Jon Ungoed-Thomas

Climate-change denying Reform councils are axing net zero... Environmental fears are being described as lies and fantasies to justify scrapping green policies

“There is no climate crisis,” Sean Matthews, leader of Lincolnshire council, posted on X last year. “We are all paying for these idiots to escalate their fantasies.”

By my colleague @jonungoedthomas.bsky.social

observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Unite created phoney job to prevent challenge to leaders, says whistleblower

Union gave a Heathrow baggage handler a ‘ghost post’ and let him keep his first job, according to claim

✍️@JonUngoedThomas

https://bit.ly/4nX84A8

What's gone wrong with our honey? My latest investigation in the Observer.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Former magistrate, 81, faces six months in jail for Pales... Cornish pensioner arrested at Truro cathedral falls foul of government’s labelling of direct action group as a terrorist organisation

"I lived through the Troubles...I know what a terrorist organisation is." Interview with former magistrate Deborah Hinton, 81, OBE, arrested under Terrorism Act and held in cell for seven hours over Palestine Action vigil.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

‘The most damaging thing for the sea’ … and 300 trawlers... Conservationists call for action after tracking hundreds of vessels they suspect of harmful deep-sea fishing

‘The most damaging thing for the sea’ … and 300 trawlers are at it in Europe

Conservationists call for action after tracking hundreds of vessels they suspect of harmful deep-sea fishing

More than 3,000 species are caught by bottom trawlers and at least 10% are critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, including hawksbill turtle and Patagonian seahorse, reveals new research. In today's Observer.

Issue #12,183 Deep Trouble

Buy your copy of The Observer, available across the country, tomorrow morning.

Get the newspaper delivered to your door every Sunday: bit.ly/4jFwQCW

#TomorrowsPapersToday

Dirty work: more than half of our rubbish is being incine... More waste is being burned as fuel than recycled, releasing more carbon and other toxins into the atmosphere

Incineration plants for refuse undermine recycling and have been branded the country's dirtiest form of generating power - so why is England now burning more than half its rubbish? (Ed Miliband approved a new plant in March against planning inspectors' advice.)

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

High court to decide if 23 million chickens are killing the River Wye | The Observer Poultry industry insists that phosphate-rich manure is not to blame, as 3,000 people join one of the biggest environmental legal cases ever seen in the UK

"There are bits of the environment being destroyed all along their supply chain." Food giant Cargill challenged over its soy supply chain from one of richest ecosystems in the world in South America to the catchment of the now blighted River Wye.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Dozens of betting companies secretly put in special measures | The Observer The Gambling Commission is under fire for keeping the identity of troubled companies secret in return for charity payments

The gambling watchdog has put 38 failing betting firms into special measures in the past five years under a secretive regime that prevents the companies being identified.

✒️ ‪@jonungoedthomas.bsky.social‬

Read more:

The Firm: Trump Inc. and the new age of corruption.

Buy your copy of The Observer, available across the country, tomorrow morning.

Get the newspaper delivered to your door every Sunday: bit.ly/4jFwQCW

Millions of people misled over Britain’s mobile network ‘dead zones’ | The Observer Trackers placed in bin lorries reveal mobile coverage in some areas ‘1,000 times worse’ than official data suggests

How millions of consumers are misled over scale of 'dead zones' in UK's mobile network coverage.

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

The UK's toxic export: banned weedkiller Daughter joins campaign to stop production of controversial pesticide at factory in Huddersfield after her father died with Parkinson’s disease years after spraying his farm

One of the most toxic pesticides ever produced is banned for use in more than 50 countries. Still made in Britain (where it use is also banned) for export.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Revealed: gambling firms secretly sharing users’ data with Facebook without permission Betting companies secretly track visitors to their sites before sending data to parent company Meta

New: Gambling companies are secretly tracking visitors to their websites and sending their data to Facebook without consent. We visited 150 sites and found a third breaking the rules. In the days after the testing, we were flooded with gambling ads.

