Tom Wall

This is a scandal hiding in plain sight - 100s of vulnerable kids sent to illegal children's homes every year at vast public expense. This latest case reveals a system in complete crisis. My report for @TBIJ & @thetimes with @andrewellson thetimes.com/uk/crime/artic…

Child focused courts (previously called the pathfinder courts) will be expanded nationally in "game changer" for family justice. A successful pilot of the new 'problem solving' model has been credited with reducing delays and better safeguarding children. tinyurl.com/264x9nb4

Ministers have promised to make work pay - but I've discovered hundreds of workers are being denied employment rights on government contracts from the NHS to the courts. More tonight on File on 4 at 8pm & BBC Sounds now 👇 bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…

Have we seen the last of unregulated psychologists in the family courts? My report on McFarlane's landmark judgment, Re Y. He says his ruling is not just about one person (Melanie Gill) but a whole system that failed to protect the children in this case. tinyurl.com/mvpbjjfs

For the second time in six months the high court has dismissed the evidence of unregulated psychologist Melanie Gill after her advice led to the removal of children from their mothers. My report in @guardian on this significant ruling. tinyurl.com/3a275j43

The timeline of Labour's relationship with Palantir in government is fascinating... Palantir is a client of Mandelson's lobbying firm Global Counsel After entering government in July, not a single Labour minister met with Palantir in any capacity UNTIL 28 February 2025, with Starmer's first US visit, weeks after Mandelson took up US ambo role Since then, Palantir has met with eight cabinet ministers and significantly increased its government contracts

NEW: Our investigation for @thenerve_news reveals not only that Peter Thiel’s Palantir is completely enmeshed in our critical national infrastructure. It’s also the ‘cloud support’ for our nuclear weapons system 1/

The family court will not carry out a wholesale review of cases involving the unregulated psychologist, Melanie Gill, @TBIJ can reveal. Meanwhile mothers who had their children taken away after Gill gave evidence in their cases demand a public apology. tinyurl.com/595ah2e5

Massive crowds came out for anti-ICE general strike in Minnesota, braving temperatures of -23C. A city with a history of class struggle. This is just a taste of the power Trump is provoking. More of this needed nationwide.

A firm suspended by Ofsted for care failings has been paid millions to run illegal children's homes. My latest with Gareth Davies for the @TBIJ 👇 thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-0…

🚨 BREAKING: Sir Keir Starmer does not condemn the US strikes on Venezuela "at this stage", saying the facts need to be established. He has not yet spoken to Donald Trump. The UK prime minister told broadcasters: "I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump, I want to speak to allies. "As I say, I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved in that. And as you know, I always say and believe we should all uphold international law. "But I think at this stage, fast-moving situation. Let's establish the facts, and take it from there." He added: "And so I will want to talk to the president, I will want to talk to allies. But at the moment, I think we need to establish the facts. "I think President Trump is doing a press conference later, so hopefully more information will come out then." Starmer said the UK was "not involved in any way", and they are working to safeguard the roughly 500 British nationals currently in Venezuela.

We wrote to @DavidLammy and @WesStreeting on Tuesday to express concern over access to healthcare for prisoners on hunger strike. After reports of delayed admission to hospital for a prisoner, we remain concerned for the welfare of the remaining hunger strikers. It is crucial that prisoners get prompt access to healthcare and management adequately train and recruit prison officers, who look out for the health and safety of all prisoners, regardless of their reason for being in prison.

The fact is that neither Starmer nor his cabinet, nor the crew of shameless Starmerite Guardian columnists using up reams of space every day care a damn about the hunger strikes dying. Their predecessors were the same when the Long Kesh prisoners did the same, though The Guardian and the BBC permitted dissenting voices. And police are arresting people for using the word 'intifada' (uprising in English). The pro-Palestinian hunger strikers are being held illegally and any court of law would order their immediate release. A despised government is creating more hatred for itself, backed by Farage and Badenoch.

NEW: Six years ago today a boy was removed from his mother's care by the family court and banned from seeing her following the evidence of an unregulated psychologist. Now they will spend Christmas together after his successful legal bid to the high court. tinyurl.com/4suja87n

@hansummers @louisetickle @EditorsUK @hardingthehack @ObserverUK @law4change @TBIJ @lucyJrock Congratulations Hannah & @louisetickle. Well deserved.

Beyond thrilled that @louisetickle and I won Campaign of the Year @EditorsUK Media Freedom Awards last night. Huge thanks to our barrister Chris Barnes, to @hardingthehack @ObserverUK & Stephen Kinsella @law4change for funding our appeal - and to @TBIJ & @lucyJrock @ObserverUK.

Operating a children’s home that is not registered with Ofsted is a criminal offence Yet, Cornwall Council offered suppliers £6 million to provide “staffing for unregistered places” across the county – and advertised the contract on a government website thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025-1…

The crisis in children's care is now so deep that one council has been caught openly promoting a multimillion pound contracts to staff illegal children's homes. My latest for the @TBIJ 👇 thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025-1…

Seems a good time to flag how impressive Plaid’s new economic programme for Wales is. It reads like the road not travelled under Corbynism - the never-realised promise of Labour’s 2017 “Alternative Models of Ownership” paper. Link below.

NEW: A mother has won a landmark legal bid to overturn the evidence of a psychologist which led to her kids being removed. For the last 5yrs she has only seen them twice a month under strict supervision based on Melanie Gill's advice to a family judge. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4z2cm2m4

THREAD: It's weird & disturbing to see a fairly common football story suddenly becoming a political row. Bans are common when dealing with clubs with the worst ultras, or where there's a previous history. West Midlands SAG banned Legia Warsaw fans recently to zero outcry 1/4

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Reed is preparing to slash affordable new homes in London as part of his drive to Build Baby Build. In a private memo, his officials say: "“The key test is that developers welcome the package strongly on the day." My column theguardian.com/commentisfree/…