Zack Polanski calls for investigation as we find Hakluyt’s business grew by 30% after Starmer hired Varun Chandra

Star-studded think tank launches, defection rumours and ‘growing pains’ – a week inside the ascendant Green Party

After a stunning victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection, Green activists are preparing for a major establishment backlash

Podcast Episode · The LRB Podcast · 02/11/2026 · 1h 7m

The secondment, which comes as ministers court private finance, ended on same day we asked the government about it

The government is overlooking the lessons of history – and the financial sector’s tendency to cause harm

openDemocracy findings on Varun Chandra’s activities at Hakluyt prompted official watchdog to launch investigation

Iain Anderson’s newfound love for Labour has raised eyebrows across Westminster and worried some in the party

Not much at all, it turns out. But the growing stench of desperation is palpable, even over Microsoft Teams

Reeves’ Mansion House speech shows the corporate takeover of Labour is complete

The Dark Arts is a newsletter about dark money and illicit financial flows in politics, brought to you by openDemocracy’s award-winning investigations team. Click to read The Dark Arts, a Substack pub...

How the City fought back against Labour’s plan to close a £600m loophole, plus more Labour lobbyists candidates

Revealed: Head of world’s biggest asset manager lobbied chancellor on tax rules weeks before policy was tweaked

Not much at all, it turns out. But the growing stench of desperation is palpable, even over Microsoft Teams

Great British PAC wants to unite the right. To do so, it hopes to Americanise UK politics with help of donors like Elon Musk

Great British PAC wants to unite the right. To do so, it hopes to Americanise UK politics with help of donors like Elon Musk

Plus, how Peter Mandelson might find common ground with Trump in rumoured new role as UK ambassador to Washington

Plus, how Peter Mandelson might find common ground with Trump in rumoured new role as UK ambassador to Washington

The business secretary told the head of a major global investment banker that he looked forward to working together to “change the face of our United Kingdom"

Failed MPs and outgoing spads turn to lobbying, plus the new shadow science minister’s links to arms firms and tech giants

An openDemocracy investigation reveals the secretive mass lobbying campaign that shaped Starmer's policies

Failed MPs and outgoing spads turn to lobbying, plus the new shadow science minister’s link to arms firms and tech giants

An openDemocracy investigation reveals the secretive mass lobbying campaign that shaped Starmer's policies

Lobbyists described work for Labour – which was not declared to authorities – as ‘great for future relationships’

Private firms have given Labour £1.8m worth of secondments and pro-bono work since 2022. What do they get in return?

Quadrature’s donation is noteworthy not just for being Labour’s largest-ever, but for its timing ahead of election

A lobbyist can give a Labour MP £1,499 without it being declared. And that's still true if they give 30 Labour MPs £1,499

Varun Chandra left an MI6-linked consultancy to join Starmer’s government, but he still has a stake in its AI-backing investment fund

How the City fought back against plans to close a £600m loophole, plus more Labour lobbyist candidates