With @jonungoedthomas.bsky.social

‘Unwilling’ coroners failed us, say families of gambling addicts who took their own lives Relatives of those who committed suicide claim betting industry is not being held to account, report reveals Families of gambling addicts who took their own lives have told of being let down by the coroner service, which they say failed to properly…

‘Unwilling’ coroners failed us, say families of gambling addicts who took their own lives

Clean water campaigners claim victory in Windermere sewage case United Utilities has dropped legal fight to block access to data on the discharge of treated sewage in Lake District The water company United Utilities has conceded defeat in its legal battle to block public access to data on treated sewage it is…

Clean water campaigners claim victory in Windermere sewage case

Labour under fire over plans for 40 more ‘greenwashing’ waste incinerators Communities across the UK are fighting ‘catastrophic’ proposals to build new energy-from-waste plants Labour faces a growing backlash across the country over proposals to build a new generation of more than 40 waste incinerators to burn household and…

Labour under fire over plans for 40 more ‘greenwashing’ waste incinerators

Labour under fire over plans for 40 more ‘greenwashing’ waste incinerators Communities across the UK are fighting ‘catastrophic’ proposals to build new energy-from-waste plants

"Net zero farce": Labour under fire over plans to build more than 40 new incinerators to help burn more than half of household and commercial rubbish in England.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

‘Heartless’ multinationals exploiting pensions loophole for UK workers Hewlett Packard, American Express and Pfizer among firms to have frozen increases in payouts despite inflation

Pensions turning to "rust": US multinationals accused of exploiting pensions law loophole to freeze increases in payouts to former UK employees.

www.theguardian.com/money/2024/d...

‘Heartless’ multinationals exploiting pensions loophole for UK workers Hewlett Packard, American Express and Pfizer among firms to have frozen increases in payouts despite inflation Some of the world’s richest companies are accused of exploiting a loophole in pension law to freeze increases in payouts for many former UK…

‘Heartless’ multinationals exploiting pensions loophole for UK workers

Just 2% of some key trains on London to Manchester line run on time Failing passenger service is a ‘national embarrassment,’ says Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham

Just 2% or fewer of trains on some of the busiest Avanti West Coast services between London and Manchester are leaving and arriving on time.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...

Just 2% of busiest trains on key London to Manchester line run on time Failing passenger service is a ‘national embarrassment,’ says Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham Just 2% or fewer of trains on some of the busiest Avanti West Coast services between London and Manchester are leaving and arriving on time, analysis of…

Just 2% of busiest trains on key London to Manchester line run on time

Labour condemned for allowing ‘new generation of slum homes’ in England Government accused of permitting a planning ‘free-for-all’ by allowing developers to convert office blocks into flats without the usual controls Labour has been accused of allowing developers to build a new generation of “slum” homes by converting office…

Labour condemned for allowing ‘new generation of slum homes’ in England

Labour condemned for allowing ‘new generation of slum homes’ in England Government accused of permitting a planning ‘free-for-all’ by allowing developers to convert office blocks into flats without the usual controls

Labour warned over new generation of "slum" tower blocks in drive to build 1.5m homes in England by 2029.

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Not for Sale: Save The Observer Journalists at the Guardian & Observer are taking strike action in opposition to the hurried sale of the title.

I am today joining my colleagues at the Guardian and Observer who are on strike for 48 hours over the sale of the Observer. I will be back at work on Friday.
For more information please follow @GoNUJ93 and @NUJofficial or visit nuj.org.uk/savetheobserver

Revealed: UK politics infiltrated by ‘dark money’ with 10% of donations from dubious sources Cash from dictatorships and shell companies is entering the political system via legal loopholes

New: the true scale of 'dark money' flowing into UK politics

Cash from firms that have never made a profit, from unincorporated associations that don't declare their funders & banned donations from abroad are all entering the system

www.theguardian.com/politics/202... @transparencyuk.bsky.social

Beekeepers halt honey awards over ‘huge fraud’ in global supply chain Warnings that genuine products are bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup prompt international congress to withdraw prizes The World Beekeeping Awards will not award a prize for honey next year after warnings of widespread fraud in the global supply chain.…

Beekeepers halt honey awards over ‘huge fraud’ in global supply chain

Beekeepers halt honey awards over ‘huge fraud’ in global supply chain Warnings that genuine products are bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup prompt international congress to withdraw prizes

Honey to be withdrawn as a category in World Beekeeping Awards in 2025 after warnings of widespread fraud in supply chain.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...

British Olympic sailors threaten to quit Dorset base over plans for waste incinerator Paris medallists join people on Isle of Portland in opposing proposals that could damage air quality and environment British Olympic athletes who train at an internationally renowned sailing academy on the south coast are threatening to quit the site…

British Olympic sailors threaten to quit Dorset base over plans for waste incinerator

British Olympic sailors threaten to quit Dorset base over plans for waste incinerator Paris medallists join people on Isle of Portland in opposing proposals that could damage air quality and environment

Olympic sailors threaten to quit south coast base after government approves waste incinerator on their doorstep.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...