Hook, line and sinker: How Brexit betrayed the UK fishing industry
Leaving the EU has cost British fishermen fish, money and jobs.
Sebastian Whale
Freelance journalist and author, currently writing a book on political whips. Ex-POLITICO reporter and former political editor of The House magazine. My biography of John Bercow, Call to Order, was published in March 2020. The Exprimez Literary Agency represents me for my first novel, Footsteps.
Bylines in The Guardian, The New Statesman (online), The Mail on Sunday, The Big Issue, The New European and PoliticsHome, and appeared on BBC PoliticsLive, BBC radio, Sky News, LBC, and Euronews. I have a Medium page, linked above, where I post articles on subjects from mental health to Andy Murray.
The unusual channels: how to whip MPs in the age of coronavirus
With MPs dispersed across the country and social distancing rules disrupting life at Westminster, the coronavirus pandemic is, in the words of one politician, a “whips' worst nightmare”. Sebastian Whale explores how the art of whipping has evolved – and reports on how whips are adapting to a new age
UK banks shun companies trading with Ukraine
LONDON — Banks are forcibly closing the accounts of British firms that trade with Ukrainian counterparts due to concerns over Russian sanctions and money laundering, business leaders have warned, hampering wider efforts to support Ukraine's war-ravaged economy.
How to help kids survive divorce
Sebastian Whale still vividly recalls the night his parents announced they were splitting up. He has some advice for divorcing parents on how to make it as painless as possible for their children
Police believe Ukraine war has triggered a crime wave … in rural England
British cops have linked a recent surge in farm machinery thefts to the sanctions imposed on Russia over the war.
Inside the deal: How Britain joined CPTPP
Securing access to the Indo-Pacific pact marks the end of a significant chapter in the UK’s fledgling free trade agenda.
Where Britain went wrong
How Britain became the sick man of Europe — again.
Different Paths
My sister and I have lived together for more than seven years. We take the same journey to the tube from our home, and yet our experiences couldn't be more different
Rural uprising: How Britain’s farmers fell out of love with the Conservative Party
Mutiny in the countryside as farmers turn on Tory government over trade deals, subsidies and more.
Ken Clarke: “I have no regrets. I look back on my political career with considerable pleasure”
For all the uncertainties of the next general election, we know one thing for sure – it will bring to the end one of the most illustrious political careers of modern times. As he prepares for his swansong, Ken Clarke walks Sebastian Whale through his life story – from being part of the Cambridge mafia to his deep regret at Britain’s decision to leave the EU. And close friends and opponents share stories of the Tory grandee’s five decades in parliament
Whatever happened to the 2011 Eurosceptic Rebels?
Ten years on from what was the largest postwar rebellion on Europe, Sebastian Whale looks back at a pivotal moment in the race to secure an EU referendum – and the little-known group of Conservative MPs who helped bring it about
Betty Boothroyd: “I am a bit timid. But I’m dealing with the giants”
Betty Boothroyd was one more election defeat away from giving up hope of becoming an MP. But at the fifth time of asking, the Yorkshire-born Labour activist realised her dream. With typical determination, she seized the opportunity with both hands – and went on to make history. Sebastian Whale talks to the former Speaker, and those who know her, about her landmark career
Out of the shadows: the rise of Gavin Williamson
Before his appointment as Secretary of State for Defence last autumn, Gavin Williamson built a reputation as an effective, and ruthless, backroom operator. His rise from PPS to David Cameron to government Chief Whip to the MoD has been shrouded in intrigue, and there is speculation that he is being lined up as Theresa May’s favoured successor. Is the 41-year-old MP for South Staffordshire really the modern-day Machiavelli some claim? Sebastian Whale talks to Williamson, and those who know him, to find out
Johnny Mercer: “I’m not going to let us go down without a serious fight”
After leaving the military, Johnny Mercer wanted to find a career where he could once more be part of something greater than himself. He found his answer in the shape of politics and the Conservative party. But, more than three years after entering Westminster, the former soldier is reaching breaking point. Disillusioned by what he believes is a sub-par administration, is his very conservatism under threat? He talks to Sebastian Whale
Whatever happened to the class of 1997?
Some got a seat at the cabinet table; one even nabbed the Speaker’s chair, but did Labour’s class of ’97 live up to expectations? With Things Can Only Get Better echoing down the years, Sebastian Whale discovers how the intake has fared – just don’t call them ‘Blair’s babes’
‘Power concedes nothing without demand’ – black MPs on the ongoing struggle for equality
Racial equality has come a long way since the first black MPs were elected 33 years ago this week. But as Black Lives Matter forces us to confront difficult questions about our past and our future, Sebastian Whale hears from MPs about their experiences of racism in modern Britain and their hopes of achieving lasting change
Living in the dark: the truth about special advisers
Shaped by several high-profile instances where the adviser became the story, the public image of SpAds is largely negative. But have a few notable characters distorted the reality of those who work behind the scenes? Sebastian Whale investigates
Exclusive: Commons staff furious at new plans to tackle Westminster bullying and harassment
Current and former parliamentary staff have lashed out at plans that would allow MPs to debate the suspension or expulsion of another member for bullying and harassment.
Revealed: the inside story of the explosive BBC Newsnight report into bullying and harassment in Westminster
MPs will on Tuesday vote on proposals for an independent expert panel to deal with bullying and harassment claims in Westminster. In an abridged extract from ‘Call to Order’, his biography of John Bercow, Sebastian Whale sheds light on the award-winning journalism that helped lead to this point
John Bercow and the Clerks
An extract from my biography of John Bercow, Call to Order
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