Richard Norton-Taylor is a former security and defence editor at The Guardian. His books include 'In Defence of the Realm? The case for Accountable Security and Intelligence Services' and 'Truth is A Difficult Concept: Inside the Scott Inquiry'. He has written a number of award-winning plays, including 'Half the Picture', 'The Colour of Justice', 'Justifying War', 'Bloody Sunday', 'Called to Account' and 'Chilcot'. He is on the board of Liberty, the National Council for Civil Liberties. He has twice won the Freedom of Information Campaign awards.
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Published in: openDemocracyUK: OpinionPride: why the UK spent billions on nuclear bombs but ignored pandemic threat
A viral outbreak was judged more likely than a nuclear attack – so why was Trident ring-fenced while NHS funding was cut?
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Published in: openDemocracyUK: OpinionThank God for Dominic Cummings?
Will Team Johnson really ‘shake up’ Whitehall? Or – as events this week suggest – are they more likely to adopt its...
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Published in: openDemocracyUKFrom “dysfunctional, inept” Trump to “frail” Corbyn, why is Whitehall getting leakier?
Whitehall appears to be panicking after years of excessive secrecy and complacency. But leaks are no substitute for...
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Published in: openDemocracyUKThe Belhaj case shows British intelligence agencies are out of control
Tony Blair’s non-apology to the victim of ‘extraordinary rendition’ – and Jack Straw and Theresa May’s attempts to...
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Published in: openDemocracyUKMinistry of Defence not fit for purpose
The MoD has a vested interest in exaggerating threats, in promoting concerns about a new cold war, in order to...
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Published in: HomeVoices to lift our spirits
“In a protest, we’re all bystanders, we’re all there because of some attempt to marginalise us; the bystanders are...