Journalist: human rights, sustainability. he/him
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Articles by Jack Barton
The Memory Inflation Response Against Spread-Defective CMV Requires Priming-Independent CD4 + T Cell Help
1 Introduction Cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses constitute an important part of adaptive immunity, enabling control of intracellular pathogens such as viruses, which are often inaccessible to antibody control. The classical CD8+ T cell response is characterized by an initial population expansion in response to antigenic stimulation, followed by a sharp population contraction of effector T cells upon resolution of the pathogenic insult [1].
#AxeTheRacingTax campaign update and reflections from political party conference season
Campaign Update Following the considerable activity around Racing’s Cancelled Day (September 10), which was covered in our previous blog, our focus has switched to engaging with the Government on political and official channels while also maintaining a steady drumbeat of media activity. Since the end of the Party Conference season, meetings with influential MPs and officials have intensified.
Racing and Politics in 2025: A busy start to the year
By Jack Barton, BHA Policy & Advocacy Manager The new year is always busy when it comes to political engagement and 2025 has been no exception. Work on Levy reform, affordability checks and our wider political strategy has resumed at pace and our first event of the year on Monday 13 January brought key political and industry figures together for the first time in 2025.
The Racing Industry and Politics in 2024 - A BHA Blog
By Jack Barton, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the BHA In an election year, and with key long-term issues for the sport at stake such as affordability checks and Levy reform alongside demonstrating our commitment to improving and investing in equine welfare, politics is playing a key role in defining the story of British racing in 2024.
"Social-hushing:" is regulatory scrutiny fuelling a "universal lack of transparency" in supply chains?
Increased ESG scrutiny and regulation could be driving companies to not disclose social governance data. Lexology PRO explores the risks of “social hushing” and how businesses can boost transparency. Filed under Tagged With Laws Organisations
ESG: key updates and developments (1 - 18 Aug)
The European Commission adopts new sustainability reporting standards, ASIC opens a new greenwashing enforcement case, and the US SEC subpoenas fund managers over ESG investments. Filed under Tagged With Organisations
How thousands of UK couples face ‘humiliating’ sham marriage checks
Thousands of couples hoping to tie the knot are being wrongly subjected to "humiliating" months-long investigations by the Home Office on suspicion of entering into "sham marriages". The checks often involve couples being hauled into immigration centres and grilled separately about the details of their relationship. Registry offices flagged 107,432 cases to the government between 2016 and 2022. But records obtained by openDemocracy show only 1.2% (1,319) were actually found to be sham marriages.
Thousands wrongly face Home Office sham marriage checks
Thousands of couples hoping to tie the knot are being wrongly subjected to “humiliating” months-long investigations by the Home Office on suspicion of entering into “sham marriages”. The checks often involve couples being hauled into immigration centres and grilled separately about the details of their relationship. Registry offices flagged 107,432 cases to the government between 2016 and 2022. But records obtained by openDemocracy show only 1.2% (1,319) were actually found to be sham marriages.
Surge in number of Britons fighting to hold on to their citizenship
At least 75 people successfully overturned Home Office orders to strip them of their British citizenship last year, according to records obtained by the Observer, which reveal a dramatic increase in challenges to the government’s use of the controversial powers. On Wednesday, Shamima Begum, 23, lost her appeal against the Home Office’s decision to remove her British citizenship and is stranded in Syria, barred from returning to the UK.
UK wrongfully deported dozens over five years: Official data Original
London, United Kingdom – Eniola* spent 13 years living in the UK, working within and becoming a part of the Nigerian community there. The UK government took four days to deport her before any chance to appeal. She had left Nigeria in 2006, aged 39, with her son who was 10 years old at the time, she told Al Jazeera. In 2019, police officers came calling, told her she was under arrest for overstaying her visa, and took her to the Morton Hall immigration detention centre.
‘Deport first, appeal later’: How Nigerians, others were removed from the UK
niola* spent 13 years living in the UK, working within and becoming a part of the Nigerian community there. The UK government took four days to deport her before any chance to appeal. She had left Nigeria in 2006, aged 39, with her son who was 10 years old at the time, she told Al Jazeera. In 2019, police officers came calling, told her she was under arrest for overstaying her visa, and took her to the Morton Hall immigration detention centre. Before the end of the week, she was on a plane to Lagos.
