James Cusick

James Cusick is editor of openMedia at openDemocracy and a former political correspondent at The Independent and The Independent on Sunday. As an experienced member of the lobby, he has previously worked at The Sunday Times and the BBC.

Opinion: George Osborne’s real ‘Future London’ is a crass exercise that readers won’t swallow

Someone needs to tell Osborne that Londoners are not mugs. The rebrand of his controversial deal with Uber, Google and others still stinks.

By James Cusick

/ 12 Jul 2018

UK government minister hides leading role with hard Brexit group

Exclusive: Steve Baker accused of playing "fast and loose" with ministerial rules after openDemocracy investigation finds Brexit minister had undisclosed meetings with European Research Group

By Peter Geoghegan, James Cusick and Jenna Corderoy

/ 22 Jun 2018

George Osborne’s Evening Standard delays controversial Uber, Google deal

In the wake of ‘cash for column inches’ scandal and calls for Osborne to resign, newspaper denies that £3 million 'paid-for news' deal has been ditched

By James Cusick

/ 5 Jun 2018

Osborne’s Evening Standard ‘cash for column inches’ denials ‘do not stack up’ – says Caroline Lucas

Green Party leader calls on London paper to ‘come clean’ about its hidden commercial agendas – citing another lucrative sponsorship deal with GM giant Syngenta

By James Cusick

/ 2 Jun 2018

George Osborne’s London Evening Standard sells its editorial independence to Uber, Google and others – for £3 million

Exclusive: Newspaper promised six commercial giants “money-can’t-buy” news coverage in a lucrative deal, leaving millions of Londoners unaware of who’s paying for their news.

By James Cusick

/ 30 May 2018

All-out war or economic war: why Chilcot’s playbook needs to be given a chance

The Iraq Inquiry warned that we must exhaust all peaceful options before dropping bombs – and that hasn’t happened.

By James Cusick

/ 13 Apr 2018

Putin’s pal, the British Lords - and the ‘clean up’ of a Russian energy giant

With relations between Britain and Russia in severe crisis, the timing of a Russian company’s efforts to raise billions on the London Stock Exchange couldn’t be worse.

By James Cusick

/ 15 Mar 2018

MPs should reject the government’s attempt to cover up for the DUP’s Brexit dark money donation

Theresa May is trying to cover-up for her scandal-prone Northern Irish allies. MPs must call her bluff.

By James Cusick

/ 6 Mar 2018

DUP dark money cover-up: officials dismiss minister’s reassurances on Northern Ireland transparency

“No one should read a great deal into what the minister was saying.”

By James Cusick

/ 5 Mar 2018

The secrets of 'Black Ops' advertising. Who is paying for our news?

"I think the public would resent knowing they are being tricked. So best not to always tell them."

By James Cusick and Crina Boros

/ 8 Feb 2018

How a GM giant ‘bought control’ of what millions of Londoners read

The Evening Standard’s lucrative deal with Swiss chemical giant Syngenta shows how commercial giants pay for news – with readers left in the dark.

By James Cusick and Crina Boros

/ 8 Feb 2018

Six of Theresa May’s cabinet are paid up “members” of secret group demanding a total break from the European Union

The head of the secretive European Research Group won’t reveal which senior ministers are members of the hardline anti-EU group. Why not? Because the answer and the reach of the ERG leaves the Prime Minister looking like a Brexit hostage.

By James Cusick

/ 22 Dec 2017