SUNDAY TIMES EXCLUSIVE🚨

Reform MP James McMurdock suspended after investigation into £70,000 of Covid loans

He borrowed money via two companies: one dormant, the other with negligible assets

He will not say what legitimate purpose they served
(1/)
thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar… Murdock threatened us to be "very, very careful" when approached with allegations- but would not address claims he used Bounce Back loans to borrow cash when Covid struck.

One firm is J A M Financial, which, after borrowing cash, he transferred to his mum 2/

WORLD EXCLUSIVE 🚨 The leader of Bangladesh says Tulip Siddiq must apologise for using property gifted by "corrupt" regime

He calls for homes to be investigated and returned in cases of  "plain robbery" (1/5)
thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar… It comes as we reveal MP lived in Hampstead home bought by offshore firm named in Panama Papers

Pedrok Ventures funded by trust owned by Bangladeshi businessmen

Pedrok gifted it to regime-linked lawyer, who in turn gave it to family of Siddiq, who lived there for years (2/5)

EXCLUSIVE: Keir Starmer broke parliamentary rules by failing to declare that a donor bought designer clothes for his wife, Victoria.

The PM faces an investigation after he did not disclose gifts from Lord Alli — peer who also buys his suits and glasses. thetimes.com/uk/arts/articl… It is said Starmer's team contacted parliamentary authorities after Lady Starmer was offered clothes, jewellery and makeup from various brands

After being told she would have to declare any gifts, the team realised Alli's gifts should have been declared, source say. Spox here:

In 2021, we revealed the King secretly gave a CBE to a Saudi donor who paid millions in a deal brokered by royal aides

Paying for an honour is a crime

But The Met covered up the scandal, never investigating properly or speaking to the men at its heart—Charles and the Saudi
1/5 Despite Charles repeatedly secretly meeting the Saudi in a years long courtship across three countries, including on official visits, he has never had to answer any questions.

Michael Fawcett, his right hand man, took the blame, leaving as chief executive of his foundation.
2/5

EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy Hunt’s re-election campaign and CCHQ have accepted tens of thousands from a dormant shell company with undisclosed ties to a Mayfair private equity fund

The Tory Treasurer's department initially rejected donations from "Ironduke Management", fearing it broke Electoral Commission rules, then U-turned

Here's the story🧵
Ironduke Management is registered at 10 Piccadilly , but has no physical premises or website or phone number.

The sole director and shareholder is a woman called Jennifer Dowling. It's actually run by her husband, Tom Dowling, who describes himself as a tax consultant

Since its creation in 2018, it has registered itself as a dormant company.

EXCLUSIVE: Labour has re-branded its flagship package of workers rights and employment reforms.

The New Deal will now be known as Labour's Plan To Make Work Pay

Starmer wants to sharpen core message of putting money in people's pockets and reassure business thetimes.co.uk/article/labour… A final document confirms legislative process to start within 100 days of a Labour govt - rather than be completed within that time frame.

It still includes key commitments on reversing Conservative trade union legislation, ending fire and rehire, and introducing day on rights

BREAKING 🚨 Pensions minister Paul Maynard found guilty of expenses breaches after inquiry by IPSA following Sunday Times investigation

Blackpool North MP Maynard:

1) used taxpayer funds to "produce overly political materials promoting the [Conservative] party and his re-election"

2) "under-reported" Tory use of taxpayer funded office



🧵assets.ctfassets.net/w59ykwiqehvh/5… Maynard has been ordered to repay cash used to rent state-of-the-art printer and produce Tory leaflets.

He's made another repayment after claiming his party did not use his taxpayer funded office when it did.

And his abuse of the rules has led the IPSA investigator to propose all MPs are banned from using their offices for party purposes in any context.

EXCLUSIVE 🚨 The Sunday Times has obtained "black box" data from a tracking device inside the Mercedes rental car used by Akbar Shamji — a suspect in the case of teenager Zac Brettler's death.

We have used its GPS data to create minute-by-minute reconstruction of his movements on the night.

It shatters his story and shows he lied to police repeatedly during their investigation.

Met had the data, but failed to analyse it in depth, so never confronted him about inconsistencies, such as his claim he was at home during fatal fall:



🧵thetimes.co.uk/article/the-de… Former bankrupt crypto investor Shamji and gangster Dave Sharma were the last people to see Brettler alive.

They confronted him about money they felt he owed them before he jumped off a 5th floor flat opposite MI6 headquarters.

A coroner delivered an "open verdict" meaning his death was suspicious but its cause unknown.

Here's a vintage example of FOI vandalism I've been dealing with.

The department: David Cameron’s Foreign Office.
The subject: David Cameron’s lobbying career.

🧵 In January 2023, Cameron visited Sri Lanka.

While there, he met the president twice. Once at his residence. Another time at lunch with the British ambassador.

Within months, he was being paid to drum up investment for Port City Colombo, a highly controversial Chinese infrastructure project.

It is part of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative. Critics believe it could become a military base.

I was privileged to know Zac Brettler when he was a little boy.

Following @praddenkeefe's investigation into his death, I spoke to his extraordinary parents.

Today, they give The Sunday Times previously unpublished evidence about the night their 19-year-old jumped from a balcony after a confrontation with a gangster.

It poses huge questions of the Metropolitan Police. Like crime-scene photos of the blood-like smears detectives somehow did not swab or test... (1/6)

thetimes.co.uk/article/the-me… And a photo of the glass balcony from which Zac jumped to his death. Even police believed it had been "wiped" before they arrive at the scene.

