Hi ,

We hope this newsletter finds you riding the waves of a great weekend, whether you're sipping your morning coffee, indulging in the sweet drama of Glasgow’s Willy Wonka experience, or getting ready for a walk along the seaside.

Speaking of the sea, it’s been a month of fishy business here at The Ferret. In February, we launched our latest series, 'Scotland’s Seas in Danger.' 🐋 Over the coming months, we’ll be shedding light on the complex challenges affecting our marine environment – from overfishing to pollution.

But hold on tight, because just like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, there's always more beneath the surface. And that brings us to the heart of our newsletter – the impact of our journalism. We're excited to share not just the stories we've uncovered this month but also the ripples they've created in the real world.

So, grab your virtual diving gear, and let's plunge into what we’ve been up to in the past month.

Our reporting inspired political action

At the end of January we published a secretly-filmed video allegedly featuring the controversial businessman, Mark Fortune, threatening a tenant in a row over rent payments.

The footage led to renewed accusations from campaigners that authorities are guilty of inaction. Watch the video here.

Following our story, Labour’s Sarah Boyack MSP urged the Scottish Government and Edinburgh city council to open a “proper investigation” into the case. Boyack said those who subject tenants to “abusive” behaviour should “face serious consequences”.

...and it raised some questions

Unleashing change: a new law proposal

After years of reporting on greyhound racing and the animal welfare concerns connected to it, Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell launched a consultation for a bill that would make it illegal to hold races in Scotland. 

The proposal cites one of our reports, ‘Dozens of greyhounds racing in Scotland test positive for banned substances such as cocaine’, which we published in 2019.

Support our work

The Ferret is a not-for-profit co-operative owned by our journalists and readers. Unlike other media we don't run ads. But we rely on memberships to hold power to account.

If you like what we do, you can support us by becoming a member, with a one-off donation, or you can gift a Ferret membership to friends and family.

And talking about politics…

This past month, The Ferret revealed that arms companies supplying Israel with bombs and parts for warplanes had been invited to the Scottish Parliament despite the rising death toll in Gaza and allegations Britain could be complicit in war crimes.

The Holyrood reception was also sponsored by Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who previously worked for BAE Systems. However, Sweeney withdrew his sponsorship after The Ferret asked him to respond to criticisms of the event. Not only that, following the publication of our report a protest was organised for the event on 21 Feb at Holyrood.

If you have any questions about our work, or would like to help us shape our future investigations, you can get in touch with the team at contact@theferret.scot.

As you know, here at The Ferret we pride ourselves in making good journalism that changes things. And you can help us do more of it. It's easy: you can contribute by becoming a member today or with a one-off donation. If these options are not for you, help us spread the word about our work by forwarding this email or following us on social media.

See you next month,

The Ferret team