Mark Fraser

Building @MiddCooperating - working with visionary people and organisations to transform our local community/economy in Middleton. Also at @mark37m.bsky.social

[Waqas🔶️ @m0w4q45]

Three problems, Rob: it's not a mosque (it's a food bank with a small prayer room), it wasn't a consecrated church (it was an old school building), and it doesn't serve any faith exclusively. The one thing genuinely destroyed at the site was a digger torched by arsonists who'd swallowed the exact "it's becoming a mosque" myth you're reposting. The C of E condemned the attack. Maybe read past the headline next time.

[The Fraud @StarmertheFraud]

PAUL HOLDEN STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO INTERVIEW WITH JOSH SIMONS ON BBC NEWSCAST

Yesterday, BBC Newscast published a lengthy, forty-minute interview with former Cabinet Minister Josh Simons MP. The interview addressed how Simons, as a director of @LabourTogether, had appointed a firm called APCO Worldwide to investigate me and my colleagues.

I was not told by the BBC ahead of the broadcast that the episode was being recorded or aired. I was not approached to respond to the lengthy comments made about me or the small anti-corruption organisation, @ShadowWorldInv1 , that I run with my colleague @andrewfeinstein. Andrew, who is also repeatedly mentioned, was also not approached for comment.

I only found out last night, when a friend texted me, that the person who hired a major multinational reputation management firm that produced a despicable and defamatory report on me and my colleagues, and who reported me on the basis of these false and defamatory reports to the UK’s security services, was being given forty minutes to give his version of events on a major podcast published by our national broadcaster.

To be clear, the BBC has NEVER - not once - approached me to comment on a story that is, ultimately, about me, my investigations, my family and my colleagues. They did not approach me when the story first broke, and they did not approach me for this episode.

If the BBC had done so, I would have raised several issues with the way in which matters related to me were discussed. For example, Simons repeatedly stated in the interview that he instructed APCO to investigate whether my reporting or sourcing derived from a ‘hack’ of the Electoral Commission. The word ‘hack’ is used eight times in the interview.

At no time was it acknowledged in this discussion that this allegation – that I might have received hacked materials – is entirely false, and I have repeatedly proven it to be false.

Following the broadcast, I contacted the BBC to complain and to raise serious issues with the broadcast. I was contacted by the Newscast editor, Sam Bonham, to say the BBC would update the Newscast episode and further reporting to reflect some of my concerns. This has not yet happened with regards to the podcast, although I note some online reporting finally reflects a very small and limited sampling of my comments. I will wait to see if amendments and updates will follow. If they do not, I will be escalating this matter to OFCOM.

In the interim, I have decided to share the full statement I provided to the BBC, which is produced below:

I would like to put certain things on the record.

First, my reporting on Labour Together and Morgan McSweeney was entirely factually accurate and based on impeccable, legal sourcing. My sourcing has been reviewed by multiple media outlets, who confirmed the authenticity and legal provenance of my sources. Revelations based on my book, The Fraud, has subsequently been covered widely across the mainstream media, including in multiple front-page scoops, in outlets such as The Times, Daily Mail, The Guardian, The National and ITV.

The stories I produced in 2023 and 2024, and which prompted Labour Together's investigation into me, were subject to extensive editorial and legal checks. They were, I believe, entirely accurate reporting on matters of profound public interest, which included raising concerns about the character of powerful individuals like Morgan McSweeney. Considering the recent Mandelson affair, I believe I have been entirely vindicated in attempting to alert the public about McSweeney's past, including how McSweeney made use of £700,000 in funding that he unlawfully failed to declare to the Electoral Commission to procure power and influence for himself and Sir Keir Starmer.

Second, Josh Simons states that he never intended for APCO Worldwide to investigate me or my journalistic colleagues. However, a copy of the contract between APCO Worldwide and Labour Together, addressed to Simons, has now been published. The contract sets out a scope of work written in plain English.

