Hi ,

Lobbying, secret influence and the corridors of power. The Ferret has burrowed into these topics for the first week of Who Runs Scotland, our month-long investigation funded by you!

We hope you're enjoying the series so far, and there's much more to come. Over the next few weeks we'll be looking at public boards, unusual government agency powers, education, the arts, the richest Scots, and some of our iconic industries.

The series is pulling back the curtain on those wielding power behind the scenes, so stay tuned for more

Yours,

Ali

Story of the week

An in-depth look at a Ferret investigation

Fossil fuel giants, influential PR firms and the short-term lets industry are among the top lobbyists of the Scottish Government since John Swinney became first minister, The Ferret can reveal.

Energy company SSE, oil major BP, and the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers were the three business groups who met Swinney’s ministers or their advisers most, while the National Farmers Union of Scotland was the most active lobbyist overall.

Message Matters, run by former Tory spin doctor, Andy Maciver and ex-Conservative MP, Peter Duncan, was the public relations firm that had the most time with Swinney’s government on behalf of a range of clients.

What did we dig up this week?

A round up of our investigations in the last seven days

Who’s winning friends and influencing people at the Scotland Office?

MP Ian Murray was named the government’s Scottish secretary nine years after he had been Labour’s last man standing following its electoral wipeout north of the border.

Open for business: Which opposition MSPs meet most with corporate interests?

Opposition MSPs are an important entry point to Holyrood. They can propose debates, table amendments to bills and some could be future ministers.

Question of the week

Are Scottish Government ministers being influenced by big business lobbying?

We now have a platform exclusive for Ferret Underground subscribers where you can share ideas about future investigations, answer polls and more!

Create an account here to get access.

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It’s an invasive practice that has been tackled by court rulings and government action. So why is it still going on? (Bureau)

Elon Musk’s DOGE is getting audited

The US government accountability office’s audit examines DOGE’s handling of data at a number of federal agencies. (Wired)

Any comments? Have you seen something we could include? Email us at contact@theferret.scot.

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