answer specific questions about allegations published by the Guardian
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Henry Dyer
tomburgis.bsky.social
*EXCLUSIVE* The Guardian investigations team's Boris Files have revealed the former prime minister’s money-making ventures from Caracas to Saudi Arabia. Today we ask a new question: Why did Boris Johnson take the man who gave him £1m to Ukraine? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The £1m man: Why did Boris Johnson take his donor to Ukraine?
Exclusive: Leaked files offer a glimpse of the ex-prime minister’s relationship with Christopher Harborne
www.theguardian.com
direthoughts.com
bring on the EuroSausage! welcome to the Emulsified High-Fat Plant-Based Tube
direthoughts.com
Just up St Michael's Hill is St Michael's Church, Handsworth, which is a very charming mid-19th century CofE church in the anglo-catholic tradition, the building sadly in a slightly run down state.
direthoughts.com
As a counterpoint to Jenrick's unpleasant remarks (putting it lightly) about Handsworth in Birmingham may I recommend if in that area the fantastic Soho Tavern at 407 Park Road, a brilliant desi pub that is typically heaving with excellent curries and grills, and pints for well under £5.
Reposted by Henry Dyer
jessicaelgot.bsky.social
EXC from @annaisaac.bsky.social

The finances of one of Nigel Farage’s key confidants are being examined by the UK’s tax and revenue authorities amid questions over his income from wealth and business activities, the Guardian understands.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Tax authorities examine finances of key Nigel Farage ally
Exclusive: HMRC conducts scoping exercise into Reform UK backer ‘Posh George’ Cottrell’s income from business and wealth
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Henry Dyer
zoecrowther.bsky.social
My colleague sent me their leaflet 😭 so good
direthoughts.com
you're all laughing now but when the pollsters reveal 'Brit Ian' is the crucial swing voter group of the next election, well, you'll still be laughing
chadbourn.bsky.social
Another astonishing sign of incredible incompetence from the UK Conservatives. They can’t even get right the name of the country they want to represent.
(Image via LBC political editor Natasha Clark)
Promo bar of chocolate saying
"When Labour negotiates,
Britian loses"