It states that APCO will 'investigate the sourcing, funding, origins of a Sunday Times article as well as upcoming works by authors Paul Holden and Matt Taibbi.' The contract then states that the aim of the APCO investigation will be to 'provide a body of evidence that could be packaged up in the media in order to create narratives that would proactively undermine any future attacks on Labour Together.' The contract then sets out a range of potentially invasive investigative methods that will be used to generate this 'package', including 'financial investigations' and 'human intelligence investigations.' I provide the full text of this contract below.

This contract is clear. APCO were hired to investigate me to produce materials that would 'proactively undermine' my factually accurate, public interest reporting. They would use a range of investigative techniques to do so. APCO then did exactly as was suggested in the contract, using these investigative methods to "investigate" me. This investigation has caused me and my family significant anxiety and distress.

Third, Josh Simons was provided with a report called Operation Cannon. It is the result of a lengthy investigation into me and my colleagues by APCO Worldwide. I have seen a copy of this report. It makes a series of extremely defamatory and utterly false allegations against me. It identifies my home address and sets out private information about my family. I cannot express how profoundly shocking, outrageous and defamatory this report truly is.

Simons may claim he never intended for APCO to investigate me, but on receipt of this despicable report, he then chose to use it. He submitted sections of the report to the National Cyber Security Centre to convince them to investigate me. The Guardian has published the email correspondence in which Simons repeated some of the substance of the allegations in the APCO reports.

Fourth, multiple media freedom advocacy organisations, including the NUJ, have strongly criticised the APCO investigation and these related matters. They have all, to my mind correctly, strongly criticised Labour Together and APCO for investigating journalists producing factually accurate reporting in the public interest.

Finally, I am still reviewing the Newscast interview. I will be responding in due course and I hope that the BBC will, this time, give me the platform to set out what really happened and why.

Text of Contract Between Labour Together and APCO Worldwide, addressed to Josh Simons

Dear Mr Simons

We are pleased that you have selected APCO Worldwide Limited (“APCO”) to provide the following scope of work (“services”) during Term:

APCO will devise a concise strategy to aid Labour Together. APCO will investigate the sourcing, funding and origins of a Sunday Times article about Labour Together, as well as upcoming works by authors Paul Holden and Matt Taibbi – to establish who and what are behind the coordinated attacks on Labour Together. The approach should provide a body of evidence that could be packaged up for use in the media in order to create narratives that would proactively undermine any future attacks on Labour Together. The material can also inform any future legal strategy that Labour Together might wish to pursue against any of these parties.

The work will include:

• Open Source Investigations (OSINT): Recovery and Preservation of Evidence
• Human Intelligence Investigation (HUMINT): Recovery and Preservation of Evidence
• Financial Investigation: Forensic Accounting Focus
• Digital Forensics Investigation: Recovery and Preservation of Evidence
• Stakeholder Outreach
• Media Packaging and Dissemination

[The Londoner @_TheLondoner]

Everything from Camden Market to the Admiral Duncan pub and central London Harry Potter stores are owned by shell companies in tax havens.

For years, they hid the identities of their real owners. Today, @AndrewKersley pulls back the curtain.

https://t.co/Tlr8237rGa

[Andy Burnham @AndyBurnhamGM]

We have always said we will not know the whole truth about Hillsborough until we know the truth about Orgreave.

Same police force.

Same tactics.

Five years earlier.

We are grateful to the Government for delivering on its manifesto promise. 🙏🏻

https://t.co/qThhYhWWLT

[Sir Norman of Nowhere. 🏴‍☠️ @Normanjam67]

Since Comic Relief started in 1985, child poverty has increased from 20% to 30%.
We don't need charity, we need system change.

[Mark Fraser @MarkMark37m]

@alterurbanist @iolsss £85!!! 🤦‍♀️

[Canary @TheCanaryUK]

While the media is distracted by Morgan McSweeney’s exit, the real scandal is hidden in the 40-day security vacuum overseen by David Lammy and Pat McFadden.

