Greg Barradale
Big IssueGreg Barradale is a senior reporter for Big Issue. His work aims to expose the human impact of systemic issues on some of society’s most vulnerable.
His report on the life and death of Simeon McAnoy formed part of an investigation into the deadly toll of new synthetic opioids, in which he also reported on a wave of drug deaths in Birmingham and obtained data showing how paramedics’ rising use of an overdose-reversing drug could point to the true scale of the threat nationally. The reporting led to calls for change from MPs on all sides.
His story detailing the experiences of homeless and pregnant refugees came in the wake of long-running reporting on refugee homelessness. In 2023, he uncovered how refugees were being evicted into homelessness, and was the first to reveal government U-turns. Despite changes in policy, refugee homelessness remains widespread.
Action – and inaction – on homelessness often stems from the heart of government. As Labour entered government, Greg told the story of how Tony Blair attempted to end rough sleeping as prime minister and how far he got.
His work has previously won an MHP 30toWatch award for News and Investigations, and seen him shortlisted for feature writer of the year at the BSME Talent Awards.
If you’d like to get in touch with Greg for media appearances or with a story, you can contact him at Greg.barradale@bigissue.com.
Greg Barradale’s shortlisted pieces are:
- The inside story of how Tony Blair’s New Labour all-but ended rough sleeping
- Simeon McAnoy was killed by nitazenes. Could his life have been saved?
- Pregnant, a refugee, and homeless at Christmas
The panel was very impressed by the powerful personal stories and diverse perspectives Greg brought to the forefront, offering a crucial human lens on the complexities of homelessness.
– Ligia Teixeira, Chair of Judges, The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2025
