Now I am back in the UK after going around the world and visiting 22 countries I am introducing some changes to my blog.
I have a number of major projects for the current year and a backlog of challenging investigations following a number of you contacting me on this site to ask me to write about issues which are not being reported or ignored in mainstream media.
I am currently employed as a consultant to a national newspaper and an independent television production company scoping a long term investigation which hopefully will appear later this year.
BYLINE
I will also be regularly writing for byline.com on their new project bylinetimes – a print and on line paper that specialises in reporting issues not covered by the mainstream press. This will mean that my coverage of Whitehall mismanagement and political scandals will first appear on their site but every article will be highlighted on this site so you can link to it and read it.
This site has run a number of articles on the plight of the 3.8 million women born in the 1950s who have been hit by the raising of the pension age from 60 to 66. I decided to back the campaign by BackTo60 after seeing the poverty, stress and misery caused to so many people by this mismanaged policy. Apart from the Guardian and the Press Association, this site and bylinetimes were the only people to cover a judicial review hearing which could affect the lives of 3.8 million people.
Coverage of this issue will be intensified over the next few weeks as I have a string of exclusive stories and analysis in the pipeline.
This site has also covered very challenging child sex abuse stories in the past and some very controversial investigations through Exaro News . I am still planning to cover issues raised in this area and will come back to it shortly.
YOU DECIDE
The rest of the news agenda on this site will depend partly on you, the reader, when you ask me to either investigate something that has manifestly gone wrong or expose mismanagement and corruption wherever it might be. I have had a number of you contacting me about local government scandals, housing and business scandals, racism, mental health issues to name but a few. Please bear with me as it takes time to do a proper investigation.
Finally I have made one change. My figures from WordPress show though this a UK site some 10 per cent of the traffic is from overseas – notably Spain, France, the US, Canada, Australia, Cyprus and Turkey. It also has had sizable hits from the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Mexico, Bulgaria and Thailand to name a few. Many of these could be migrants or expats but I have added a Google translate button so the blogs can be read in other languages.
In the meantime I am very gratified by the huge increase in the number of hits on this site – mainly as the result of my support for the 50s born women. The site is running at record levels, so thank you all.
Westminster Confidential 
David, thank you again for the incredibly well researched information you are posting on behalf of the Backto60.com campaign for the full restitution of State Pensions back to age 60, for 1950s born women. Our campaign has raised awareness across the UK, and overseas thanks to you and also the publicity – some adverse but nonetheless publicity! – on our Judicial review.
I myself have had interest from Australia, USA and Canada. Plus of course our women living abroad. Looking forward to your next blog!
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How refreshing and inspiring to know that you will continue your investigations and exposures, especially about things that do not make the leading TV and Radio stations’ news! Also to learn that you are achieving a greater following day by day all over the world. Thank you for your enlightenment. Sadly, I think if you wish to become a household name, you’ll have to go on ‘Strictly’!!
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Wouldn’t stand a chance on Strictly my dancing skills are well below my journalistic ones!
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As a 50’s born woman it is with thanks to you David, for the work you are doing in fighting. for us.All the people who have been to the trials, I also thank. It is much appreciated.
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This is good news, I am already tired of Boris Johnson media friends writing articles that portray Boris as a Churchill and on the other side Corbyn’s little fan club failing to see the massive flaws in the man. So an independent journalist will be refreshing. I may provide you with some research that would be in the public interest, it did consume a lot of time and we failed to tie it all together, and I became concerned that the evidence was more circumstantial than having hard evidence. As my health is not good these days, I do not have the energy for hours of research and it be a shame just to place it in a file folder in the cupboard for someone to come along and throw it in the bin.
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Yes that sounds interesting and may well be worth following up. I know bylinetimes intend to give Boris a very critical look.
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I am a 50s woman and I must thank you very much David for your support and coverage of the 1950s womens pension fight. Please keep our profile as high as possible
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Superb reporting. Enormous support to us 1950’s women. The UK needs more conscientious reporters like you.
Thankyou for your robust reporting
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I was there with friends listening to your comments after the JR closed on the 6th June.
We had had a long day travelling down as a group from Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire Lionesses)
You made the long trip home easier, you were amazing….we loved your feedback!
Thankyou!
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Please help the 50s women from being ignored. We appreciate all of your efforts so far but the campaign is growimg still as ladies tell of their plight.
They sorted out the “windrush” issue as a political hot potato but still we have been ignored.
If no outcome soon our parents , family or grandchildren care will impact on the social care bill when we all down tools.
The ladies will continue to die with their cancers or severe mental health issues that this government has forced on many who will give up or die in poverty before they get their pensions.
Thank you
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It is terrible being ignored. The 1960s born women are top of the list for being ignored. Not many journalists even give them a mention despite them being caught up in the State Pension Scandal with similar treatment to a 1950s born except another year to wait as pension age now 67!!! It’s not as if more notice was given in many cases, certainly not enough notice to do anything. Many have no company pensions having started work in the 1970s when society was different.
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Yes that is true. The focus for the few of us following this is determined by the terms of the judicial review which is specifically about women born between April 1950 and 1960. There is no reason why 60s women don’t set up their own group but they haven’t so far.
