Luke Butterly
@lukejbutterly.bsky.social
Journalist at @thedetailtv.bsky.social.
Got a story? Email: lbutterly@thedetail.tv / Signal: lukejbutterly.48
Got a story? Email: lbutterly@thedetail.tv / Signal: lukejbutterly.48
Pinned
HMRC ‘urgently reviewing’ flawed benefit crackdown as families impacted across the UK
At the weekend, it emerged that about 350 families in Northern Ireland had been wrongly caught up in the crackdown
www.thedetail.tv
HMRC ‘urgently reviewing’ flawed benefit crackdown as families impacted across the UK www.thedetail.tv/articles/hmr...
This should be brilliant, and very timely. (Belfast date is actually 26 Nov, I think)
V pleased to be giving a public talk (two, in fact) at Ulster University later this month:
"How did we get here? The rise of Britain's far right."
Derry, 25 Nov: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-did-we...
Belfast, 25 Nov: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-did-we...
Please come along, or share with friends.
"How did we get here? The rise of Britain's far right."
Derry, 25 Nov: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-did-we...
Belfast, 25 Nov: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-did-we...
Please come along, or share with friends.
November 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
This should be brilliant, and very timely. (Belfast date is actually 26 Nov, I think)
NI education minister Paul Givan recently visited an Israeli school in illegally-occupied East Jerusalem. The UK govt policy is to not visit such institutions .
November 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM
NI education minister Paul Givan recently visited an Israeli school in illegally-occupied East Jerusalem. The UK govt policy is to not visit such institutions .
Reposted by Luke Butterly
No perpetrators have been brought to justice after 1977 death-in-detention of famed anti-apartheid leader, Steve Biko.
Will South Africa’s Biko inquest finally yield justice for struggle icon?
No perpetrators have been brought to justice after 1977 death-in-detention of famed anti-apartheid leader, Steve Biko.
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
No perpetrators have been brought to justice after 1977 death-in-detention of famed anti-apartheid leader, Steve Biko.
Ministers were warned that Palestine Action ban would be viewed as anti-Muslim, pro-Israel bias www.thedetail.tv/articles/min...
Ministers warned Palestine Action ban would be viewed as anti-Muslim, pro-Israel bias
“Debate will also likely concern whether using terrorism powers to counter criminal but non-violent direct action groups is a proportionate response"
www.thedetail.tv
November 12, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Ministers were warned that Palestine Action ban would be viewed as anti-Muslim, pro-Israel bias www.thedetail.tv/articles/min...
Reposted by Luke Butterly
👉NEW -- Forgotten photos expose UK army abuses in Iraq
by Irfan Chowdhury
Images never-before published by British media show hooded detainees in stress positions weeks before death of Baha Mousa in 2003.
www.declassifieduk.org/forgotten-ph...
by Irfan Chowdhury
Images never-before published by British media show hooded detainees in stress positions weeks before death of Baha Mousa in 2003.
www.declassifieduk.org/forgotten-ph...
Forgotten photos expose UK army abuses in Iraq
Images never-before published by British media show hooded detainees in stress positions weeks before death of Baha Mousa in 2003
www.declassifieduk.org
November 11, 2025 at 12:26 PM
👉NEW -- Forgotten photos expose UK army abuses in Iraq
by Irfan Chowdhury
Images never-before published by British media show hooded detainees in stress positions weeks before death of Baha Mousa in 2003.
www.declassifieduk.org/forgotten-ph...
by Irfan Chowdhury
Images never-before published by British media show hooded detainees in stress positions weeks before death of Baha Mousa in 2003.
www.declassifieduk.org/forgotten-ph...
Palestinian filmmaker Rabie Mustapha said something profound on this panel:
The ban on Western journalists in Gaza - who historically downplay Palestinian suffering and prioritise Israeli narratives - meant that our news came from local journalists, and so we got an accurate account of the genocide
The ban on Western journalists in Gaza - who historically downplay Palestinian suffering and prioritise Israeli narratives - meant that our news came from local journalists, and so we got an accurate account of the genocide
Join us for a discussion of 'A Bunch of Questions With No Answers', a record of the endless demands for clarification and accountability about the genocide in Palestine.
