Intelligence or operations: A key question for evaluating the CIA

The New Yorker has a valuable long read this week, asking Has the C.I.A. Done More Harm Than Good? "Almost from its creation" author Amy Davidson Sorkin notes, "there was a sense that something about the C.I.A. was off. The...

Posted on: 4 October 2022 | 12:20 pm

IRD, MI6 and the eurocommunists

The stream of revelations from the files of Britain's cold war propaganda unit, the Information Research Department (IRD), continues in the Observer today. The paper reports on how the IRD worked with MI6 in the 1970s to undermine the Italian Communist Party, in spite of the Eurocommunist trend which saw the party taking a more independent line towards Moscow.

Posted on: 2 October 2022 | 8:26 am

Labour's Scottish gamble

Politico has an intriguing nugget on Scotland: And while a serious revival in Scotland appears unlikely — one party official admitted only 15 seats north of the border are competitive for Labour, and that “we won’t win them all” —...

Posted on: 28 September 2022 | 4:22 am

How a Labour government would deal with Northern Ireland

With a Labour government looking increasingly likely after last week's 'fiscal event', the policy announcements at this week's party conference have taken on a new significance. Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Kyle didn't disappoint in that respect, stating that he would set out the criteria for a referendum on Irish Unity if Labour were to come to power. That drew sharp criticism from unionists who called for him to retain ambiguity on the matter.

Posted on: 27 September 2022 | 12:21 pm

MI5 and the far-right: then and now

ITV is running a new thriller next month based on the life of Matthew Collins, a former far-right activist who now works for the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate. Today's Guardian interview with Collins reveals that he ran four spies...

Posted on: 27 September 2022 | 5:44 am

Northern Ireland census shows Catholics out-number Protestants for the first time

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency has today released the results of the 2021 census. As widely anticipated, it shows for the first time that Northern Ireland has more Catholics (45.7%) than Protestants (43.48%) (See update below). This is...

Posted on: 22 September 2022 | 4:02 am

Greeks turn to MI5 after bugging scandal

The Greek government has enlisted a former senior MI5 officer to reform its intelligence services, the daily Kathemirini reported earlier this month. The government has reportedly opted for a British model to restructure Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) in an...

Posted on: 21 September 2022 | 8:47 am

Intelligence and the Arms to Africa Affair

The National Archives move towards a 20-year-rule mean that many records from the early New Labour years are now available. That includes episodes like the 1998 Arms to Africa Affair when a British mercenary outfit, Tim Spicer's Sandline International, sent...

Posted on: 18 September 2022 | 12:42 pm

New Foreign Office Advisor called for trade border between Ireland and the EU

When Liz Truss's press secretary was asked for a list of the new Prime Minister's advisors earlier this month, journalists were told that 'you can refer to the Guido Fawkes website.' So we must take take Guido as authoritative when it reports tonight that 'Victoria Hewson is leaving the IEA to join the Foreign Office as a SpAd, focusing on Northern Ireland.'

Posted on: 16 September 2022 | 3:45 pm

Troubles legacy bill criticised at London trauma event

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill came under strong criticism last night from a range of voices at a West London event on dealing with trauma from the conflict. Former Irish army officer, Senator Tom Clonan, described the...

Posted on: 27 May 2022 | 9:17 am

Chinese influence claims draw in Baroness linked to Boris

Last month's MI5 action alert on Chinese influence seems to have prompted some follow-up in the press in recent days. This week's (paywalled) Sunday Times had this: 

Posted on: 3 February 2022 | 5:38 am

Aquind decision highlights growing scrutiny of Russian donors

I noted earlier this week that the opposition was attempting to make an issue of Russian donations to the Conservative Party in Monday's parliamentary debate on foreign political interference. Labour attempted this previously in the wake of the Skripal affair,...

Posted on: 22 January 2022 | 10:12 am

Foreign influence debate strengthens case for donor transparency

Following last week's MI5 alert about an alleged Chinese interference operation at Westminster, Home Secretary Priti Patel made a statement to the Commons on Monday on foreign interference in British politics. Patel told MPs that such alerts would be more...

Posted on: 18 January 2022 | 2:56 pm

Breakthrough on Ireland's Brexit border

Negotiators for the UK and the EU have today reached agreement on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement in relation to Northern Ireland. As part of the deal, the UK will withdraw planned legislation that would have over-ridden international law.

Posted on: 8 December 2020 | 8:48 am

One week: two worlds - Brexit and the US election

It's been a surprisingly quiet week in Brexit negotiations, given that the end of the withdrawal period is now less than two months away. That this is probably a good sign was confirmed by Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney on Tuesday, when he suggested that some form of long term agreement is now likely. The outstanding question is whether that will include a trade agreement. Even if it does, it is not likely to be an ambitious one. This week's US election is arguably the biggest unknown factor.

Posted on: 1 November 2020 | 10:00 am

Sir Joseph Ball: From MI5 to the Conservative Party

The Conservative leadership used homophobia to keep anti-fascist MPs in line during the 1930s, according to a forthcoming account by Labour MP Chris Bryant. The BBC has some intriguing details: In the course of researching his book, Mr Bryant found...

Posted on: 19 October 2020 | 8:30 am

Hardline security bills pose dilemma for Labour

Several bills going through the House of Commons at the moment demonstrate the Johnson's Government's commitment to the hard edge of state power, in both its overt and covert forms. While this legislation raises significant human rights concerns, Labour has...

Posted on: 5 October 2020 | 4:04 pm

Ferrier decision could set up SNP-Labour battle

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has today called on one of her own party's MPs to resign from the House of Commons. The SNP withdrew the whip from Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier after it emerged she had taken a train from Glasgow to London while Covid positive.

Posted on: 2 October 2020 | 10:40 am

Tory rebellion over internal market bill

When Boris Johnson's Conservatives won an 81 seat majority last December, it looked as if we wouldn't have to worry about close parliamentary votes on Brexit anymore. Johnson may have begun to squander that advantage with the admission that the...

Posted on: 14 September 2020 | 6:10 am

Internal market bill lives up to its billing

Reports that the UK Internal Market Bill would tear up the EU withdrawal agreement have been causing political ructions all week. Today, the full text of the bill was published, and it looks very much as advertised. Section 45 of...

Posted on: 9 September 2020 | 9:19 am