Ben Gartside

Afghans who worked for the British Army are deported back to the Taliban Pakistan expels 13 Afghans despite them being under the care of the UK's relocation scheme 

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Brilliant but troubling scoop from Ben here:

Afghans who worked for the British Army are deported back to the Taliban Pakistan expels 13 Afghans despite them being under the care of the UK's relocation scheme 

Exc: 13 Afghans who worked with the British Army are being deported back to Afghanistan despite being under the care of the British High Commission in Pakistan after delays getting them to the UK.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Remember this? Well, the Government have quietly scrapped it.

Read our story here: inews.co.uk/news/politic...

A revealing quote (from a well-sourced piece).

Some of the transfers in and out are virtually identical by CV: fmr senior Blair adviser in, one out too. Youngish Treasury bod out, one in too.

Quote (and the piece) speaks to ‘phase 2’ feeling quite aimless.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

here's the crowd at the zimbabwe v new zealand test last week. test cricket *is* dying. it's just dying in the bits nobody wants to speak up about

DWP staff stole benefits that should have gone to pensioners and disabled people Some DWP staff have been diverting benefits payments for vulnerable people into their own bank accounts

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff.

£1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020.

The Government says it’s reviewing its processes.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

DWP staff stole benefits that should have gone to pensioners and disabled people Some DWP staff have been diverting benefits payments for vulnerable people into their own bank accounts

Exc: Millions in benefits intended for carers, disabled people and pensioners has been stolen by DWP staff.

£1.7m — the highest figure in years — was stolen last year, with £6m taken since 2020.

The Government says it’s reviewing its processes.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Where are all the briefcase wankers? The nerd:jock ratio in government is askew

The great question of our age: WHERE are all the briefcase wankers?
economist.com/britain/2025...

Nothing like the sound of the MoJ's earsplitting flute tunes while you're on hold on a warm friday afternoon

‘I Don’t Want to Go Home.’ Europe’s Housing Is Not Heat-Ready Millions of people on the world’s fastest-warming continent live in houses and apartments ill-equipped for rising temperatures.

Given the chat around air conditioning: worth reading this report from Bloomberg from 2023.

Highlights clearly how new build homes, especially flats with floor to ceiling windows, are uniquely awful for overheating.

More AC needed, but also better design.

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Good take. I thought it was notable that a few of the ministers who had seen more speculation and briefing had ended up with better settlements.

Dozens of council workers caught doing multiple jobs - with WFH blamed Increased home and hybrid working is leading to more public sector workers being paid for doing several jobs at the same time

Exclusive | Dozens of council workers across Britain have been paid for multiple full-time jobs they held in local authorities at the same time

Dozens of council workers caught doing multiple jobs - with WFH blamed Increased home and hybrid working is leading to more public sector workers being paid for doing several jobs at the same time

Excl: At least 37 suspected cases of local government staff members working multiple full-time jobs at once have been identified, The i Paper can reveal

inews.co.uk/news/council...

We’re already half way to our target which is amazing, thank you so to everyone who has donated or shared.

Here’s me and the man himself from 2023, sharing our cricket team’s ‘RSPB conservation award’ for most ducks in a season.

Please keep giving if you can!

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away.

He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research.

Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

David's cricket team is playing the Royal Household CC in Windsor in his memory on Saturday, and they're hoping to raise money to support the British Heart Foundation, to help others like him. Please donate if you can.

Memorial Cricket Match for David Knowles. Larkhall Wanderers CC vs Royal Household CC. Fundraising for the British Heart Foundation. Help Larkhall Wanderers raise money to support British Heart Foundation

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

Memorial Cricket Match for David Knowles. Larkhall Wanderers CC vs Royal Household CC. Fundraising for the British Heart Foundation. Help Larkhall Wanderers raise money to support British Heart Foundation

www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

Last year, my dear friend David Knowles passed away.

He was 32, and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

This weekend, the cricket team he founded will be playing a game to raise money for the BHF, to help fund their research.

Please share and donate if you can www.justgiving.com/page/rhcc-vs...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

🔴 Exclusive | UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws

Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill.

The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape.

Read more here:

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK's biggest builders warn Nimby MPs growth is at risk if they wreck planning laws Some of the UK's largest construction firms have warned any changes to the planning bill would kill growth and leave the UK 'tied up in bureaucratic red tape'

Exc: The UK’s biggest construction firms have urged MPs not to block or amend the Planning Bill.

The letter also urges the Government to push ahead with reforms cutting red tape.

Read more here:

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Huge scoop from @sanyaburgess.bsky.social

Civil servant held three Government jobs at same time - with WFH blamed WFH culture in the Civil Service has led to a rise in ‘polygamous working’, according to a damning report

Cracking story from @bengartside.bsky.social

Civil servant held three jobs in different departments at the same time

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Thank you Jessica!

Civil servant held three Government jobs at same time - with WFH blamed Wfh culture in the Civil Service has led to a rise in ‘polygamous working’, according to a damning report

Exc: A senior civil servant has left three Whitehall jobs after being caught by a Government fraud scheme for working multiple full-time jobs at once.

Read more here:

www.inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Civil servant held three Government jobs at same time - with WFH blamed Wfh culture in the Civil Service has led to a rise in ‘polygamous working’, according to a damning report

Civil servant was paid for 3 full-time jobs in different depts – @theipaper inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Civil servant held three Government jobs at same time - with WFH blamed Wfh culture in the Civil Service has led to a rise in ‘polygamous working’, according to a damning report

Exc: A senior civil servant has left three Whitehall jobs after being caught by a Government fraud scheme for working multiple full-time jobs at once.

Read more here:

www.inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Great story