Russell Scott - openDemocracy

DEFRA pressured officials to clear ports giant over Whitby crab deaths

Exclusive: The government has been accused of a cover-up to protect plans for a freeport in nearby Teesside

By Russell Scott

/ 2 Aug 2022

DEFRA pressured officials to clear ports giant over Whitby crab deaths

Revealed: The lobbyist who helps Russian elites get access to Boris Johnson

Former Russian politician Sergey Pechinin tells his clients: ‘We open closed doors’

By Russell Scott and Martin Williams

/ 26 Feb 2022

Revealed: The lobbyist who helps Russian elites get access to Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson’s ex-adviser has role at firm that won £3.5m government ‘support’

Exclusive: Hydro Industries donated £20,000 to the Tories at the same time it secured funding meant for struggling businesses

By Russell Scott and Martin Williams

/ 12 Oct 2021

Boris Johnson’s ex-adviser has role at firm that won £3.5m government ‘support’

Secretive ‘spy’ firm met UK minister to discuss PPE supply

Exclusive: No records were kept of meeting with private company chaired by government’s own PPE tsar

By Russell Scott and Martin Williams

/ 12 Aug 2021

Secretive ‘spy’ firm met UK minister to discuss PPE supply

Tory donor Lord Ashcroft’s outsourcing firm lands £350m vaccination contract

Medacs Healthcare is part of a group whose largest shareholder is Michael Ashcroft – who has given millions to the Conservatives.

By Peter Geoghegan and Russell Scott

/ 20 Jan 2021

Tory donor Lord Ashcroft’s outsourcing firm lands £350m vaccination contract

Revealed: Former Tory chairman was secretly appointed as COVID advisor

Role for former Conservative chairman and corporate lobbyist Andrew Feldman prompts fresh concerns about privileged access given to Tory 'friends and donors'

By Peter Geoghegan and Russell Scott

/ 13 Nov 2020

Revealed: Former Tory chairman was secretly appointed as COVID advisor

Revealed: ‘Failing’ Serco won another £57m COVID contract without competition

As Serco's share price soars, government accused of "shovelling huge sums of public money to a handful of outsourcing companies without competition, rigour or accountability".

By Caroline Molloy, Peter Geoghegan and Russell Scott

/ 16 Oct 2020

Revealed: ‘Failing’ Serco won another £57m COVID contract without competition

Government accused of ‘cronyism’ after Tory councillor wins £156m COVID contract

Stroud councillor Steve Dechan ran a small, loss-making firm distributing medical devices. Documents show it signed a £156m deal to import PPE from China

By Peter Geoghegan and Russell Scott

/ 9 Oct 2020

Government accused of ‘cronyism’ after Tory councillor wins £156m COVID contract

Cummings and Gove allies won fresh COVID contract for A-level crisis work

Exclusive: Government accused of wasting taxpayer money after Public First landed contract without competition to deal with exam results debacle

By Peter Geoghegan, Jenna Corderoy and Russell Scott

/ 1 Oct 2020

Cummings and Gove allies won fresh COVID contract for A-level crisis work

Revealed: Boris Johnson under fire over ‘personal’ meeting with Russian oligarch during COVID-19 pandemic

Prime minister met Evgeny Lebedev’s company days after telling the British public to avoid ‘non-essential contact’. Johnson later nominated Lebedev for the House of Lords

By Peter Geoghegan and Russell Scott

/ 15 Sep 2020