Again, it does not appear to have been tested... (2/6)

EXCL w/@domhauschild

Rishi Sunak's pensions minister is under investigation for spending taxpayers cash on Tory Party in his marginal seat

Paul Maynard broke expenses rules, lashed out at whistleblower

He spent £160k on printing-more than any Tory MP 🧵thetimes.co.uk/article/minist… Maynard has for years used publicly-funded constituency office as Tory campaign HQ and used taxpayer funded printing kit to produce political leaflets

Both are banned by expenses watchdog IPSA, which last night said:  “In light of the additional information provided by ..." 2/9

EXCLUSIVE 🚨 w/@HarryYorke1

The king's cousin fixed a private jet and luxury safari holiday for Oleg Deripaska while he was sanctioned by the US

Lexi Bowes-Lyon - NY-based Brit at US charity - did so in 2021, years after Putin ally sanctioned by America thetimes.co.uk/article/royal-… Her employer, UK and US registered charity Space for Giants, says: “We are not in a position to confirm or deny that Space for Giants has or has not breached US sanctions in relation to the 2021 safari given that no competent authority has ever ruled on this."

A post-script on David Warburton, the disgraced Tory MP who has quit after being accused of sexual assault or harassment by three women

(He also took cocaine and a secret £100k loan from a Russian he lobbied for)

On Sunday, he did a sit down interview in the Mail on Sunday. 1/ In it, he presented himself as a victim - and lashed out at the woman who accused him of assault. He was, he said, the victim of a set up. A sinister plot.

The outgoing MP said his accuser spoke fluent Russian - inflaming his fears of "Russian infiltration".
2/

EXCLUSIVE 🚨w/ @HarryYorke1 @cazjwheeler

Boris Johnson’s meetings with BBC chair Richard Sharp, cousin Sam Blyth and Tory peer Lord Brownlow have been referred to the police

Also on the list: a visit by two of Carrie Johnson’s friends to Chequers

1/4
thetimes.co.uk/article/477545… Sharp & Blyth visited Chequers for dinner w/ Johnson on 2 May 2021. They did so at a time when household mixing indoors was banned & social distancing rules were in place. Sharp has said he was driven there by Blyth.

Sharp and Johnson say dinner was outdoors & lawful. 2/4

NEW 🚨 Richard Sharp damaged faith in the BBC by “serious” failure to reveal role in Boris Johnson loan of up to £800k

That is extraordinary verdict of DCMS select committee of MPs who had approved his appointment

Today they say: we didn’t have the facts bbc.co.uk/news/uk-646101… The report is excoriating.

It all but calls for Sharp to go. MPs say he should dwell on damage done to not only BBC but public appointments.

It says his appointment flawed as he deprived them of info.

And says govt should therefore stop using their past approval as a defence.

How the Metropolitan Police works (a thread).

Since September 2021, detectives have been "investigating" the most constitutionally sensitive and awkward of crimes: the alleged sale of honours by King Charles's closest aides.

An offence punishable with up to two years in prison. Despite voluminous evidence - much of it published in the Sunday Times - The Met took half a year to launch a formal inquiry after a complaint was made.

As with partygate, it did not provide any comment or transparency whatsoever as to why it initially refused to investigate.

EXCLUSIVE w/@HarryYorke1🚨

Boris Johnson was told to stop seeking Richard Sharp's "advice about your personal financial matters" days before announcing him as BBC chairman

The Sunday Times today reveals bombshell letter given to him by Simon Case 1/8

thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-… The letter dated December 22 2020 states: “Given the imminent announcement of Richard Sharp as the new BBC chair, it is important that you no longer ask his advice about your personal financial matters."

2/8

EXCLUSIVE🚨w/@HarryYorke1

The BBC chairman helped arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800K for Boris Johnson weeks before then PM selected him for the role

Johnson was told to end Richard Sharp’s involvement in his financial affairs by Cab Office 1/7 thetimes.co.uk/article/the-bb… Sharp has given £400k to the Conservatives, once managed Rishi Sunak at Goldman Sachs and is friend of Johnson

But his proximity to Johnson - and involvement in financing his lifestyle in Downing St - has never been revealed (2/7)

EXCLUSIVE w/@HarryYorke1

Boris Johnson funded his lifestyle in No10 through a credit facility of up to £800,000 underwritten by multi-millionaire foreign national and distant relative

Sam Blyth also gave Johnsons free use of his Caribbean villa 1/4

thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-… In Dec 2020, Johnson asked Simon Case for advice about arrangement

That month, Blyth, Canadian private education businessman, entered talks about becoming CEO of British Council, a public body. (He did not succeed)

Civil service approval was based on no conflict of interest 2/4

BREAK: David Warburton breached MPs Code of Conduct by failing to register £150,000 loan he took from Russian businessman via off-shore trust

MP also breached rules by failing to declare loan when lobbying Financial Conduct Authority for Russian, per Kathryn Stone Stone says the fact he lobbied FCA to recognise Russian as a "fit and proper" did not amount to paid advocacy as he didn't request specific action and he was not acting on his behalf. (Not sure evidence supports this.)

Warburton has issued an apology for multiple breaches.

EXCLUSIVE: Gavin Williamson sent abusive and threatening messages to Wendy Morton about not being invited to the Queen's funeral, warning her: "There is a price for everything"

Sunak told of complaint about him but appointed him anyway, ex-chairman says thetimes.co.uk/article/you-f-… Williamson told Morton it was “disgusting you are using her death to punish people…absolutely disgusting” - a claim for which he didn’t provide any evidence

When she told him it wasn’t true, Williamson said: “perception becomes reality”