Episode #013 - Jonathan Hall KC - Insights from the UK's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation

Jonathan Hall KC (@terrorwatchdog) is a practising barrister and was appointed Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation in 2019, and of State Threat Legislation in 2024 after the coming into force of the National Security Act 2023. Jonathan’s annual reports, papers, and speeches are all available online.

In this episode, we speak to Jonathan about what it means to be the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, the evolving nature of terrorism threat in the UK, as well as Jonathan’s own thoughts on the role of the internet in facilitating terrorism and extremism-related activity in the UK.

For regular insightful terrorism threat and risk information, as well as other Pool Re updates, please sign up to receive our emails at https://www.poolre.co.uk/signup/.

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on your streaming app of choice, and share so we can help build a better understanding of the terrorism threat to the UK.

Disclaimer: The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Pool Re employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of Pool Re.

Episode #012 – Andrew Donaldson - The Shard and mitigating terrorism threat in the UK

Andrew Donaldson is Head of Security for Real Estate Management (UK) Ltd, responsible for security policy, strategy, and crisis management at some of London’s most iconic buildings, including The Shard. Andrew is a Chartered Security Professional, Fellow of the Security Institute, and Co-Chair of their Counter Terrorism and Insider Risk Special Interest Groups. He holds a Master’s degree in International Security and Risk Management, having completed his dissertation concerning the emergence and evolution of al Qa’ida and its impact on protective security. Andrew sits on several project boards and working groups advising on, and supporting, government security matters.

In this episode, we’ll explore Andy’s distinguished career in international counter terrorism with Counter Terrorism Policing and the Ministry of Defence, his top tips for mitigating terrorism threat, as well as his role within the Security Institute as a Chartered Security Professional.

For regular insightful terrorism threat and risk information, as well as other Pool Re updates, please sign up to receive our emails at https://www.poolre.co.uk/signup/.

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on your streaming app of choice, and share so we can help build a better understanding of the terrorism threat to the UK.

Disclaimer: The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Pool Re employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of Pool Re.

Episode #011 – Joe Whittaker – The incel subculture: An emerging threat?

Joe Whittaker is a senior lecturer in Criminology, Sociology, and Social Policy at Swansea University and is affiliated with the Cyber Threats Research Centre in Swansea. Joe’s doctoral research was a behavioural study of Islamic State actors in America 2012-2018, conducted jointly with Swansea University and Leiden University. Joe also researches the incel subculture, online counter-narratives, and how online recommendation systems interact with extremist content.

In this episode, we explore Joe’s recent research into the incel subculture for the Commission for Countering Extremism. Short for involuntary celibate, incels can broadly be defined as a group of people who are unable to find sexual partners, despite wanting them, and a small subsection of which believe violence to be justified.

For regular insightful terrorism threat and risk information, as well as other Pool Re updates, please sign up to receive our emails at https://www.poolre.co.uk/signup/.

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please subscribe on your streaming app of choice, and share so we can help build a better understanding of the terrorism threat to the UK.

Disclaimer: The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Pool Re employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of Pool Re.