Charlie Alford

Revealed: Qatar and Israel top Westminster lobbying league table

Post author:PHIL MILLER
Post published:28 July 2026
Post last modified:28 July 2026

Foreign governments and influence groups have splurged vast amounts of money taking British MPs abroad since the last election, Declassified can reveal. Israel, Qatar and Taiwan top the rankings, with charm offensives to promote the countries in Westminster. The Middle Eastern monarchies of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan also make the top ten. The findings are part of a joint investigation between Declassified and Consolidate, a political finance database. Since July 2024, donors have paid for MPs to go on some 658 overseas junkets, at a cost of £2.2m. The majority were funded by private companies, charities or wealthy individuals. But…

Israeli arms firm returns after Westminster scandal

Post author:PHIL MILLER
Post published:7 July 2026
Post last modified:7 July 2026

RUK Advanced Systems Ltd helped fund a group of British MPs as part of a ‘PR and marketing campaign’ A British weapons firm owned by the Israeli government has been brought back to life, after its lobbying activities were exposed by Declassified last year. RUK Advanced System Ltd is registered in London, but records show it is a subsidiary of Israel’s state owned arms giant, Rafael. In October, documents were filed with Companies House to shut the business down, following our investigation. But it’s now been revived – and claims to be supplying British armed forces. Last year, we revealed how…

Westminster won’t admit Scotland’s involvement in illegal Iran war

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:29 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Westminster is making Scotland complicit in Trump’s illegal, Zionist-led war on Iran. That is: concretely, materially and operationally complicit, via a publicly owned airport in South Ayrshire. Scotland’s Government claims it cannot legally close Prestwick to US Air Forces without Westminster, but the UK Government will not publicly account for its decisions. Westminster — An obfuscated Labour letter In early March, Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson wrote to Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, seeking urgent reassurance. The Scottish Government-owned airport, Robertson noted, was “not provided information about the purpose or mission of the aircraft using their facilities.” He…

Scottish MSPs demand another chance to free Scotland from Westminster

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:26 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have voted to demand powers to hold another Scottish independence referendum. First Minister John Swinney described independence as a “golden opportunity” that would “put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands”. Grasping Westminster running against Scottish interests MSPs agreed: the motion passed by 72-55, with the support of the Greens enough to see off an unholy London-centric Labour, Reform, Tory and LibDem alliance. Keir Starmer said he would not give Scots what they want. This is unsurprising. Starmer is an Establishment tool through and through, who has always treated Scottish Labour like a Westminster satellite branch. He…