The public would prefer to see their taxes spent on health and education – rather than on an £850m state subsidy for the arms industry argues Symon Hill.

David Miller reports on the ‘Open Stormont’ campaign in Northern Ireland – and the lobbyists’ response.

A new report by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) reveals that the promised aid required to reconstruct the country has mostly been ‘wasted, ineffective or uncoordinated’. Andy Rowell reports.

The ALTER-EU report "Secrecy and corporate dominance - a study on the composition and transparency of European Commission Expert Groups" reveals that industry controls a number of the Commission’s most controversial Expert Groups, including advisory groups on issues such as “biotechnology”, “clean coal” and “car emissions”.

Launching an online petition on the Downing Street website is not as easy as we might hope, writes Charles Thomson.

The BAE ruling will check the government’s ruse of invoking national security to avoid scrutiny, say Eric Avebury and Susan Hawley.

CAAT reports on the recent ruling by the High Court that the Serious Fraud Office acted unlawfully in halting an investigation into BAE arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

New documents obtained by Campaign Against the Arms Trade reveal that BAE pressurised the government to halt the SFO’s investigation into Saudi arms deals.

The Morning Star asks what on earth our country is doing selling weapons of mass destruction to Saudi Arabia, and why on earth our (former) Prime Minister felt it necessary to hide the details.

Peter Hain’s choice of donor defaces his reputation and reveals the surrender of his party to the super-rich, writes George Monbiot.

Simon Basketter looks at the links between political lobbying, the ‘free’ market and corruption.

Greg Palast unearths some of the deals for big business available from new labour.

MANY people will be utterly nonplussed that the Labour Party can, once again, be on the ropes being pummelled over honesty and openness by a party that had become a byword for sleaze. The Morning Star reports.

Mark Steele on the warm official welcome given Saudi King Abdullah on his arrival in Britain, and what it tells us about the value the British government places on human rights.