Robin Potter

Positive news!

Though that's double the budget for grassroots sport in England... which could really do with an uplift

Norway to buy two extra submarines, Denmark buys new surveillance ship in Nordic maritime push  - Breaking Defense Oslo and Copenhagen have separately, and on the same day, confirmed significant additions to their naval forces, both aimed at strengthening surveillance and protection of undersea infrastructure and ...

Oslo and Copenhagen have separately, and on the same day, confirmed significant additions to their naval forces, both aimed at strengthening surveillance and protection of undersea infrastructure and strategic maritime areas in the North European waters.

breakingdefense.com/2025/12/norw...

Will actually hop on to defend parly catering here - I found it pretty good!

State craft: how De Gaulle shaped France’s inclusive Olympic sport infrastructure Stung by failure in 1964, the General created a unique sporting architecture that has always prioritised participation

Needs more of a French approach, and more money

Sport England's pitiful £250m annual budget for grassroots activity compares badly both to the 'elite' activity of Olympic athletes at £100m of public funding... and even worse against 20bn euro annually in France!

A Cynic's Guide to Defence Jargon WMD: Words of Mass Confusion

‘Autistic men in suits talking loudly and self-importantly at each other in jargon that nobody understands’

A decent summation of the defence pundit class, who delight in arcane language. As such, I've written a guide to the most annoying phrases out there. Let me know what I missed!

The Hunt for the UK's Submarines What is the threat to Britain’s home waters, and is it equipped to deal with it?

Way outside my area of expertise but this doesn’t paint an encouraging picture of the country’s underseas defence capability. open.substack.com/pub/robinjpo...

This may in part explain why France is particularly targeted by cyberattacks and disinformation: "In few years, both France and the UK — the only European nuclear weapon states — may be simultaneously under control of populist far right parties that are at best skeptical of European solidarity."

Suspected spy staying in Dorset shepherd's hut reported to counter-terror police Man witnessed flying drone near Dorset military base where Ukraine's troops are trained

🚨SPIES, DAY TWO: Counter-Terror Police were reported to a suspicious man spying on Lulworth Firing Range - flying drones and fixing metal devices in trees.

The call was made during the same time that a suspected Russian spy was near to the military base.

inews.co.uk/news/suspect...

And also leaning on allies with more experience - like other smaller European nations with deep expertise on building resilience and countering hybrid activity

In fact mainly to be found in the Baltic, all in the Joint Expeditionary Force with the UK.. a potential path for Ireland too?

UK Deploys RAF Regiment Specialist Counter-Drone Unit To Denmark A specialist Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment counter-drone unit has been sent to Denmark to boost security following a surge in unidentified drone incidents near civilian and military installations whi...

Yep - definitely agree structured co-operation should be established, and also your point on nervousness. But not sure I detect political will to invest in defence yet?

And on specifics with this, am sure UK gov would have deployed if asked, but there's sensitivities there that aren't in Denmark

I slightly struggle to follow the logic why the UK is needed to backstop Irish capabilities in domestic security matters

Would Irish gov/society be ok with UK police/mil deployed covertly or overtly for these contingencies (which I think is the implication)?

Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.

Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:

UK and Norway form naval alliance to hunt Russian submarines The partnership is designed to protect undersea cables, which Western officials say are increasingly under threat from Moscow.

It does not get mentioned enough, but Norway is one of the UK's most critical allies (and vice versa), especially for matters of territorial defence.

Its good to see the relationship appears as strong as it is right now.

Thanks for the nod in London Playbook @politico.eu

The Hunt for the UK's Submarines What is the threat to Britain’s home waters, and is it equipped to deal with it?

This week on the blog, a deep dive (pardon the pun) on the Russian undersea threat to the UK’s home waters, and whether it is equipped to deal with it

Yes!

www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/defaul...

Labour may not be interested in culture war, but culture war is interested in Labour Welcome!

Have started a Substack.

Will mainly be concerned with security and foreign affairs with digressions into UK politics. To kick off, an account of Labour’s challenges on asylum, immigration, and its own leadership.

First time having a go at writing outside my niche, so all feedback very welcome!

Boris Johnson took four days off as NHS warned Covid could ‘overwhelm’ system Files show then PM was walking dog, riding motorbike and hosting guests as pandemic planning stalled in ‘lost month’

As myself and 100s of other officials were working overtime on the response in Feb 2020, Johnson was pottering around Sevenoaks doing his shopping while parts of Italy locked down

Bereaved families suggest misconduct in public office - is that hyperbole or a real potential risk?

Ambitions beyond means in defence reviews also a tale old as time

Understandable services will scrap for what limited extra £ there is (all can make valid arguments given hollowing out). Would it be as bad if there was a funded credible pathway to 3%?

If individual politicians want to keep using it that’s one thing

However is it appropriate for smorgasbord of public authorities - every arm of national and local govt + agencies (including 100s of police accounts!) - to remain given the proliferation of illegal hate speech and racism?

Germany on course to hit 3% of GDP on defence by 2029 - placing orders now

Meanwhile in the UK we still have no clarity on spending plans to 2.6% in 2028, orders to industry on hold, plus £17bn hole remains from 2023 equipment plan

And questions on plans to fulfil obligations under NATO article 3…

EU ‘minutes from big casualties’ in Russian hybrid war, Lithuanian minister warns An act of railway sabotage in Poland is just the latest sign the bloc needs to respond to Moscow’s tactics, Lithuania’s foreign minister told POLITICO.

EU foreign ministers will be briefed tomorrow about a spate of sabotage attempts and airspace incursions that Russia’s neighbors say marks a “very dangerous phase of escalation” by the Kremlin, and one that endangers civilians.

Struggle to think of something more harmful to societal resilience and cohesion - and we were already at a pretty low base

For all their talk of “whole of society resilience” the UK gov needs to recognise this is a critical aspect of national security

One of Labour’s most egregious shortcomings for government has been the absence of a plan for adult social care

Nuts policy

The truth about impartiality at the BBC And the hysteria of the current "crisis"

The reaction to the Panorama edit has been nothing short of hysterical. Yes the BBC has some impartiality problems. But its biggest isn't the one you think.

New piece from me.

open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...

But another source characterised it as the culmination of a "relentless critique of BBC journalism over two years by members of the Board and advisers - all of whom come from same political persuasion". They point to Sir Robbie Gibb, a former BBC editor who left to become Downing St director of communications for Theresa May and who is now a member of the Board. The former Sun editor, now BBC presenter David Yelland has called it "nothing short of a coup". He claims the BBC Board has been undermined and "elements close to it have worked with hostile newspaper editors, a former PM and enemies of public service broadcasting".

What a stitch-up

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

And yet…

Anneliese Dodds in February

“I also expected we would collectively discuss our fiscal rules and approach to taxation, as other nations are doing. Even 3% may only be the start, and it will be impossible to raise the substantial resources needed just through tactical cuts to public spending.”