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Greg Barradale

@gregbarradale.bsky.social
1.8K followers 980 following 369 posts

Senior reporter for @bigissue.com - covering untold stories from housing and asylum to drugs and politics

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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
BlueSky: Do you know somebody with over £200,000 in student debt? I want to speak to them. Reposts much appreciated! #journorequest
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
🚨Personal news🚨 After four wonderful years, I've made the decision to leave Big Issue From awards ceremonies to front covers, it's been fantastic. But it's time to fly the nest I'll be freelance from next week. Editors, I'm available for commissions and reporting. Hit me up
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
England’s batters discussing their strategy for this upcoming career-defining innings #ashes25 #ashes
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Big Issue @bigissue.com · 05/12/2025
🚨Three deaths in 10 days in London linked to cychlorphine, a new synthetic opioid The cases are the first publicly-known UK deaths from the drug Questions mount over delays in telling frontline services of the threat, and a lack of public information  🧵 Here's what we know:
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
NEW: Three deaths in London within 10 days have been linked to cychlorphine, a new synthetic opioid 50-200 times stronger than heroin Questions mount over delays in warning frontline workers of dangers: “People are dying needlessly due to lack of information” www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
bigissue.com
Warning over new opioid 200 times stronger than heroin as three dead within days
Questions mount over delays in informing frontline services about the threat from new synthetic opioid cychlorphine.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
🚨Exclusive: How Yo-yo Homes lost taxpayers £60m+ in five years Newest part of @bigissue.com investigation tracks fate of 445 ex-council homes across England 💰 Sold for £35.7m 💰 Bought back for £97.1m 📉 Loss of £61.4m Right to Buy loophole means councils can't reclaim discounts
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
🚨NEW: A Labour council has blocked a bid to reveal the full extent of its losses on Yo-yo Homes Both Tories and Greens in Swindon backed the attempt for transparency, raised after @bigissue.com But Labour called it a waste of time + said the past can't be changed www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
🚨 EXC: Council sells homes for £10m under Right to Buy, then spends £33m buying them back Newham Council, which has Eng's highest social housing waiting list, has lost £22m on Yo-yo Homes in 5 yrs, @bigissue.com finds RtB loophole means they can't reclaim discounts www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
Council sells homes for £10m under Right to Buy – then spends £33m buying them back
Newham Council, with the largest social housing wait list in the country, has lost tens of millions trying to buy back ex-Right to Buy homes.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
NEW: Labour pledges £12m to stop 1,000+ veterans becoming homeless Funding boost comes after Big Issue revealed doubts over future of scheme - with fears March 2026 cliff-edge could see veteran rough sleeping surge. Led to pressure from Tories/Lib Dems www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
Labour confirms millions in funding to stop 1,000-plus veterans becoming homeless
Millions in cash comes after Big Issue reported hundreds of veterans could face homelessness as doubts over scheme's future mounted.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
NEW: Shadow defence sec James Cartlidge says Starmer's gov "must urgently confirm" funding for homeless veterans after @bigissue.com reveals doubts over cash could leave hundreds homeless Story: www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
Tories call on Starmer to 'urgently confirm' cash for homeless veterans
After Big Issue revealed veterans could be made homeless if cash for a key scheme dries up, a shadow minister has urged Labour to act.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
NEW: Labour should 'urgently' act on Right to Buy reforms to stop councils losing millions buying back Yo-yo Homes they owned just a few years previously, Andy Burnham's deputy Paul Dennett says Comes after @bigissue.com found 120+ examples, incl in GM👇 Story: www.bigissue.com/uncategorise...