The Home Office are conducting immigration raids with impunity
Text By Jack Barton Photography © Aiyush Pachnanda In the years between 2017 and 2021, almost all immigration raids were conducted without a warrant a new Huck investigation has found. In the years between 2017 and 2021, almost all immigration raids were conducted without a warrant a new Huck investigation has found. While having a shower one morning, Maria*, who was living in temporary accommodation in London at the time, heard a banging on the door.
The rise of a ‘frightening’ technology police are using to target ethnic minorities
Text By Jack Barton Photography © George Prentzas Police forces are increasingly using fingerprint scanners, with Black and minority ethnic communities more likely to be scanned. FoIs obtained by Huck reveal a sharp increase in police fingerprint scanners, with Black and minority ethnic communities more likely to be scanned than their white counterparts. Last January, four police officers surrounded a man in Deptford, South London.
Budget Reflections
The following is the latest in a series of blog posts which set out the work of the BHA corporate affairs department, working alongside industry colleagues. This edition sets out reflections on the outcome of the budget in November.
Muse Mix: The Freshers Playlist
Whether you’re excited or terrified for Freshers' Week, Muse has you covered. Our soundtrack is packed with bangers that will get rid of homesickness and provide the perfect backdrop for flat pre-drinks. We’ve also thrown in some more reflective and calming songs that will help freshers de-stress and recover after a night out. Jack Barton - Music Editor ‘American Boy’ (feat.
Interview: ‘The more people send me hate, the more I’m determined to stop this’ - Brexit campaigner
British businesswoman Gina Miller took it upon herself to challenge the UK government over its handling of Brexit. With her own money, she took a legal case about the need for parliament itself to vote on triggering the process of leaving the European Union.
What is novichok, the nerve agent blamed for British attack?
Novichok, a class of nerve agents, identified by Britain as “military grade” chemical weapons used in the attempted murder of a former Russian double agent, were designed by chemists in the former Soviet Union to be almost undetectable and far more deadly than better known nerve agents. Their development and existence is the stuff of spy novels-made-real and they’ve never been known to have been used.
Cutting out insurance companies: Is ‘direct primary care’ legitimate?
If your insurance plan has a massive deductible, the cost of a routine doctor visit can be daunting. “Direct primary care” is an alternative for Americans who want to see a physician at an affordable rate. But these independent doctors don’t accept insurance. Direct primary care doctors don’t want any legal entity, whether it’s government or a private insurer, influencing their medical decisions.
Latest urban warfare in Syria matches pattern of ‘indiscriminate’ attacks
A renewed aerial attack by Syrian government forces on a suburb of Damascus is marked by the “indiscriminate” approach to civilians and combatants that have characterised urban warfare from Bashar al-Assad’s forces throughout the seven-year civil war, according to an expert in open-source conflict analysis who has tracked and often exposed the brutality of the whole conflict.
New oligarch list makes life harder for Russia’s richest
A new “Who’s Who” of Russian business leaders published by U.S. authorities under sanctions regulations risks a sharp escalation from Vladimir Putin, according to one of his toughest and most effective critics in the west — businessman Bill Browder.
Finland, where your welfare is unconditional
Every month, €560, the equivalent of $667 or £495, appears in Marja-Liisa Lähteinen’s bank account, from the Finnish government. Lähteinen, 32, who lives in Finland’s eastern city of Kuopio, snow-covered at this time of year, is one of 2,000 randomly-selected participants on a historic social experiment. Lähteinen usually puts the “basic income” money into her savings, but she can also use it to help friends out.
Putin is ‘the biggest oligarch, a total dictator’ - Bill Browder
William Felix (Bill) Browder is a financier and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management, which was the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia up until 2013. In 2007, Browder’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, uncovered a fraud worth $230 million, which he said was linked to the Russian government. In 2008, Magnitsky was detained on fraud charges. He died in prison nearly a year later, with subsequent investigations finding that he was denied medical treatment and subject to beatings.
