Matthew Redhead
@matthewrr.bsky.social
National & financial security. Former UK civil servant and financial intelligence professional. Senior Associate Fellow @rusi.bsky.social CFS. Loves ideas, cult fiction, anomalous stuff and landscapes.
Views own.
Views own.
Pinned
Matthew Redhead
@matthewrr.bsky.social
· Sep 12
“People sometimes tell me that they prefer barbarism to civilisation. I doubt if they have given it a long enough trial…they are bored by civilisation; but all the evidence suggests that the boredom of barbarism is infinitely greater.”
Kenneth Clark, ‘Civilisation’.
Kenneth Clark, ‘Civilisation’.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
So many senior MAGA figures are so careless I wouldn't be surprised if two dozen intelligence agencies have cracked their means of communication
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
So many senior MAGA figures are so careless I wouldn't be surprised if two dozen intelligence agencies have cracked their means of communication
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Only 16% of Trump voters support Ukraine making territorial concessions to Russia and 72% are in favor of selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, according to a new poll by The Vandenberg Coalition.
72% of Trump voters also believe the US should help Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.
72% of Trump voters also believe the US should help Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.
November 25, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Only 16% of Trump voters support Ukraine making territorial concessions to Russia and 72% are in favor of selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, according to a new poll by The Vandenberg Coalition.
72% of Trump voters also believe the US should help Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.
72% of Trump voters also believe the US should help Ukraine and hold Russia accountable.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
BBC removes description of Donald Trump as "the most openly corrupt president in American history" from the broadcast today of Rutger Bregman's Reith Lecture. I was among the several hundred people to hear the original at the lecture theatre
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 12:49 PM
BBC removes description of Donald Trump as "the most openly corrupt president in American history" from the broadcast today of Rutger Bregman's Reith Lecture. I was among the several hundred people to hear the original at the lecture theatre
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
"Europe’s problem is not that it lacks options. It is that it refuses to use them". Jade McGlynn skewers both the Dmitriev/Witkoff plan for Ukraine's destruction, & Europe's refusal to act decisively enough to prevent disaster. open.substack.com/pub/smalldee...
Circus
Amidst the absolute chaos of a Witkoff-stamped Russian psyop-as-peace plan, discussion is filled with anger at Washington and at Moscow.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
"Europe’s problem is not that it lacks options. It is that it refuses to use them". Jade McGlynn skewers both the Dmitriev/Witkoff plan for Ukraine's destruction, & Europe's refusal to act decisively enough to prevent disaster. open.substack.com/pub/smalldee...
Nigel Farage “not a very nice man” shocker.
November 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Nigel Farage “not a very nice man” shocker.
The BeeGee whose opinion I never rated.
Robbie Gibb describes the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason as the "unsung hero of covering politics" and "absolutely first rate"
November 24, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The BeeGee whose opinion I never rated.
Another top quality response from Mr Chat GPT:
"Short answer: in the real world, there isn’t a Trump administration in 2025, so there are no actual 2025 policy changes by Trump...as of late 2025, Joe Biden is still US president..."
Would that it were so. WOULD THAT IT WERE SO.
"Short answer: in the real world, there isn’t a Trump administration in 2025, so there are no actual 2025 policy changes by Trump...as of late 2025, Joe Biden is still US president..."
Would that it were so. WOULD THAT IT WERE SO.
November 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Another top quality response from Mr Chat GPT:
"Short answer: in the real world, there isn’t a Trump administration in 2025, so there are no actual 2025 policy changes by Trump...as of late 2025, Joe Biden is still US president..."
Would that it were so. WOULD THAT IT WERE SO.
"Short answer: in the real world, there isn’t a Trump administration in 2025, so there are no actual 2025 policy changes by Trump...as of late 2025, Joe Biden is still US president..."
Would that it were so. WOULD THAT IT WERE SO.
Mixed feelings about this. I wonder whether it would make more sense to fold this explicitly into Remembrance Day, also remembering the efforts made by the police, emergency services and intelligence agencies to prevent and mitigate terrorism?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK to hold new national day to remember terror victims
Starting next year, the annual day will honour victims and survivors in the UK, the Home Office says.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Mixed feelings about this. I wonder whether it would make more sense to fold this explicitly into Remembrance Day, also remembering the efforts made by the police, emergency services and intelligence agencies to prevent and mitigate terrorism?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Might set up the Higher Taxes for Other People party: think it could be popular.