bigissue.com
'Urgent' action needed on Right to Buy reforms after 'scandal', Labour figures say
Councils are losing millions buying back homes they owned just a few years ago, thanks to a Right to Buy system leaving them little choice.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
UPDATE: Former veterans' minister Johnny Mercer says he's "very angry" after @bigissue.com reveals cash which helped 1k+ veterans off the streets is in doubt. "On one hand this government say they will look after veterans. But when they think no-one is looking, they turn off the funding"
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
“Quite simply, we’re worried that the government does not want its homework marked when it comes to child poverty" Guardian reporting on @bigissue.com campaign ramping up pressure on government to set firm targets on reducing child poverty www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
theguardian.com
Charities and stars call on UK government to set child poverty reduction targets
Signatories of open letter include National Children’s Bureau, Barnardo’s and celebrities such as Emilia Clarke
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
🚨EXC: Starmer promised to house all veterans in need. But scheme which has got 1k vets off street is in doubt 👉Veterans orgs tell me future cash is uncertain 👉Orgs warn they'd have to shut housing without funding 👉 One org listed by gov as taking referrals never got cash
bigissue.com
Hundreds of veterans face homelessness as future of support scheme uncertain
Keir Starmer promised millions towards supporting veterans under threat of homelessness. Big Issue looks at how those promises worked out.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
🚨 @bigissue.com EXCLUSIVE: Hundreds of veterans could be made homeless as cash for housing in doubt Starmer promised to 'house all veterans in need' But orgs funded by Op Fortitude, which provides 900 beds, say they don't know if money will continue past March. Warn rough sleeping could increase
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
🚨 Disabled children are having to wait for nearly four months to receive benefit payments due to government delays - double the time the DWP is meant to process applications in @cjayanetti.bsky.social for @bigissue.com www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
bigissue.com
Disabled children left waiting months for benefits due to DWP delays
Single mother Maryam had to wait three months to get child disability allowance for her seven-year-old daughter, who has kidney cancer.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
🚨Exclusive: Investigation from @bigissue.com reveals councils lost £15M repurchasing 'Yo-yo Homes' sold under Right to Buy, with sellers pocketing profits as homelessness rises. Labour faces calls for reform. #YoYoHomes #RightToBuy #HousingCrisis www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
Revealed: These are the Right to Buy homes councils have lost millions on buying back
Explore the 120 Right to Buy homes councils have lost millions re-buying – and find out why Labour's reforms might not stop Yo-yo Homes.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
A House of Dynamite….don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that so lacked the confidence to actually make the point it wanted to make At least it was two acts long in runtime as well as plot. Felt like a bottle episode of a v mid prestige TV show Watch the Sum of All Fears instead
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Taxpayers are losing millions as councils buy back homes they sold just a few years previously under Right to Buy I’ve uncovered 120+ examples. Today we’re revealing them all @bigissue.com Here's a thread of 10 that will shock you 🧵
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Reposted by Greg Barradale
Big Issue @bigissue.com · 28/10/2025
👀 Exclusive: How councils lost £15m of taxpayers' money – by buying back homes they sold Big Issue reporter @gregbarradale.bsky.social here. I've been digging into Yo-yo Homes. They're costing taxpayers millions Today we're publishing the full list of 120+ Yo-yo Homes we've discovered. Here's a 🧵
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
🚨REVEALED: How to lose £15m of taxpayers’ money Today we’ve published 120+ examples where ex-tenants have sold Right to Buy properties back to councils at profits sometimes >£200k. They’re the Yo-yo Home Files Across just 13 councils, the losses total over £15m www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
Revealed: These are the Right to Buy homes councils have lost millions on buying back
Explore the 120 Right to Buy homes councils have lost millions re-buying – and find out why Labour's reforms might not stop Yo-yo Homes.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Interesting Guardian story about Brighton reversing Right to Buy As I revealed this month, councils have spent over £2bn buying up 8.5k homes in the past five years. Half of those are homes previously lost under Right to Buy. It's widespread: www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
What a story about the snake-oil world of brain training Dr Kawashima would be absolutely spinning in his grave
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
👀Looks like the government has confirmed its plans to cut affordable housing targets in London to 20% Press release says projects which commit to 20% housebuilding will be accelerated – as long as 60% of those homes (so 12% total) are social housing
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
“She’s 9 now, and she’s never had her own room, never had somewhere to put up posters or invite friends over” That’s the reality of life in temporary accommodation, laid bare by @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social Even the new homelessness minister admits she was shocked by the scale of the crisis
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
"The Big Issue's investigation has put the spotlight back on Right to Buy" 🪀The fantastic @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social from @millmedia.bsky.social running with my Yo-yo Homes story 🪀 Love to see it
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
"It's frustrating, it's infuriating, and it's got this quite sinister element to it" I went on the PoliticsJOE podcast to talk all things Yo-yo Homes with @avasantina.bsky.social A thrill! Catch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmvQ...
youtube.com
Yo-Yo homes: Thatcher's invention that ruined the housing market
YouTube video by PoliticsJOE
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
People with learning difficulties die 19.5 years younger on average - living to just 62.5 years old Nearly 4 in 10 deaths of people with a learning disability in 2023 were "avoidable"
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
“It is indefensible that local councils sell housing stock at a discount, only to repurchase the same properties years later at five times the price. This highlights a broken system"
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
NEW: Lib Dems would allow councils to end Right to Buy, says @eddavey.libdems.org.uk His comments come after @bigissue.com revealed councils losing millions buying back Yo-yo Homes they sold under Right to Buy just a few years earlier
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
NEW: Yo-yo Homes "indefensible" and highlight broken system says @zarahsultana.bsky.social This week @bigissue.com revealed ex-tenants making £200k+ selling Right to Buy homes back to councils just a few years after sale Now Sultana, Corbyn, Ed Davey, and more weigh in on the story
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
When I asked Polanski about possible defections for @bigissue.com in June his answer was interesting (before anyone knew what a Your Party was) Looking back it feels like there might have been a big sliding doors moment happen in British left politics which went under the radar
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Love to see the Yo-yo Homes story elevated to the level of 'scandal', leading the excellent London Minute newsletter today
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Happy 100th Birthday Margaret Thatcher. This is your legacy: Right to Buy forces councils to sell off homes. They're so desperate to get them back that they'll buy the homes back just a few years later, making losses of £200k+. Ex-tenants get rich www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
How ex-council tenants make over £200k selling homes back to councils
Big Issue investigates the Right To Buy properties sold back to councils for massive profits, just years after being bought at a discount.
