Selected original reporting.

 

David Cameron downplayed Chinese role in controversial $1.4B port project, 23 Nov 23 — Newly unearthed footage shows Cameron at an investment event playing down China’s role in building the controversial Port City Colombo project, which he was paid to lobby for.

David Cameron’s controversial link with ex-MEP who is close to China, 16 Nov 23 — How picture after picture shows Cameron together at events around the world with Sri Lankan presidential adviser Nirj Deva, whose EU-China Friendship Group was later wound up over concerns about its closeness to Beijing.

David Cameron is the smiling face of Chinese interests in the Indo-Pacific, 18 Oct 23 — How the former PM was paid to drum up investment in a controversial Chinese-built waterside tax haven in Sri Lanka — weeks before he was made foreign secretary.

Downing Street appointed Tory MP to top job despite sexual misconduct allegations, 1 Jul 22 — Boris Johnson appointed Chris Pincher as his deputy chief whip despite having been made aware of sexual misconduct allegations against him. Key story in a string of reports that forced Johnson’s resignation days later.

Tony Blair’s new centrist project — just don’t call it a party, 27 May 22 — Leaked plans by Tony Blair to organize a conference with a star-studded line-up alongside a group dubbed the British version of Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche.

UK ministers quietly approve Chinese microchip factory takeover, 1 Apr 22 — A review by the government’s national security adviser, Stephen Lovegrove, finds that there are insufficient concerns to block the takeover (which is eventually reversed by a different government more than half a year later).

Boris Johnson’s plan to restart China trade talks angers MPs, 10 Feb 22 — Boris Johnson pursues closer economic ties with China by restarting trade talks that have been on ice for years.

UK Conservative Party accused of mishandling assault complaint, 25 Mar 22 — A member of No. 10 staff was barred from involvement in the last Tory general election campaign after being accused of groping a woman at the Conservatives’ annual conference.

—

Emboldened Sir Keir Starmer plots Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle, 9 Nov 21 — The Labour leader’s secret plan to overhaul his top team and demote key allies including Nick Thomas-Symonds, Kate Green and Jo Stevens.

Government figures worry about ‘civil service leaks’ as ex-staff join Facebook, 21 Oct 21 — Senior Westminster figures fear that plans to regulate social media are being leaked by civil servants to former colleagues who work at Facebook.

Pressure mounts on Rishi Sunak to reveal contents of ‘blind trust’, 26 Oct 20 — The chancellor comes pressure to reveal details of his financial interests as it is revealed he put his investments into a blind trust.

Facebook accused of poaching UK officials to influence policy, 25 Aug 20 — Facebook has recruited ten former government and regulatory officials since the start of 2019, heightening concerns of a close relationship between the government and big tech.

China hawks split on who gets any credit, 21 Jul 20 — Inside the Conservative Party’s increasingly powerful group of China hawks, who are are riven by division and infighting.

Welby in talks over citizens’ assembly to avoid no-deal Brexit, 26 Aug 19 — The Archbishop of Canterbury is in talks with a cross-party group of MPs over chairing a series of public meetings to stop a no-deal Brexit.

—

University alerts students to danger of leftwing essay, 11 Nov 18 — University of Reading students told to treat an an essay by prominent leftwing academic Norman Geras as terrorist material after it was flagged under the government’s counter-terrorism strategy.

—

I began my reporting career at a trade magazine — here’s some of the work I did there.

Universities failing to disclose slavery risks, 19 Feb 18 — Over half of UK universities are failing in their legal duty to explain they are doing to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.

UCL academics resist expansion, 14 Feb 18 — An external member of UCL’s council resigns six months before his term is due to end over concerns about the university’s £483 million expansion in Stratford.

Drug regulator slammed over 25-year lease, 26 Jan 17 — EU taxpayers face a bill worth hundreds of millions after the European Medicines Agency signed a no-break contract for its London HQ even as Brexit was a possibility. Later picked up by the Financial Times and Politico.