George Greenwood

Andrew to give up lease on East Lodge near Windsor The former prince will surrender the cottage near Sunninghill Park, the Berkshire home he shared with his former wife Sarah Ferguson

Andrew is to give up yet another lease, this time on East Lodge near Windsor.

FOIs show he was enjoying a favourable rent there, a property used by his staff.

But the Crown Estate is still refusing to say which of Andrew’s staff was living there…

www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...

Andrew to give up lease on East Lodge near Windsor The former prince will surrender the cottage near Sunninghill Park, the Berkshire home he shared with his former wife Sarah Ferguson

Andrew is to give up yet another lease, this time on East Lodge near Windsor.

FOIs show he was enjoying a favourable rent there, a property used by his staff.

But the Crown Estate is still refusing to say which of Andrew’s staff was living there…

www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...

FOI Fest 2026 - Skills session: George Greenwood YouTube video by mySociety

You can watch my talk at this year’s FOI Fest here!

Ten FOI tips in ten minutes.

youtu.be/1Vu7MYx5jyo?...

Ethics head hired by civil service ‘in breach of its own ethics rules’ Ellen Atkinson, the government’s head of propriety and ethics, was appointed without external competition, a freedom of information request has revealed

Civil service ethics head hired by civil service ‘in breach of its own ethics rules’

www.thetimes.com/article/32df...

Ethics head hired by civil service ‘in breach of its own ethics rules’ Ellen Atkinson, the government’s head of propriety and ethics, was appointed without external competition, a freedom of information request has revealed

Civil service ethics head hired by civil service ‘in breach of its own ethics rules’

www.thetimes.com/article/32df...

George Greenwood

@georgegreenwood.bsky.social is going to give us ten #FOI tips in ten minutes. #FOIFest

I'm speaking at this today because obviously I am!

MoJ halts purge of court archive used to track grooming gangs Five years of magistrates’ data was set to be deleted despite claims Courtdesk records helped protect vulnerable children

MoJ halts purge of court archive used to track grooming gangs.

Hopefully Courtsdesk and the MoJ can now resolve their dispute and journalists can get meaningful access to these records.

www.thetimes.com/article/ccb5...

However, I'm now hearing positive noises from government sources that there may be a way through the impasse.

Fingers crossed we can avoid losing such a crucial journalistic tool.

MoJ orders purge of court archive used to track grooming gangs Five years of magistrates’ data is to be deleted despite claims Courtdesk records helped expose grooming networks and protect vulnerable children

Court records that could help monitor how gangs abuse vulnerable children will be deleted after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) ordered that the information be purged.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

British hardware used to make Russian drones in Ukraine Parts manufactured by UK companies have been found in drones used to attack Ukrainian cities, an investigation by The Times has found

British hardware is still being used to power the suicide drones behind Russia’s devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and its civilians, a Times investigation with @occrp.org @tijd.be @kyivindependent.com and others has found.

www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

British hardware used to make Russian drones in Ukraine Parts manufactured by UK companies have been found in drones used to attack Ukrainian cities, an investigation by The Times has found

British hardware is still being used to power the suicide drones behind Russia’s devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and its civilians, a Times investigation with @occrp.org @tijd.be @kyivindependent.com and others has found.

www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

Andrew files blocked because of ‘health and safety’ concerns The Foreign Office is under pressure to release documents from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s time as trade envoy, amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Government blocked transparency requests about Andrew trade trips because of ‘health and safety’ concerns

www.thetimes.com/article/e72c...

Removing this vital resource is a bitter blow to open justice Ministry of Justice has decided to shut down Courtsdesk, a court-reporting archive that collated magistrates’ court records

I've written today's Thunderer on Courtsdesk, the archive the MoJ has scrapped.

It mustn't double down out of embarrassment. Every day the system is down is a day court access is curtailed.

Not resolving this would be a choice to undermine open justice.

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Removing this vital resource is a bitter blow to open justice Ministry of Justice has decided to shut down Courtsdesk, a court-reporting archive that collated magistrates’ court records

I've written today's Thunderer on Courtsdesk, the archive the MoJ has scrapped.

It mustn't double down out of embarrassment. Every day the system is down is a day court access is curtailed.

Not resolving this would be a choice to undermine open justice.