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Journalists often get a bad press but you, David, show how real journalism should be. You truly are one in a million and we should all cherish you.
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Always immensely grateful for your support of #Backto60 and the Great 1950’s Women’s Pensions Robbery. Pleasure to see you again at the JR on 6th June.
Hope your blog continues to have many hits …you SO deserve it!!
Very best wishes x
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Thanks goodness for you and the like David! So grateful.
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Your hard work is much appreciated
We thought we’d be left to rot & get on with it
I cannot tell you how grateful we all are that
We have people who care like yourselves
taking up our cause.
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A massive Thankyou David for your support and coverage on behalf of the 50s women. As for myself born 1956 worked from the age of 15yrs only time out was to have my 3 children, 45yrs NI paid. Was due pension 2016 three yrs on nothing with 3 more to go. Still working only part timer now as Carer for my husband. No notice of change to S/P truly did not find out until 3mths before my 60th birthday, realising only via a conversation with a friend which lead to us seeking more information. Much respect for all fighting our corner.
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Thank you David for your continuing support & commitment to our 1950s women & our BackTo60 campaign to regain all the monies owed to us from the present (and past) governments scandous pension robbery. Together we are stronger,united, resilient & we will not go away until we get justice.Meanwhile we wait patiently for more news of the outcome of our Judicial Review.
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Thank you David. Great to have you on board. We are only asking for what is rightfully ours. It is a travesty that we have been put in this position. We are counting on justice being done soon so we can get on with our retirement as planned. Very grateful for your support.
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Thank You for using your skills to support us I fir one am most grateful
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Why can’t I share it on FB?? You have a squillion followers there, due to your #BackTo60 reports…
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I am a bit puzzled by this as figures suggest I am getting lots of hits from Facebook, far more than Twitter.
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3.8 million women ignored by mainstream media and central government…to me this is blatant sexism and ageism…thanks for helping bring our issue into the spotlight……
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Thank you David for your brilliant support for us 1950s women. You definitely raised our profile. You are a lovely man as I once spoke to you at a protest .
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PLEASE HIGHLIGHT THE DISSERVICE DONE TO 50’s ladies as much as you can. The people in government have acted in their own interests and without due diligence on the impact this has on a unique set of lives.
Who work / nurtured family at both ends of the spectrum ( elderly parents / grandchildren) and don’t enjoy best health because of this. Wear and tear has set in and life is difficult. Goalposts moved suddenly even though all paid up. Government is hard on the working backbone of its people.
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Thank you David for your continuing support and being one of the few journalists to highlight and back 50s born women 💜
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Keep up the wonderful work David, we 50’s born women cannot thank you enough.
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From my heart to yours David, the biggest and warmest thanks for finding, coordinating and providing the information to help not only 50s women, but so many others who would otherwise turn away from us, to understand the extent of the injustice perpetrated by politicians over the years that led to the lies they are still telling to cover up their actions. And, for your work that has contributed so much to us achieving the JR. – I’m confident that you will forever occupy a special place in – too many to count – women’s hearts.
I look forward to your reporting on the other issues you refer to. Thank you for your humanity.
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Hi
Just wish we could speed things up with the findings on the 50s women, l know we have to be patient but l just want to know the out ome
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Respect to you for your truthful reporting of our plight (3.8m 1950s women SP INJUSTICE) Just wondering how many of this generation have not lived to receive their SP and the amount the Government have profited? The impact this has and continues to have on the physical and emotional wellbeing of all affected including the ripple effect on extended family has cost the already strained NHS?
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Thank you for support in promoting the issue of 50s women’s pension scandal. Keep going until we are recompensed. it is fantastic for morale and hope!
Some more stats on how much the government has ‘stolen’ and so on e.g. how much more we will have paid in (average wage or per £k of earnings) for 6 years if working on to end up with the same state pension that we should have had at 60 – or other info graphs perhaps!
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I am very pleased with the coverage on 1950’s women’s Pension scandal. I knew that my retirement age would be delayed until I was 62&3/12 in 1995. The reason I knew was an internal Civil Service memo but it was when I received notice in 2012 that I would be waiting for a further 20 months before that I didn’t know how to live on, alone and penniless – suicide crossed my mind. Then I was diagnosed with Cancer and was given a 10% chance of living 5 years – just in time to receive my Pension. My classmates born before April 5th 1953 were all in receipt of there’s but I was denied – I had 39 years of contributions, brought up 3 children and cared for my own parents and wider family and now look after grandchildren. I am horrified at what has been perpetrated against us because of austerity together with the general degradation of the social fabric of the U.K.
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So appreciative of all your trying to do, I’m 64 and not in the best of health so could have done with being able to retire at 60, can’t tell you how much your support helps
I have everything crossed for the best result.
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Hi David I just wonderd if your aware there’s a court case in July for backto60 campaign will you be covering it in the run up to help get publicity, As well as the outcome ? We need all the help we can get. Best wishes Maria
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Maria. Yes I am well aware of the court case and intend to cover it.
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