Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin) header
Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin) profile picture

Mike Lewis

@Bakhunin

Tax, illicit finance, weapons and armed conflict. Ex-@conflictarm, ex-@amnesty, ex-@UN, ex-some other stuff.

mikelewisresearch.com
Joined March 2011
  • Tweets2.5K
  • Following315
  • Followers873
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Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)Photo by Mike Lewis (@Bakhunin)
Mike Lewis retweeted
TaxWatch (@taxwatch) profile picture
TaxWatch@taxwatchJun 23
The tax gap is getting worse, and by more than HMRC previously thought. For a government that has promised to raise nearly £10bn more tax revenues annually by the end of this parliament by *shrinking* the tax gap, today's figures are a serious problem. More analysis shortly.
Image from TaxWatch (@taxwatch)
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Replying to @Bakhunin @guardian @NilsPratley
Good point, we have mentioned previously that he is a former GSK executive
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El Fasher. Satellite images show objects consistent with bodies, in some cases with discoloration around them - consistent with blood, in the city. There are 'piles and lines of bodies' by the earth wall around #ElFasher. @nattyray11 #KeepEyesOnSudan
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🚨HUMAN SECURITY EMERGENCY🚨 El-Fasher has fallen to RSF. HRL finds evidence of mass killings including door-to-door clearance operations and objects consistent with reported bodies on berm entrapping El-Fasher. #KeepEyesOnSudan 🛰️@AirbusSpace @Maxar medicine.yale.edu/lab/khoshn…
Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab Clusters of objects and ground discoloration 13.6329010, 25.3271401 Imagery collected over the Daraja Oula neighborhood in El-Fasher on 27 October 2025 shows the presence of clusters of objects, ground discoloration, and light technical vehicles. The objects within these clusters measure between 1.5 meters – 2 meters in length. A group of light technical vehicles appear to be blocking the road near where what appears to be red discoloration on the ground. One cluster of objects is flanked by 3 light technical vehicles.

ALT Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab Clusters of objects and ground discoloration 13.6329010, 25.3271401 Imagery collected over the Daraja Oula neighborhood in El-Fasher on 27 October 2025 shows the presence of clusters of objects, ground discoloration, and light technical vehicles. The objects within these clusters measure between 1.5 meters – 2 meters in length. A group of light technical vehicles appear to be blocking the road near where what appears to be red discoloration on the ground. One cluster of objects is flanked by 3 light technical vehicles.

Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Cluster of objects consistent with the size of human bodies and reddish ground discoloration Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6325556, 25.3259461 In imagery collected over Darja Oula on 27 October 2025, the presence of clusters of light and dark colored objects consistent with the size of human bodies, reddish ground discoloration, and vehicles are visible. These observations are not seen in prior satellite imagery.

ALT Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Cluster of objects consistent with the size of human bodies and reddish ground discoloration Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6325556, 25.3259461 In imagery collected over Darja Oula on 27 October 2025, the presence of clusters of light and dark colored objects consistent with the size of human bodies, reddish ground discoloration, and vehicles are visible. These observations are not seen in prior satellite imagery.

Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Reddish ground discoloration and vehicle presence Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6324204, 25.3282774 In imagery collected over Daraja Oula on 27 October 2025, two reddish ground discolorations are visible that are not seen in prior satellite imagery. Multiple vehicles are present in the same area, which appears consistent with door-to-door clearance operations.

ALT Daraja Oula, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Reddish ground discoloration and vehicle presence Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6324204, 25.3282774 In imagery collected over Daraja Oula on 27 October 2025, two reddish ground discolorations are visible that are not seen in prior satellite imagery. Multiple vehicles are present in the same area, which appears consistent with door-to-door clearance operations.

157th Artillery Brigade, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Clusters of objects and ground discoloration Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6365946, 25.3109425 In imagery collected over the 157th Artillery Brigade in El-Fasher on 27 October 2025 shows the presence of clusters of objects along the defensive berm. These objects are not visible in imagery collected on 26 October 2025 and the appearance of these objects coincides with reports that civilians were shot attempting to flee El-Fasher over the berm.

ALT 157th Artillery Brigade, El-Fasher 27 October 2025 Clusters of objects and ground discoloration Copyright: Satellite Imagery 27 October 2025 ©️Airbus DS 2025. Analysis conducted by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab 13.6365946, 25.3109425 In imagery collected over the 157th Artillery Brigade in El-Fasher on 27 October 2025 shows the presence of clusters of objects along the defensive berm. These objects are not visible in imagery collected on 26 October 2025 and the appearance of these objects coincides with reports that civilians were shot attempting to flee El-Fasher over the berm.

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To the first anniversary of the War&Sanctions analytical portal, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine is holding an open hackathon for OSINT investigators worldwide. 🔗 gur.gov.ua/en/content/warsan…
Image from Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine)
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European weapons in Sudan (4/5): 'The RSF bombs public buildings, markets, and hospitals' ➡️ go.france24.com/mNv
Image from FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en)
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Mike Lewis retweeted
CICTAR (@CICTAR_Tax) profile picture
CICTAR@CICTAR_Tax17 Mar 2025
Whether a country produces coffee or consumes coffee (and many do both) it almost certainly has an interest in what Starbucks are up to! Some global coverage of our latest report: cictar.org/news/global/starb…
Global coverage of CICTAR’s report on Starbucks — Centre for International Corporate Tax Accounta...

