Barney Macintyre

The Observer | News, culture and style Independent journalism | News, culture & style | Investigations, analysis, features, ideas, recipes, newsletters & podcasts that make sense of the world

🚨Call for business pitches 🚨

I’ll be covering for our business news editor @barneymac.bsky.social next week @observeruk.bsky.social. If you’ve got timely stories, scoops and/ or thoughtful analysis, please send them my way:

[firstname].[lastname] @ observer.co.uk

(Tech tips also welcome)

Henley & Partners’ wealth migration reports have been reported all over the world, both to prove both that there's a massive exodus of wealth from the UK and that there isn't.

Our forensic review finds the data riddled with anomalies - and in key places looks fabricated:

The real Salt Path: how the couple behind a bestseller le... Penniless and homeless, the Winns found fame and fortune with the story of their 630-mile walk to salvation. We can reveal it was far from the truth

Penniless and homeless, Raynor and Moth Winn found fame with their story of their 630-mile walk to salvation. The Salt Path became a global bestseller and was adapted into a major film.

But we can reveal it wasn’t the whole truth.

@chloehadj.bsky.social

Read more:

Surreal to have written this week's @theobserveruk.bsky.social cover story about the Trump family’s conflicts of interest.

It builds on my reporting with @barneymac.bsky.social on the launch of Trump's memecoin and the dogged work of so many US journalists. There is still so much more to say.

The Observer Journalism School: an alternative to traditional internships | The Observer Welcome to The Observer Journalism School, which is now open for applications

The Observer - now under new ownership - is running a week long 'journalism school' for those 18 and over. observer.co.uk/news/interna...

Neom’s advisers worry as future of the $500bn city under review Is an emergency review of project costs the beginning of the end for the boondoggle in the Saudi Arabian desert?

NEOM, the $500bn megacity being built in Saudi Arabia, has yet to pay bonuses to staff this year, fuelling concerns MBS’s scheme faces a cash crunch and is going to be redrawn.

Is this the end of the big boondoggle in the desert?

Me for @theobserveruk.bsky.social

observer.co.uk/news/busines...

UK more involved in Trump's war in Yemen than we realise As 70 people are killed in an attack on a migrant centre in Sa’ada, Observer analysis shows that British involvement in Trump’s military action is deeper than ministers have admitted

Excellent reporting here from The Observer on how deeply involved the British military are in the US bombing over Yemen which has recently included an attack on a migrant detention facility, killing at least 68 civilians. It should be a national scandal observer.co.uk/news/interna...

In light of today's "study" showing that London is now poorer than Bedford, it's worth highlighting this by my colleague
@barneymac.bsky.social the last time New World Wealth released a "study"

www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/02/06/r...

Hot Air – Explore the Tool

@chefboibex.bsky.social @ktriley.bsky.social and others have been working on an incredible new tool to track climate misinformation online. Check it out here @tortoisemedia.bsky.social

Donald Trump's conversion to crypto has left a door wide open for corruption and copycat scammers across the globe.

It might even derail the US economy.

Listen to the latest episode of the Slow Newscast: lnk.to/CzFVavBS

Reported by: @paticlarke.bsky.social and @barneymac.bsky.social

The $Trumpcon Podcast Episode · The Slow Newscast · 25/03/2025 · 45m

NEW 🎙️: Who profited from the launch of Trump's memecoin?

A simple question that quickly became complicated and took me and @barneymac.bsky.social on a wild journey through the crypto world (with a brief detour in Argentina)

w thanks to @coffeezilla.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The $Trumpcon Podcast Episode · The Slow Newscast · 25/03/2025 · 45m

Gripping #podcast @barneymac.bsky.social & @paticlarke.bsky.social @tortoisemedia.bsky.social
🔹Trump called crypto a ‘scam’
🔹Until the bros gave $160M to his campaign
🔹He amassed $960M from NFTs, coins & fees by inauguration
🔹 So it’s goodbye to regulation.
🔹Welcome to the casino

Ineos reverses out of sport as debts pile up Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s sprawling chemicals empire is under pressure, leaving casualties and lawsuits across the world of sport

💼 This week's Boardroom Sensemaker...

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s sprawling chemicals empire is under pressure, leaving casualties and lawsuits across the world of sport, writes @barneymac.bsky.social.

Read more 👇
torto.se/3EZDnZT

Activists arrive to shake up BP How board division, leadership changes and a green pivot made the oil company a target

Nearly 50 institutional investors have called on BP to give shareholders a vote on climate goals, as the company comes under pressure to unveil a “fundamental reset” next week.

