Henry Dyer
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Investigations Correspondent @guardian. Tips: henry.dyer@theguardian.com/henrydyer.01 (Signal). Not posting here, just RTs ATM - find me on BSky.
Articles by Henry Dyer
Former Tory election candidate suspended over contract killing claims
Jack Ross at a London vigil after the murder of Charlie Kirk. He told Al Jazeera that his comments to its undercover reporter were not serious. Photograph: Guy Corbishley/Alamy A former Conservative election candidate has been suspended from the party after he was seemingly filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers and offering to “broker” the services of a far-right activist with alleged paramilitary links.
Former Tory election candidate suspended over contract killing claims
A former Conservative election candidate has been suspended from the party after he was seemingly filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers and offering to “broker” the services of a far-right activist with alleged paramilitary links. Jack Ross was filmed apparently asking an undercover reporter “What do you want done?” before listing the type of violent options that could be bought. Ross appeared to tell the Al Jazeera journalist: “They can just kick the fuck out of someone.
Revealed: Nigel Farage adviser had unpublicised role at polling firm
A close adviser to Nigel Farage had an influential role at a national polling company despite not being publicly associated with the firm, the Guardian can reveal. Chris Bruni-Lowe, Farage's private pollster for many years, played an important role in the operations of Redfield & Wilton Strategies and used it to develop potential campaign strategies, according to several sources who have worked there. The firm, founded in 2020, is owned by Bruno Rodrigues, a lawyer.
Nigel Farage adviser had unpublicised role at polling firm
Chris Bruni-Lowe (left) and Nigel Farage at a Mayfair restaurant in London in May 2023. Photograph: MJ Pictures A close adviser to Nigel Farage had an influential role at a national polling company despite not being publicly associated with the firm, the Guardian can reveal.
Recent lobbyist for Palantir had key role in helping Andy Burnham become PM
A recent lobbyist for the controversial $450bn US tech company Palantir played a senior role in helping Andy Burnham become prime minister, it has emerged. Martha Dalton, whose company Lodestone worked for Palantir in 2024 and 2025, campaigned for Burnham in the Makerfield byelection that secured his return to parliament. She worked closely with his team on strategic communications and rebuttals, and was among supporters who clapped him into Downing Street in July.
Will the £72m of donations to Reform UK be allowed?
Reform UK announced over the weekend the two biggest single political donations in British history: £36m from the Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and a further £36m from another crypto billionaire, Ben Delo. However, by Monday experts were questioning whether the donations would be legal, especially under the elections bill that the government is bringing through parliament and which will apply retrospectively. Are the donations allowable?
Ambassadorial appointments should be subject to veto by MPs, committee recommends
Political selections for ambassador posts should be subject to a veto by MPs, a parliamentary committee has recommended, as it made damning criticisms of how Peter Mandelson became Britain's top diplomat in Washington. The foreign affairs select committee concluded that Mandelson's appointment was “nothing short of disastrous”, “highly damaging” for the British government and “painful and offensive to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein”.
MPs raise doubts over missing Mandelson vetting documents
Documents about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington are being withheld because of a police investigation. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Ministers have faced renewed cross-party pressure in parliament over documents missing from a 1,500-page release of papers about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington.
Mandelson received sensitive Foreign Office briefings before vetting finished
Peter Mandelson was receiving sensitive security briefings about the Foreign Office’s work, and was in discussions with the head of MI6, before he had completed the developed vetting process, newly released documents reveal. Declassified emails show the ambassador designate and Richard Moore, the former chief of MI6 – a role known as “C” – had agreed to meet in early January 2025 before Mandelson went to Washington.
What documents are missing from the new release of Mandelson files?
Mon, 1 June 2026 at 6:09 pm UTC Peter Mandelson. Some documents have been withheld by the government at the request of the Metropolitan police, if the paper could ‘potentially prejudice’ an ongoing investigation.Photograph: James Manning/PA More than 1,500 pages of documents were published by the government on Monday afternoon about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the ambassador in Washington.
Embarrassing WhatsApps, but no vetting report: what will be in the new release of Mandelson files?
On Monday the Cabinet Office is expected to publish the second tranche of the Mandelson files – more than 1,000 pages of documents relating to his appointment as UK ambassador to Washington. The document dump will be the second-largest to the House of Commons after the Chilcot inquiry report into the Iraq war, and its disclosures threaten to again raise awkward questions over Keir Starmer’s judgment in giving Peter Mandelson the UK’s most important diplomatic job.
Mandelson files show no mitigation of security concerns over US appointment
A trove of government documents about Peter Mandelson contains no record of any measures taken to mitigate serious security concerns over his appointment as Washington ambassador, the Guardian has learned. Multiple sources who have seen or been briefed on the files, which will be published on Monday, say there is no detail about any steps put in place to deal with flags raised about his associationswith senior figures in foreign states.
Mitigating Mandelson risks would have been impossible, says former MI6 chief
A former head of MI6 has said it would have been “totally impossible” for the Foreign Office to put in place mitigations to manage Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel when he was the UK’s ambassador to the US. On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed some of the concerns that contributed to security officials recommending that Mandelson be denied developed vetting clearance in early 2025.
Revealed: Mandelson vetting warned of ties to senior figures in China, Russia and Israel
Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel were among the concerns raised by the UK’s vetting agency when it concluded he should be denied clearance, multiple sources have told the Guardian.