Global coverage of CICTAR’s report on Starbucks — Centre for International Corporate Tax Accounta...

Global reporting on CICTAR’s latest report on Starbucks

cictar.org
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Replying to @Bakhunin
In the next couple of months I'm going to start drawing together all the ideas published on Critical Takes, to suggest how they might fit together into a single vision (and consider what else might need to be included).
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New on Critical Takes: Trump, trade tensions, tech and the climate crisis will all shape the global landscape of corporate power in 2025. criticaltakes.org/the-corpor…
2025 is going to be a bumpy year

2025 is going to be a bumpy year

Trump, trade tensions, new tech and the climate crisis will make for a volatile year, says the Editor.

criticaltakes.org
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ICYMI on Critical Takes: small farmers and Big Sugar in Malawi. criticaltakes.org/human-righ… If you like what you read or hear on Critical Takes, please share it with others.
Land, sugar and corporate power

Land, sugar and corporate power

Kelvin Chirwa offers a close-up view of the power imbalance on the ground between small farmers and a multinational in Malawi.

criticaltakes.org
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Replying to @GWRHelp
‘Train crew availability’ is NOT a valid excuse for cancelling services, it’s an embarrassing admittance of management failure.
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“Despite holding two seats on Orpea’s board, CPP Investments did nothing to stop a pattern of criminal conduct and embezzlement by top management,” reads the report produced by" @CICTAR_Tax & funded by @cupenat @PSIglobalunion & others... thestar.com/business/cpp-inv…
CPP Investments ‘did nothing to stop pattern of criminal conduct’ at scandal-hit nursing-home chain...

CPP Investments ‘did nothing to stop pattern of criminal conduct’ at scandal-hit nursing-home chain...

In a statement, a CPP Investments' spokesperson said "we inevitably dispose of certain holdings for endless reasons, including mismanagement by operators or underperformance against expectations."

thestar.com
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But if you are going to do this then might as well stop pretending and raise income tax in order to share burden more widely.
Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) profile picturePaul Johnson@PJTheEconomist15 Oct 2024
- manifesto say "no increases in NI" - if you want £17bn better to do this than to raise complex array of other taxes - NICs felt just by working people/employers; not shared with pensioners/investment income - just raising employer NI increases employment/self employment wedge
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Bit of a rant today I'm afraid. Rage at cutting winter fuel allowance, yet binning social care reform was infinitely bigger choice. Tory candidates say they want to reduce state, no ideas how. Govt goes on about £22bn "black hole" as if a surprise. Time to get serious. Please.
Institute for Fiscal Studies (@TheIFS) profile pictureInstitute for Fiscal Studies
@TheIFS16 Sep 2024
📰 It’s time to be honest about the funding of social care The fury about ending the winter fuel allowance is a diversion from a much more important issue, @PJTheEconomist in @thetimes today. thetimes.com/business-money/…

It’s time to be honest about the funding of social care

The fury about ending the winter fuel allowance is a diversion from a much important issue

thetimes.com
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Killer Facts: the pros and cons From @oxfamgb @Bakhunin frompoverty.oxfam.org.uk/are…
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Just on the four-day working week proposal from Labour, it's worth noting successive Conservative-led governments spent millions on tax-free childcare vouchers to help parents with the spiraling cost of putting their children through nursery. Without spending a penny of tax-payers' cash, making it the default position parents can work four days a week, Labour has knocked 40% of the childcare bill for parents sharing the responsibilities of bringing up young children. That can only be a good thing.
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Mike Lewis retweeted
CICTAR (@CICTAR_Tax) profile picture
CICTAR@CICTAR_Tax25 Jul 2024
Millions from government. Opaque offshore companies. Desperate people. 'Mike Lewis, an associate at the Center for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, described the lack of transparency around the payments as ‘highly unusual’ metro.co.uk/2024/07/23/asylu…
Asylum hotel company 'paid £16,000,000 to apparent offshore firm'

Asylum hotel company 'paid £16,000,000 to apparent offshore firm'

Clearsprings is a major Home Office contractor, paid £3,500,000 a day to accommodate arrivals in the UK.

metro.co.uk
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In a recent t issue of @atarnetwork, the great Magdi el Gizouli wrote a critical response to our (@MakawiRaga, @KholoodKhair) @nybooks essay on famine in Sudan. We have now responded: atarnetwork.com/wp-content/u… 1/3
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The amount of coverage given to the Green Party, who have so far won 159 seats in these elections, compared to Reform UK, who have won two, has been quite something
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Mike Lewis retweeted
Shahad (@justshayxo) profile picture
Shahad@justshayxo1 May 2024
A Sudanese man went to the home office for a routine sign-in. He was held and is expected to be deportated, believed to be first under the new Rwanda Scheme. theguardian.com/uk-news/2024…

Man detained by Home Office told he is being sent to Rwanda, says NGO

Sudanese man being held in Croydon after arriving for routine sign-in believed to be first potential deportation under new law

theguardian.com
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