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Belfast Film Festival presents Panel Event: A Bunch of Questions With No Answers | The Black Box
On Saturday 8 November a panel of journalists and filmmakers will discuss their response to the film and its wider meaning in the context of journalism on the subject of Palestine and the shocking num...
www.blackboxbelfast.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Palestinian filmmaker Rabie Mustapha said something profound on this panel:
The ban on Western journalists in Gaza - who historically downplay Palestinian suffering and prioritise Israeli narratives - meant that our news came from local journalists, and so we got an accurate account of the genocide
The ban on Western journalists in Gaza - who historically downplay Palestinian suffering and prioritise Israeli narratives - meant that our news came from local journalists, and so we got an accurate account of the genocide
"Since 2000, there have been 109 [terror related] deaths in Northern Ireland (population 1.9 million) and 104 in Britain (population 61 million), 1,497 bombing incidents in Northern Ireland and 14 in Britain."
- Report of the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice
- Report of the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 PM
"Since 2000, there have been 109 [terror related] deaths in Northern Ireland (population 1.9 million) and 104 in Britain (population 61 million), 1,497 bombing incidents in Northern Ireland and 14 in Britain."
- Report of the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice
- Report of the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice
Reposted by Luke Butterly
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular
Briefing paper warned proscription could also heighten Muslim-Jewish tensions and be seen as favouring Israel
Ministers banned Palestine Action despite being told by their advisers it could “inadvertently enhance” the group’s profile, an official government document shows.
The briefing paper was written three months before the proscription of the group, which was set up to take direct action to halt UK arms supplies to Israel. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular
Reposted by Luke Butterly
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular www.thedetail.tv/articles/min...
Ministers warned Palestine Action ban would be viewed as anti-Muslim, pro-Israel bias
“Debate will also likely concern whether using terrorism powers to counter criminal but non-violent direct action groups is a proportionate response"
www.thedetail.tv
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Advisers told ministers banning Palestine Action could make it more popular www.thedetail.tv/articles/min...
Here is a long-read of the story so far:
'Kafkaesque' HMRC crackdown wrongly targets Northern Irish families using Dublin Airport thedetailni.substack.com/p/kafkaesque...
'Kafkaesque' HMRC crackdown wrongly targets Northern Irish families using Dublin Airport thedetailni.substack.com/p/kafkaesque...
'Kafkaesque' HMRC crackdown wrongly targets Northern Irish families using Dublin Airport
The extraordinary blunder by UK tax authorities shows no understanding of life on the island of Ireland, an MP said
thedetailni.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Here is a long-read of the story so far:
'Kafkaesque' HMRC crackdown wrongly targets Northern Irish families using Dublin Airport thedetailni.substack.com/p/kafkaesque...
'Kafkaesque' HMRC crackdown wrongly targets Northern Irish families using Dublin Airport thedetailni.substack.com/p/kafkaesque...
Reposted by Luke Butterly
EXCL: Home Office travel records used in controversial anti-fraud crackdown were so flawed that almost half of families initially flagged as emigrated still lived in UK - Luke Butterly &
@lisaocarroll.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
@lisaocarroll.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases
Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
EXCL: Home Office travel records used in controversial anti-fraud crackdown were so flawed that almost half of families initially flagged as emigrated still lived in UK - Luke Butterly &
@lisaocarroll.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
@lisaocarroll.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
My exclusive with the Guardian. The figures for families in Northern Ireland was even worse
HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases
HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases
Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UK
Home Office travel records used in a trial of a controversial anti-fraud crackdown that under which thousands of parents lost their child benefit were so flawed that almost half of the families initially flagged as having emigrated were still living in the UK, it has emerged.
The pilot scheme saved HMRC £17m but left 46% of families targeted incorrectly suspected of fraud, a margin of error far in excess of the 1% to 5% scientifically acceptable. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:24 PM
My exclusive with the Guardian. The figures for families in Northern Ireland was even worse
Reposted by Luke Butterly
HMRC rolled out anti-fraud system despite pilot showing almost 80% error rate in Northern Ireland thedetail.tv/articles/hmr...
HMRC rolled out anti-fraud system despite pilot showing almost 80% error rate in Northern Ireland
Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes said the high error rates were “a staggering failure"
thedetail.tv
November 9, 2025 at 1:13 PM
HMRC rolled out anti-fraud system despite pilot showing almost 80% error rate in Northern Ireland thedetail.tv/articles/hmr...
Reposted by Luke Butterly
Join us for a discussion of 'A Bunch of Questions With No Answers', a record of the endless demands for clarification and accountability about the genocide in Palestine.