How Putin is reshaping Russia in his own image
As Vladimir Putin prepares for his fourth presidential election, some observers warn that he has achieved such centralised control that Russia’s future is tied to him and will be defined by how he acts over the next five years. When he first came to power in 1999, Putin was seen as a reformer. The former KGB officer had risen through the ranks of the United Russia party and been selected as the successor to Boris Yeltsin.
How Putin is reshaping Russia in his own image
As Vladimir Putin prepares for his fourth presidential election, some observers warn that he has achieved such centralised control that Russia’s future is tied to him and will be defined by how he acts over the next five years. When he first came to power in 1999, Putin was seen as a reformer. The former KGB officer had risen through the ranks of the United Russia party and been selected as the successor to Boris Yeltsin.
GRR meets Delaware Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey
Judge Kevin Carey GRR met Judge Kevin Carey of the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware at the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors’ 33rd annual conference and in Dallas, where he talked about how his legacy won’t be a series of written decisions, but the time and skill he expended focusing on bankruptcy cases in the court room – and the insolvency world outside of it.
“Reckless provocation”: ROK, Japanese leaders react to DPRK missile
People walk past a public TV screen broadcasting news of North Korea’s launch of missile, in Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. North Korea launched an intermediate-range missile that flew over Japan in its longest-ever flight on Friday, showing that leader Kim Jong Un is defiantly pushing to bolster his weapons programs despite U.S.-led international pressure.
Russia, South Korea disagree on DPRK sanctions
Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to share on WeChat (Opens in new window) Click to share on Weibo (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Pyongyang should be slapped with...
DPRK nuclear test: UN Security Council to host emergency meeting, Trump admin responds
This July 28, 2017 picture released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 29, 2017 shows North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Hwasong-14 being lauched at an undisclosed place in North Korea.
Republic of Korea prepares to raise minimum wage
Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to share on WeChat (Opens in new window) Click to share on Weibo (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) The ROK is getting ready to raise its minimum wage by more than 16 percent...
Latin Lawyer-GRR Live, New York: Implications of unequal access to restructuring
New York iStock.com/GCShutter Any Latin American debtor with a view to the “long game” knows that a Chapter 15 filing is the best way to achieve legal certainty - but a disparity in access to restructuring between big and small debtors has led to a decline in use of the instrument, according to speakers at the Latin Lawyer-GRR Live Restructuring Symposium in New York.
Community roundup: Gibson Dunn poaches Ashurst partner in Munich
Munich iStock.com/bkindler In recent weeks, international firms have shaken up their restructuring teams with new hires and promotions, an insolvency specialist has been appointed to the Canadian bar, and regional firms in the UK have expanded in anticipation of business upsets on the back of political uncertainty.
New York court grants China Fisheries trustee discovery against HSBC
Fish farming iStock.com/RADZONIMO A court in New York has granted the Chapter 11 trustee for the Peruvian arm of Chinese fishing company China Fisheries International permission to pursue discovery against HSBC in Hong Kong, overruling a series of the bank's objections to the request.
European Commission approves 2012 bailout of Danish bank
iStock.com/artJazz The European Commission has approved a restructuring plan for Denmark’s Vestjysk Bank, simultaneously giving final approval to a €1.2 billion bailout it tentatively sanctioned in 2012.
White & Case hires from Schulte Roth in New York
Brian Pfeiffer White & Case has hired Schulte Roth & Zabel partner Brian Pfeiffer as part of a drive to grow its international restructuring practice.
Texas court recognises Norwegian oil company’s Bermudan scheme
iStock.com/Kanoke_46 A court in Texas has recognised a Bermudan scheme of arrangement for Norwegian oil driller Archer, protecting a recently-completed refinancing.
Trustee of Oi’s Dutch arm takes battle with Brazilian parent to New York
iStock.com/ons yangna The trustee of the Dutch arm of Brazilian telecoms group Oi has filed for Chapter 15 protection in a New York Court, seeking recognition of his authority to act for the subsidiary – and to reject the restructuring plan that Oi is attempting to pass in Brazil.
Dentons promotes partners in Madrid
José Ramón Vizcaino (left), José María Buxeda, Dentons Spain Managing Partner (center) and Julio Parrilla (right) Dentons has made up two new partners in Madrid, including the head of the firm’s Spanish insolvency and bankruptcy practice Julio Parrilla.