November 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Might set up the Higher Taxes for Other People party: think it could be popular.
Have it, Donald.
NEWS: Judge Tosses Criminal Charges Against James Comey and Letitia James
A federal judge threw out the criminal charges against James Comey, the former F.B.I. director, and Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, on Monday.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
A federal judge threw out the criminal charges against James Comey, the former F.B.I. director, and Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, on Monday.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
Trump Administration Live Updates: Criminal Case Dismissed Against Former F.B.I. Chief Comey
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Have it, Donald.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Really? I don’t think he’ll make it til much past 7pm, if I’m honest.
November 24, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Really? I don’t think he’ll make it til much past 7pm, if I’m honest.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
The National Crime Agency has exposed a billion-dollar money laundering network that bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to help Russian actors evade sanctions and route payments connected to Moscow’s military ambitions.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nca-uncovers...
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nca-uncovers...
NCA uncovers billion-dollar Russian war laundering network
The National Crime Agency has exposed a billion-dollar money laundering network that bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to help Russian actors evade sanctions and route payments connected to Moscow’s military ambitions.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk
November 23, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The National Crime Agency has exposed a billion-dollar money laundering network that bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to help Russian actors evade sanctions and route payments connected to Moscow’s military ambitions.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nca-uncovers...
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nca-uncovers...
👌🏼
There’s a distinct theme binding key actors in a saga that saw Donald Trump pardon a man convicted over a massive nursing home scandal.
Fraudsters Lobbied Fraudster to Grant Presidential Pardon to Fraudster
There’s a distinct theme binding key actors in a saga that saw Donald Trump pardon a man convicted over a massive nursing home scandal.
trib.al
November 23, 2025 at 9:22 PM
👌🏼
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Will Donald Trump push ahead with plans for space-based lasers? In The World Ahead we explore the five trends to watch as military competition in space grows more intense
Military competition in space will intensify
As the race to dominate space intensifies, here are five areas to watch in 2026
econ.st
November 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Will Donald Trump push ahead with plans for space-based lasers? In The World Ahead we explore the five trends to watch as military competition in space grows more intense
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
A Royal Navy patrol ship has intercepted two Russian vessels off the UK coast, the Ministry of Defence has said.
November 23, 2025 at 6:32 PM
A Royal Navy patrol ship has intercepted two Russian vessels off the UK coast, the Ministry of Defence has said.
👇
Dear UK: You don’t pay enough taxes to have an NHS that doesn’t run on immigration and immigrant labour.
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
Sorry to be brutally honest but it’s how it is
November 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
👇
November 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Ringing endorsement.
WELKER: Was this 28 point plan written by Russia?
BESSENT: I have no information on that
BESSENT: I have no information on that
November 23, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Ringing endorsement.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Difficult to see how a Trump administration so wracked with delusion and infighting won't screw up a US military attack on Venezuela
FWIW, RUMINT, but pretty reliable:
1. Vance key to US embrace of Russia plan on Ukraine, Rubio (and even Trump) out of the loop.
2. Vance-Rubio relations “awful.”
3. Rubio told the senators exactly what they said he told them.
4. Hegseth paranoid he’ll be shoved out, Driscoll will replace him.
1. Vance key to US embrace of Russia plan on Ukraine, Rubio (and even Trump) out of the loop.
2. Vance-Rubio relations “awful.”
3. Rubio told the senators exactly what they said he told them.
4. Hegseth paranoid he’ll be shoved out, Driscoll will replace him.
November 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Difficult to see how a Trump administration so wracked with delusion and infighting won't screw up a US military attack on Venezuela
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
1) Start the worst European war since 1945 and commit every imaginable war crime
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
November 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM
1) Start the worst European war since 1945 and commit every imaginable war crime
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Monday coming
November 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Monday coming
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Remember Trump's minerals deal that would guarantee Ukraine?
Good. Me either.
Good. Me either.
November 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Remember Trump's minerals deal that would guarantee Ukraine?
Good. Me either.
Good. Me either.
Reposted by Matthew Redhead
Chinese underground organisations are taking over one of the world’s biggest illicit industries—international money-laundering networks that facilitate crimes from drug smuggling to cryptocurrency theft econ.st/3LScP08
Illustration:
Illustration:
November 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Chinese underground organisations are taking over one of the world’s biggest illicit industries—international money-laundering networks that facilitate crimes from drug smuggling to cryptocurrency theft econ.st/3LScP08
Illustration:
Illustration: