Gabriel Pogrund

Political hypocrisy is the gift that keeps on giving, and Gabriel Pogrund has worked hard to ensure he is the recipient. His revelations about Labour donor Lord Alli’s access-all-areas pass to Downing Street and Keir Starmer’s failure to declare clothes the millionaire had bought for Lady Starmer, were quickly followed by other disclosures about Alli’s influence over appointments, his largesse, and the conduct of other ministers – including deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s use of Alli’s luxury Manhattan apartment.

As Pogrund wrote: “The disclosures are awkward for Starmer, who has vowed to clean up politics and root out cronyism, and was once described by Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, as ‘Mr Rules’.”

The prime minister and cabinet colleagues committed to changing both their own conduct and the rules on ministerial gifts and hospitality, and Starmer repaid thousands of pounds in donations. The reporting overshadowed Labour’s first conference in government, and exposed a dysfunction at the heart of government, leading to Starmer’s reluctant reorganisation of Number 10. “Gabriel’s fearless reporting of the donor-gate scandal is a great example of investigative journalism at its best,” said the judges. “His revelations sparked a national debate, dominating headlines and ultimately forcing significant changes to the rules.”