Richard Brooks: The Investigator Holding Power to Account
We’ve followed Richard Brooks’s career as one of Britain’s most tenacious financial investigative journalists, whose work at Private Eye has redefined accountability reporting. With 16 years as an HMRC tax inspector fueling his insights, Brooks combines technical expertise with narrative rigor to expose systemic corruption.
Career Evolution: From Tax Inspector to Watchdog
- 2005-Present: Senior investigator at Private Eye, specializing in corporate tax avoidance and government oversight
- 2013: Published The Great Tax Robbery, a landmark analysis of UK tax haven policies
- 2014: Paul Foot Award winner for exposing Saudi arms deal corruption
- 2020-2022: Key investigator in Post Office Horizon IT scandal coverage
Defining Investigations
- Justice Lost In The Post Brooks’ multi-year investigation into the Post Office Horizon scandal revealed how 900 subpostmasters were wrongly prosecuted due to faulty accounting software. Through FOIA requests and whistleblower testimonies, he demonstrated systemic failures in corporate governance and legal oversight. This work directly contributed to the UK government’s 2022 decision to overturn convictions and award £600 million in compensation.
- His reporting methodology combined forensic analysis of court documents with human-centered storytelling, creating public pressure that forced parliamentary inquiries. Legal experts credit this coverage with exposing the limits of corporate liability in tech-driven governance systems.
- Princess Diana’s Media Training Revealed In this 2024 exclusive, Brooks analyzed newly uncovered BBC production notes showing how Diana honed her public persona. While appearing to stray into royal reporting, the piece actually critiques media manipulation strategies used by institutions. By comparing Diana’s coached responses to contemporary political communications, Brooks highlighted enduring patterns of image management in power structures.
- The article’s significance lies in its meta-commentary on journalism itself - questioning how media training shapes public narratives. It demonstrates Brooks’ ability to find financial/political angles in unexpected subjects.
- Bean Counters: The Triumph of Accountants Brooks’ 2018 book investigation traces how accounting firms evolved from auditors to corporate enablers. Through case studies like the LuxLeaks scandal and Carillion collapse, he demonstrates how "Big Four" firms facilitate tax avoidance while undermining regulatory frameworks. The work has become essential reading in economic policy circles, influencing EU tax transparency reforms.
- His research methodology combined leaked documents, insider interviews, and historical analysis to show accounting’s role in modern capitalism. This exemplifies Brooks’ signature approach: marrying technical financial analysis with accessible narrative storytelling.
Pitching Strategy: Aligning With Brooks’ Investigative Lens
1. Focus on Systemic Financial Irregularities
Brooks prioritizes stories exposing structural flaws over individual malfeasance. Successful pitches should demonstrate how a case illustrates broader policy failures. Example: His Post Office coverage used individual stories to critique outsourced public service accountability.
2. Leverage Whistleblower Documentation
Concrete evidence like internal memos or audit trails increases pitch viability. Brooks’ 2014 Saudi arms deal investigation began with leaked contract documents showing payment irregularities.
3. Connect Corporate Behavior to Public Impact
Stories must show real-world consequences. A 2023 pitch about pharmaceutical tax avoidance succeeded by linking offshore accounting to NHS funding shortfalls.
4. Avoid Celebrity-Driven Angles
Even high-profile subjects like Diana are framed through institutional analysis. Pitches about personal wealth management or individual tax dodgers rarely get traction.
5. Propose Cross-Border Investigations
Brooks frequently collaborates on international stories, particularly involving UK-EU-US financial flows. Recent work on Irish tax havens involved partnerships with German and French journalists.
Awards and Recognition
- Dual Paul Foot Award Winner (2008, 2014): Britain’s most prestigious investigative journalism honor, awarded for exposing CDC Group privatization abuses and Saudi bribery networks. The judging panel noted Brooks’ “relentless pursuit of documentary evidence.”
- Tax Justice Network Fellow: Appointed in 2019 for advancing public understanding of global tax avoidance. This NGO partnership enables access to international leaker networks.
- 2021 Orwell Prize Shortlist: Recognized for political writing that achieves George Orwell’s ideal of “making political writing into an art.”