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

The doctors banned from practising abroad cleared to treat in NHS A Times investigation has found 22 professionals subject to restrictions overseas have no record of any sanctions on their General Medical Council licences

I'm delighted to have been shortlisted for Data Journalist of the Year at this year's Press Awards for my work with @occrp.org and VG identifying the doctors banned abroad still treating patients in the UK.

You can read the original report here 👇

www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar...

What Sarah Sackman said at the dispatch box today is simply wrong.

It is not physically possible for journalists to attend every single court and to obtain the kind of information that Courtsdesk provided in searchable form.

This shuts out the press and undermines open justice.

You can watch the debate here 👇

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live...

What Sarah Sackman said at the dispatch box today is simply wrong.

It is not physically possible for journalists to attend every single court and to obtain the kind of information that Courtsdesk provided in searchable form.

This shuts out the press and undermines open justice.

MoJ orders deletion of UK’s largest court reporting archive Courtsdesk, which supports the media in monitoring records, is an important tool for journalists and the move raises concerns over open justice

The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.

This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.

www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...

MoJ orders deletion of UK’s largest court reporting archive Courtsdesk, which supports the media in monitoring records, is an important tool for journalists and the move raises concerns over open justice

The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.

This risks undermining open justice, and I believe, undermines the public accountability role of the press by making it harder to see what is going on in the courts.

www.thetimes.com/article/77b0...

What the Epstein emails reveal about Peter Mandelson From ‘bonkers’ secret post-election talks to candid advice on commercial ventures, the pair seem to have had a relationship lasting years

When Mandelson was planning to visit Epstein’s New York house in 2012, even Epstein’s staff were a bit confused.

“I hope the news people don’t find out”

More in today’s Times

www.thetimes.com/article/5192...

Key section from around 2.57!

Parliamentlive.tv Health and Social Care Committee

The health committee grilled the GMC on our story showing doctors banned abroad were handed UK licenses.

“I do accept this is difficult stuff but the Times managed it. If they can manage it, it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of the medical regulator to manage it.”

parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

Open policing? How the Met Police withheld a report on its failures to police violence against women for more than three years. Over the last few years, I have been looking into how effectively the police protect women and children. To do this, I have been filing FOI requests for internal police documents called “problem pr…

I've written a blog at Relight My FOIA on the fight to force the Met Police to disclose an internal report on its effectiveness at policing violence against women in the aftermath of the death of Sarah Everard.

This process took more than three years.

relightmyfoia.blog/2026/01/20/o...

Victims ditch hundreds of sex assault cases, Met Police has to admit The force has been ordered to reveal data that shows how many allegations of rape have been dropped, highlighting how arduous the justice process is for women

Victims ditch hundreds of sex assault cases, Met Police has to admit.

The Times had to fight a 3 year legal battle to force it to disclose a report into policing violence against women and girls, In the aftermath of the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

Major Tory donor sanctioned over role in Russian oil trade The government sanctioning statement alleges that Murtaza Lakhani’s activities in the oil sector have supported the Kremlin

A major Tory donor has been sanctioned in the UK and EU for his alleged role in the Russian oil trade.

The oil magnate Murtaza Lakhani was hit with a UK asset freeze and travel ban on the grounds that his activities were assisting Russia.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Tory donor’s firm traded Russian oil after war in Ukraine This article is the subject of a legal complaint from Murtaza Lakhani and The Mercantile & Maritime GroupA big Tory donor has cultivated deep links with the Kre

I worked with @marcusleroux.bsky.social in 2022 to highlight Lakhani's ongoing Russian oil deals, despite the war in Ukraine.

I've asked the Conservative Party if it will be returning Lakhani's £500,000 donation...

www.thetimes.com/world/us-wor...

Major Tory donor sanctioned over role in Russian oil trade The government sanctioning statement alleges that Murtaza Lakhani’s activities in the oil sector have supported the Kremlin

A major Tory donor has been sanctioned in the UK and EU for his alleged role in the Russian oil trade.

The oil magnate Murtaza Lakhani was hit with a UK asset freeze and travel ban on the grounds that his activities were assisting Russia.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

FT journalists pick their favourite non-FT articles of the year Everything you should read that we didn’t write

Very honoured to see our royal peppercorn rent stories make this list amongst strong company.

I’ll do my best to keep grinding them out…

www.ft.com/content/72d0...