Key questions over Mandelson vetting: did ‘mitigations’ cover links to China and Russia?
Ever since the Guardian revealed last month that Peter Mandelson was given security clearance against the advice of the UK government’s vetting agency, one question has dominated in Westminster. What were the concerns that led United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) to tell the Foreign Office that his clearance should be denied in late January 2025, weeks before he was due to take up his post as ambassador to Washington?
Peter Mandelson scandal: The key questions that remain unanswered
Henry Dyer and Paul Lewis The parliamentary inquiry into Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador has heard more than 77,000 words of evidence from five of the most senior officials and advisers in government. Yet, as MPs on the foreign affairs select committee meet this week to discuss next steps, there are concerns that key questions remain unanswered.
UK’s next ambassador to Japan may be called to give evidence in Mandelson inquiry
The UK’s next ambassador to Japan could be called to give evidence over the decision to award Peter Mandelson security clearance against the advice of vetting officials.
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy
A powerful parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing files relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador has revealed that the government is withholding his vetting file despite not having the authority to do so. In an extraordinary intervention, the intelligence and security committee (ISC) has criticised the government over its handling of the release of Mandelson-related papers and in effect accused ministers failing to comply with parliament's will.
What might McSweeney and Barton reveal about Mandelson vetting scandal?
Henry Dyer and Paul Lewis The evidence of two ex-officials on Tuesday morning will be a key moment in the growing crisis around Peter Mandelson's vetting for US ambassador that threatens to bring down Keir Starmer's premiership. The prime minister will later facea crucial vote on a parliamentary inquiryinto whether he misled MPs when claiming “full due process” had been followed.
Top Foreign Office official ‘felt pressure’ for ‘rapid outcome’ on Mandelson vetting
Ian Collard giving evidence to the public affairs committee last year.Photograph: Parliament Live TV A top Foreign Office security official who played a key role in the granting of Peter Mandelson’s vetting clearance “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” because of contacts from Downing Street, MPs have been told.
What might McSweeney and Barton reveal about Mandelson vetting scandal?
Morgan McSweeney (pictured) and Philip Barton are due to appear before the foreign affairs select committee.Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Story Picture Agency/Shutterstock The evidence of two ex-officials on Tuesday morning will be a key moment in the growing crisis around Peter Mandelson’s vetting for US ambassador which threatens to bring down Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Ian Collard: the Foreign Office insider who may be key to Mandelson scandal
Ian Collard and Olly Robbins giving evidence to the public accounts committee.Photograph: Parliament Live TV His name was only mentioned twice – and the meeting he had with Olly Robbins may have only lasted 10 minutes. But Ian Collard is a central – and perhaps the key – figure in the scandal over how Peter Mandelson ended up receiving the security clearance to become Britain’s ambassador in Washington.
Robbins says officials considered withholding Mandelson vetting files from Parliament
Paul Lewis, Pippa Crerar and Henry Dyer Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson's secretive vetting documents from parliament.
Robbins says officials considered withholding Mandelson vetting files from parliament
Olly Robbins appearing before the foreign affairs select committee.Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson’s secretive vetting documents from parliament.
Robbins’ account raises questions over whether he was misled on Mandelson vetting
According to Robbins, he was briefed that UKSV considered Mandelson ‘a borderline case’.Photograph: PRU/AFP/Getty Images An account of Peter Mandelson’s vetting process given by the former top civil servant Sir Olly Robbins has raised new questions about whether he was misled about the findings of the agency responsible for vetting.
Will Olly Robbins’ testimony jeopardise Keir Starmer’s defence?
Olly Robbins is set to give his side of the story under questioning by MPs on the foreign affairs select committee.Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters On Monday, Keir Starmer testified in front of the Commons about what he knew about the vetting process behind Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington.
What is ‘DV’? Key acronyms and terms in the Mandelson vetting row explained
Peter Mandelson was sacked as the ambassador to the US in September last year.Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP The story of how Peter Mandelson failed his UK security vetting before he took up his post as ambassador to the US – and the overturning of the decision that he should not be given clearance – is full of the acronyms of the British national security apparatus and the archaic language used to describe parliamentary process.
Ministers urged to share Mandelson vetting files with intelligence committee
Peter Mandelson walking his dog in London on Friday. MPs want officials to publish all papers relating to his ambassadorial appointment.Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images Ministers are under growing pressure to share the documents from Peter Mandelson’s vetting process with the parliamentary committee tasked with deciding if they should be made public.
Starmer was left in dark about Mandelson's vetting by two other top civil servants
Paul Lewis, Henry Dyer and Pippa Crerar Keir Starmer was left in the dark about sensitive information relating to Peter Mandelson's security vetting by two other top civil servants, including the head of the civil service, the Guardian can reveal. The prime minister said on Friday that it was“unforgivable” and “staggering”that senior officials did not tell him that Mandelson failed a security vetting process weeks before he took up his role as ambassador to Washington.
Starmer was kept in dark about Mandelson’s vetting by two other top civil servants
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What happens during security vetting and why did Peter Mandelson fail his?
Peter Mandelson had clearance denied after undergoing the UKSV’s developed vetting. Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty After Keir Starmer announced Peter Mandelson as his pick to be ambassador to the US in December 2024, officials in the Foreign Office contacted him to organise the security vetting clearance process. As with almost all of the 8,000 officials working in the Foreign Office’s Whitehall headquarters, Mandelson required a level of clearance known as developed vetting(DV).
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