The Mandelson Files prove that national security rules were suspended so their "old boss" could get back in the room. This wasn't a mistake—it’s a protection racket 15 years in the making.

Lammy, McFadden, Powell, and Ward must go.

👇 Watch the full breakdown.
#MandelsonFiles #UKPolitics #LammyMustGo #PoliticalScandal

🎥 @financialeyes

[Lou Calvey @LouCalvey]

They’ve just shut down visa access to women in Afghanistan living under the Taliban, the women of Sudan seeking safety from war & famine.

Happy International Women’s Day from your Labour Government.

[Joe Guinan @joecguinan]

The hangers on in the rump of the Labour left argue that they need to stay on to fight to change the party from within. But why are they not bringing the roof down right now? What more does it take than dragging us into another illegal war in the Middle East? Utterly compromised.

[Heather Mendick @helensclegel]

Labour hasn't been "taking progressive voters for granted".
It's been attacking progressive voters. It's expelled progressive members, deselected progressive councillors & MPs, called progressives antisemitic, infantilised us, and dismissed our ideas.
We're not coming back.

[Natasha Clark @NatashaC]

NEW: Labour MP Tony Vaughan has co-ordinated a private letter to the Home Secretary, which has been signed by 100 Labour MPs, expressing concerns about the plans

He says Govt plans undermine the government’s integration and cohesion objectives - he is concerned about refugee status becoming temporary even after 20 years of lawful residence, says that the proposals "risk worsening child poverty", unfairly shifting settlement “goalposts”, and would "harm the UK’s economic competitiveness by exacerbating skills shortages"

Tony Vaughan says: "We can change our immigration system for the better without forgetting who we are as a Labour Party. You don’t win back public confidence in the asylum system by threatening to forcibly remove refugees who have lived here lawfully for 15 or 20 years. That just breeds insecurity and fractured communities."

[Zoe Gardner @ZoeJardiniere]

😱😱
A total demolition of Shabana Mahmood’s personal hypocrisy.

When it suited her, she believed in welcoming refugees. Today she attacks the Greens for doing the same.

We deserve to be led by better than her.

[Steven Boxall @RegenerationEX]

Or we could have returned to the large scale development and building of Council Homes. 👇

I

[Zack Polanski @ZackPolanski]

The President of Spain is correct.

This is leadership.

We should be pushing for peace - and not jumping into another illegal war.

[Embassy of Spain UK @EmbSpainUK]

Spain’s position on Iran is clear — the same stance we have taken on Ukraine & Gaza.

No to breaches of intrl law, which protects us all, especially civilians.

We reject the idea that the world can solve its problems through bombs.

Let us not repeat past mistakes.

NO TO WAR

[Middleton Tenants @MiddTenants]

Huge thanks to @CllrMeredith and others for standing up and raising concerns about the sale of social homes in Langley. Residents are watching and it matters

We’ll keep campaigning for transparency and to protect 2–3 bed family homes in a borough where ~20,000 are waiting

[Roch Valley Radio @RochValleyRadio]

Councillors in Middleton have raised concerns after social homes in Langley were put up for private sale and are calling on Riverside Housing to provide details and re engage with the council https://t.co/SmxYDgtWFW

[Middleton Tenants @MiddTenants]

@RochValleyRadio Langley deserves community not corporate and we will be happy to speak to you about this🏠

#SaveLangleyHomes #CommunityNotCorporate #HomesBeforeProfit

[Middleton Tenants @MiddTenants]

Cllr Daniel Meredith says there was no proper collaboration with the council before auction.
In a housing crisis, this isn’t good enough. The community deserves answers🏠 @AndyBurnhamGM @elsieblundell

[Middleton Tenants @MiddTenants]

Riverside say the Langley homes were too costly to repair and funds will be reinvested.

But most were 2–3 bed family homes, in a borough where ~20,000 people are waiting for social housing.

Residents say elderly tenants asked for repairs for years.