Six of the Best 973

Peter Geoghegan looks at how a cartel of MPs associated with the European Research Group took over the Conservative Party and broke British politics.

"The story ends with no satisfactory conclusion.  But we have to ask what might have been done to help Graham and the other victims and to bring Smyth to some form of justice. The key person who seems missing in action is of course Justin Welby." Stephen Parsons on the case of John Smyth QC (Mary Whitehouse's favourite lawyer) who used the Church of England to facilitate his sadistic abuse.

"The type of 'placemaking' achieved by global property finance forces out local communities through rising rents and property prices, and airbrushes local culture from existence." Anna Minton argues that 'regeneration' schemes too often result in an unfair fight between local people and global finance.

Marcela Kunova looks at the dilemmas journalists face when asked to delete a story.

British towns and cities that were heavily bombed in the second world war are now likely to have high levels of child deprivation says Sean Coughlan, reporting new research.

Terry Gilliam reveals the secrets of his animations for Monty Python in a 1974 video.