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Belfast Film Festival presents Panel Event: A Bunch of Questions With No Answers | The Black Box
On Saturday 8 November a panel of journalists and filmmakers will discuss their response to the film and its wider meaning in the context of journalism on the subject of Palestine and the shocking num...
www.blackboxbelfast.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Join us for a discussion of 'A Bunch of Questions With No Answers', a record of the endless demands for clarification and accountability about the genocide in Palestine.
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Panel: Journalist Allison Morris and filmmakers Trevor Birney Rabie Mustapha
www.blackboxbelfast.com/event/belfas...
Reposted by Luke Butterly
good morning specifically to the FBI agent who introduced Mamdani’s dad to Marx
November 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
good morning specifically to the FBI agent who introduced Mamdani’s dad to Marx
Is there anything Lucy Liu can't do?
November 3, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Is there anything Lucy Liu can't do?
@elsiemonty.bsky.social Hi Elsie, I'm one of the journalists working on the Child Benefit story. Could you send me a DM or on lbutterly@thedetail.tv ? Thanks.
October 31, 2025 at 10:22 AM
@elsiemonty.bsky.social Hi Elsie, I'm one of the journalists working on the Child Benefit story. Could you send me a DM or on lbutterly@thedetail.tv ? Thanks.
Reposted by Luke Butterly
Woman who booked flight to Italy but did not board has child benefits stopped
Woman who booked flight to Italy but did not board has child benefits stopped
Family denied entry at gate after one of her children had epileptic fit, but HMRC said she boarded one-way flight
A woman has had her child benefit stopped after booking a holiday to Italy because HMRC inferred she had emigrated – even though she and her family did not board the flight.
Sally, her three children and her partner were going on holiday to Italy last July, but were refused boarding after one of the children had an epileptic fit at the departure gate. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Woman who booked flight to Italy but did not board has child benefits stopped
An African staging of Brian Friel’s Translations resonates deeply as the country distances itself from France
Donegal to Dakar: the Irish play about British rule hitting home in post-colonial Senegal
An African staging of Brian Friel’s Translations resonates deeply as the country distances itself from France
www.theguardian.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:13 PM
An African staging of Brian Friel’s Translations resonates deeply as the country distances itself from France
Reposted by Luke Butterly
UK woman who booked Oslo flight but did not fly loses child benefit ‘because she emigrated’
UK woman who booked Oslo flight but did not fly loses child benefit ‘because she emigrated’
Exclusive: HMRC told Lisa Morris-Almond there was no record of her return to UK, but she did not take the trip
A woman who booked a flight from London to Oslo but never checked in or travelled has had her child benefit stopped by the UK government. Tax authorities told her their records showed she had emigrated.
Lisa Morris-Almond is one of thousands of people who have had their child benefit frozen as part of a botched crackdown on benefit fraud. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:04 AM
UK woman who booked Oslo flight but did not fly loses child benefit ‘because she emigrated’
Reposted by Luke Butterly
Death announced of Mary ‘May’ McGee who won historic Irish Supreme Court contraception case
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
Death announced of Mary ‘May’ McGee who won historic Supreme Court contraception case
Landmark 1973 case found married couples had right to make private decisions on family planning
www.irishtimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Death announced of Mary ‘May’ McGee who won historic Irish Supreme Court contraception case
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
Reposted by Luke Butterly
HMRC pauses child benefit crackdown after 23,500 families caught up in data error
HMRC pauses child benefit crackdown after 23,500 families caught up in data error
Parents say they were treated as fraudsters because Home Office travel records failed to show their return to UK
The UK tax authorities have announced they will no longer cut off parents’ child benefit payments after a new crackdown on overseas fraud backfired due to incomplete Home Office travel data.
The flawed data led to HMRC suspending 23,500 payments in recent weeks, including for many families who had simply gone on holiday without the Home Office recording their return. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:22 AM
HMRC pauses child benefit crackdown after 23,500 families caught up in data error
Reposted by Luke Butterly
HMRC U-turn after families wrongly stripped of Child Benefit thedetail.tv/articles/hmr...
HMRC U-turn after families wrongly stripped of Child Benefit
HMRC said they will now no longer automatically stop payments before first contacting parents
thedetail.tv
October 29, 2025 at 9:34 AM
HMRC U-turn after families wrongly stripped of Child Benefit thedetail.tv/articles/hmr...