Back to bailouts? Lawyers reflect on spate of European bank resolutions
Siena, home of Monti dei Paschi iStock.com/franckreporter Over the course of the past five weeks, the European Commission has approved resolution schemes for four troubled regional banks in Italy and Spain, authorising up to €22 billion of state aid. Lawyers tell GRR that this serves as a reminder that political pressures continue to define governments’ approaches to bank resolution.
Ontario court upholds claim against Cassels Brock for conflict in GM bankruptcy
iStock.com/Tramino A Canadian appeals court has found that car dealers who settled with General Motors as part of the conglomerate’s restructuring cannot now bring claims over the settlement, but simultaneously ruled that the dealers’ counsel, Cassels Brock & Blackwell, should compensate them for a conflict of interest.
Diamonds aren’t forever: UK court winds up Dubai company
iStock.com/Jezperklauzen A UK court has ordered the winding-up of a Dubai-based diamond investment company, finding that although it had severed its ties to the UK, the “improper” nature of the business meant a loose interpretation of jurisdictional requirements was in the public interest.
Embattled power authority joins Puerto Rico bankruptcy proceedings
Puerto Rico SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Puerto Rico’s state-owned power utility has become the latest of the island’s heavily indebted public services to file for bankruptcy protection, after weeks of sparring between creditors, the government and the territory’s federally appointed oversight board.
Lawyers react to “confused” European court judgment on Dutch pre-packs
iStock.com/carterdayne Lawyers have criticised a recent Court of Justice of European Union decision that spells trouble for new Dutch legislation on pre-pack restructurings, telling GRR that the court’s interpretation of insolvency law is “flawed”.
Recast EU rules on cross-border insolvency enter into force
EU flags iStock.com/inakiantonana An updated form of the European Insolvency Regulation (EIR), the EU’s flagship legislation on cross-border insolvency, has become effective across the bloc, broadening the regulation to include pre-insolvency proceedings and addressing restructuring of corporate groups.
Delaware court upholds Lyondell on fraudulent transfers, will hear unjust enrichment claim against BMW
A Fisker hybrid car iStock.com/bluebeat76 A Delaware court has ruled that fraudulent transfer claims under the US Bankruptcy Code can stretch to payments made abroad, and has separately agreed to hear unjust enrichment claims against Germany's BMW in the collapse of a US hybrid car manufacturer.
Bermudan court approves scheme of arrangement for Norwegian oil group
Offshore oil rig iStock.com/nattapon 1975 A court in Bermuda has sanctioned a scheme of arrangement for global oil explorer Archer, the first Bermudan scheme used to amend the terms of Norwegian law-governed debt.
AIRA Dallas: Opportunity and risk in fossil fuel and green energy restructurings
Dallas iStock.com/Pgiam The glut in US oil and gas bankruptcies has underlined the role of bankruptcy courts as avenues for innovative solutions, according to speakers at the recent Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors conference in Dallas – though a recent court filing by a green energy firm poses a risk for a burgeoning industry.
Alvarez & Marsal continues Big Four recruitment drive with EY hire
Ben Cairns Alvarez & Marsal Alvarez & Marsal has recruited EY restructuring partner Ben Cairns in London, the latest hire in a sustained recruitment drive from the Big Four accounting firms.
EU looks to harmonise regulation of bail-in debt
Santander was among the first banks to issue a new tier of bail-in eligible debt iStock.com/andrearoad In the latest example of regulators endeavouring to keep up with bank innovations in meeting capital requirements, the European Commission has published proposed reforms to bank resolution aimed at harmonising creditor hierarchies.
South Korean President warns rising inequality leading to a crisis
This file photo taken on June 5, 2017 shows South Korean President Moon Jae-In during a ceremony to mark Korean Memorial Day at the National.
UAE’s Dana Gas asks Emirates court to declare English law-governed bond illegal
Gas pipeline iStock.com/spooh A month after starting negotiations to restructure a US$700 million Islamic bond, Dana Gas, the biggest gas producer in the Middle East, has announced that the instrument is incompatible with Shari’a law and obtained stays on enforcement from courts in the UAE and the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
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