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Reposted by Greg Barradale
Alex Hern @hern.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
The other way of looking at this is that Hackney Council spent £269,950 to get someone to give up their council tenancy
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
EXCLUSIVE: Councils are buying back homes they sold just a few years previously under Right to Buy, losing millions 🪀We’re calling them Yo-yo Homes and they’re making ex-tenants over £200k in some cases, at the expense of taxpayers
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
🪀Great to see my Yo-yo Homes investigation picked up by @the-independent.com and @hollybancroft.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
London council buys back Right to Buy home for almost four times original cost
Councils ‘should have retained’ homes sold off under Right to Buy scheme, experts say
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Isabella McRae @isabellamcrae.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
I've spent a few months working on a series of articles on abortion rights in the UK. The first piece is out today. Abortion is a step closer to decriminalisation in England and Wales, but with the rise of right-wing rhetoric, are rights still at risk? www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
bigissue.com
Abortion is close to decriminalisation. But how quickly can rights be rolled back?
More than 100 women are believed to have been arrested on suspicion of abortion over the last five years in England and Wales.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Yo-yo Homes are costing councils millions and making ex-tenants rich, as councils buy back homes they sold just a few years previously under Right to Buy That's what we've uncovered in this week's @bigissue.com I spent all my time making the story good and none of it learning to yo-yo. Enjoy
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Big Issue @bigissue.com · 13/10/2025
A Yo-Yo Home is a property bought from a council under Right to Buy, then sold back to the council between five and 10 years later, at a profit. Senior reporter @gregbarradale.bsky.social explains why they exist in this week's special investigation. ⬇️ www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
In 2014, Hackney Council sold a property under Right to Buy for £95,050 In 2021, they bought it back off the ex-tenant for £365k In ~6 yrs, the council lost £269,950 on a single property It's not an isolated example. @bigissue.com has uncovered 100+ 'Yo-yo Homes' www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
How ex-council tenants make over £200k selling homes back to councils
Big Issue investigates the Right To Buy properties sold back to councils for massive profits, just years after being bought at a discount.
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Big Issue @bigissue.com · 13/10/2025
Big Issue investigates the Right To Buy properties sold back to councils for massive profits, just years after being bought at a discount.
bigissue.com
How ex-council tenants make over £200k selling homes back to councils
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
NEW: Debby Wakeham didn't learn about the death of her son, Richard Sanders, in a London homeless hostel, until nine days after the fact Five months on, she's still desperately searching for answers A reminder: 1,611 people died while homeless in 2024 www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
One mum's months-long ordeal to find out how her son died in a homeless hostel
Richard Sanders died in a homeless hostel in Brixton on 14 May. His mum Debby Wakeham didn’t find out until nine days later.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
📺 The public trust the cast of Celebrity Traitors more than the UK's leading politicians With Celebrity Traitors kicking off tonight, @bigissue.com asked @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social to find out who's more trusted: celebs going to a castle to lie to each other on telly, or the UK's politicians
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
I spent a day in the immigration tribunals Robert Jenrick wants to abolish recently The reality? Judges don't get much time to impose their political views - they're too busy chasing lawyers and experts for paperwork Delayed cases, locked doors, and angry judges
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
NEW: The Hack, ITV's drama about the phone-hacking scandal begins tonight. Daniel Morgan's murder tangles with the hacking storyline His brother Alastair wasn't involved w/the show. He told @bigissue.com his thoughts- and if he blames Starmer for dropping the case www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/t...
bigissue.com
Daniel Morgan's murder was never solved. Can ITV's The Hack shake justice loose?
Alastair Morgan's brother Daniel was killed in a pub car park in 1987. Now the murder is the subject of ITV's The Hack.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Saw a proper mad Instagram reel that Declan Rice had donated £14m to a housing project in Tower Hamlets Googled it and the AI summary backed it up, telling users about the donation Did some journalism - it’s not true. Experts say it’s a classic case of AI dangers www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
No, Arsenal's Declan Rice didn't donate £14m to house homeless families
Google's AI summary is telling users Arsenal footballer Declan Rice donated £14m to a London housing project. But the story's not true.
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Andrew Chadwick @andrewchadwick.com · 19/09/2025
Happy to help @gregbarradale.bsky.social with this story for @bigissue.com. Is it too much to expect platforms' AI summaries to at least get the big things right? Have a read.
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Greg Barradale @gregbarradale.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Back at it with my favourite benign use of social media -- short book reviews! Now with star ratings! I will not fail you, 2025 books thread, even if there is a backlog to clear
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