In this Boardroom Sensemaker, @barneymac.bsky.social assesses the company's 'whiplash'.
torto.se/4i3zr8o

‘It absolutely took off’: five UK biodiversity success stories From new butterfly habitats in the Cotswolds to arctic willow planting in the Scottish Highlands, there are increasing numbers of places where humans are giving nature a helping hand to re-establish i...

A good news story to start your week. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

a man in a suit and tie is saying " i feel like " ALT: a man in a suit and tie is saying " i feel like "

Family-owned businesses might be good for business. But are they good for families?

This week I dug into the #Murdoch case and how other dynasties have been handling the often messy issue of #succession

➡️ www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/13/r...

For @tortoisemedia.bsky.social

a man in a suit and tie is standing next to a woman in a white shirt in a room . ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing next to a woman in a white shirt in a room .

Tom Hollander has already done it once

Really interesting piece from @tortoisemedia.bsky.social but I can't get over just how close the US is to Syrian incarceration rates

Tortoise Media agrees purchase of The Observer Tortoise Media is pleased to announce that its offer to buy The Observer newspaper has been approved by Guardian Media Group (GMG), and its owner the Scott Trust.

Tortoise Media is pleased to announce that its offer to buy The Observer newspaper has been approved by Guardian Media Group (GMG), and its owner the Scott Trust.

Read more: torto.se/4inzFby

Revealed for the first time: details of peers’ shareholdings - Tortoise The existence of many of these holdings has not previously been made public.

New: As part of Tortoise’s investigation into the House of Lords, we are publishing a list of 16 peers who own shares in companies including BAE Systems, Rio Tinto and Astrazeneca

More Peer Review work by myself and @chefboibex.bsky.social 👇

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/05/r...

1 in 15 people of working age in the UK are currently off work owing to long-term illness.

Starmer’s choice: fix the NHS and get Britain working or continue relying on high net migration to fuel the economy.

My column this week ⬇️

Fraud Victims and Whistleblowers Expose How the Financial Watchdog Was 'Captured' by Big Finance A damning new report accuses the City regulator of getting too close to the very sector it was set up to protect consumers from

A damning new report accuses the City regulator of getting too close to the very sector it was set up to protect consumers from.

My latest for @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2024/11/28/f...

Peer uses Kremlin talking points and considers Russian ambassador a “nice chap” - Tortoise A peer who has repeatedly echoed Kremlin talking points in the House of Lords has joined a new parliamentary group formed to fight “disinformation in the public discourse”. Last week Lord Balfe was na...

Exc: Peer who repeats Kremlin talking points made vice chair of APPG set up to fight disinformation

Lord Balfe also described Russian ambassador Kelin as "a nice chap" and told Tortoise that Kelin would be “welcome in my kitchen”

👇

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/27/p...

In her speech to #CBI24 Kemi Badenoch just claimed that the government is spending “more on debt servicing than we are on health or education or defense”.

Not true.

In 2023/24 gov spent

- £102 billion on debt servicing;
- £115 billion on education; and
- £239 billion on healthcare

Stoking hate: Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson - Tortoise Tommy Robinson, who has been accused of stoking the anti-immigration riots, owes his huge platform to Elon Musk.

Unsurprising that Elon Musk spent last night questioning Tommy Robinson’s jail sentence. Musk rescued him from the digital abyss & allowed his banned documentary to rack up tens of millions of views on X. My piece for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social this summer:

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/08/06/s...

Disapeering act: some peers hide foreign earnings by going on leave - Tortoise Others say this is a loophole that needs closing

The number of peers on a leave of absence jumped 48% after new rules requiring them to declare income from foreign states were introduced, @tortoisemedia.bsky.social analysis has shown.

More Peer Review work by myself and @seitarowhite.bsky.social 👇

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/21/d...

Image shows the road gritters in Scotland with their names which includes Taylor Drift, Skate Bush, Air Salter Scott, Me Snow it all, Spready Mercury

It's the time of year to appreciate the names of Scottish gritters! #Scotland

US Prosecutors Indict Gautam Adani on Bribery Charges Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives were charged with paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials and concealing them from US investors.

Breaking: Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives were charged with paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials and concealing them from US investors bloom.bg/4hVeKMR

🚨 LAUNCHING TODAY 🚨

Nearly two years ago, @tortoisemedia.bsky.social unveiled the Westminster Accounts, a free tool designed to give people greater understanding of the money that flows through parliament.

Now, with Peer Review, we take on another arcane part of our system - the House of Lords

Musk could save more than $60bn by working for Trump - Tortoise Is Elon Musk about to receive the mother of all tax breaks? If he does enter government as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), laws governing conflicts of interest would force him ...

Read the full piece on @tortoisemedia.bsky.social

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/18/m...