The Undercover Policing Inquiry recently disclosed the closing report of the Special Demonstration Squad, written in 2008.

Returning regular guest Donal O'Driscoll https://x.com/petersalmon7 of the Undercover Research Group sits down with regular host Tom Fowler https://linktr.ee/tombfowler to review it's contents.

They discuss what the substance of the report reveals, how the authorities knew about the unit's malpractices years earlier than claimed and if published sooner, why the conclusions feel prescient about the outcomes of any report on the first three tranches of the Inquiry.

You can download and read the report for yourself https://ucpi.org.uk/publications/sds-closing-report

Tranche 3 of the inquiry is currently ongoing, with both Donal and Tom attending every day of hearings, you can keep up with all the coverage by following the social media links on our newly relaunched website https://spycops.info

The thumbnail is of a Special Branch commemorative retirement gift watch, it's is unknown if these were issued to former SDS officers or not.

Legendary activist and one of the most spied upon people in the UK, Dave Morris https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/tag/dave-morris sits down with regular host Tom Fowler https://ko-fi.com/tombfowler to discuss the successes that have been achieved in holding the spycops to account.

From his vantage point as a veteran of fighting through the legal system, and a litigant in person at the Undercover Policing Inquiry, Dave reflects on ten years at the UCPI and points out the many ways in which those who were targets of the state have won significant victories throughout the process.

Dave's prominence in anarchist activism https://radicalhistorynetwork.blogspot.com/2024/04/dave-morris-tottenham-community.htm has meant his name appears in numerous undercover police reports during every era https://ucpi.org.uk/individuals_name/dave-morris, having been involved in projects from London Workers Group and Anarchy magazine https://libcom.org/tags/dave-morris to London Greenpeace and McLibel https://mcspotlight.org, he is still active with Haringey Solidarity Group https://haringey.org.uk.

A new immersive theatrical production about political repression, blacklisting and undercover police by Common/Wealth is due to open in October 2025.

https://commonwealththeatre.co.uk/shows/demand-the-impossible/

Rhiannon White https://linktr.ee/rhi_annon_white, Hussina Raja https://hussinaraja.com, Bianca Ali https://instagram.com/bitchinwithbianca and Soul Roberts https://instagram.com/soulroberts1 sit down with regular hosts Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder of the Undercover Research Group and Tom Fowler https://ko-fi.com/tombfowler to discuss how they came to be making a play on this topic and what they are hoping to communicate to audiences.

With the return of the Undercover Policing Inquiry only a month away, Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder of the Undercover Research Group and Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler discuss all the news that has come out over the summer and preview the next set of hearings. https://ucpi.org.uk/2025/08/18/inquiry-announces-updates-to-the-tranche-3-phase-1-hearings-schedule/

Three former undercover officers will be giving evidence before Christmas 2025, James Thomson, Peter Francis and Mark Cassidy.

https://powerbase.info/index.php/James_Straven_(alias)

https://theguardian.com/uk/peter-francis

https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/our-stories/alisons-story-new/

If you'd like to support Tom's work

https://ko-fi.com/tombfowler

or Chris' running:

https://justgiving.com/page/chris-brian-2

Tenacious researcher and persistent investigator into police, justice and secret service activities Eveline Lubbers https://x.com/evelinelubbers from the Undercover Research Group joins regular host Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to talk about the new extensive resource website for all things undercover policing https://spycopsresearch.info

She also talks about her background in the Amsterdam squatter movement as part of the legendary Buro Jansen & Janssen in the 1980s leading to her involved in McSpotlight in the 1990s https://mcspotlight.org

We also chat about the upcoming 'Demand The Impossible' theatre production https://commonwealththeatre.co.uk/shows/demand-the-impossible/

Following an open letter from Core Participants https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/03/10/treat-us-fairly-demand-spycops-inquiry-participants/, the Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry John Mitting called a directional hearing. Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group sat down with Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss what happened. With voices from coverage from the day including Zoe Young https://x.com/zoeyou, James Simpson https://x.com/jameshsimpson, Kate Wilson https://x.com/fruitbatmania, "Jessica" https://x.com/jessica_me2, Ben https://x.com/GringoBen, Mr Abney https://x.com/MrAbney1904.

Hearings at the inquiry are not meant to return until October 2025, in the meantime you can support more episodes of this podcast at https://ko-fi.com/tombfowler

First appearance on the podcast by Liz Fuller https://x.com/Lizfuller1, a woman who was deceived by HN1 into a long term intimate relationship, she joins with Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group and Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss both his recent appearance giving evidence at the undercover policing inquiry and her own.

More information on the undercover officer HN1 who used the cover name "Matt Rayner":

https://powerbase.info/index.php/Matt_Rayner_(alias)

https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/tag/matt-rayner/

Credit for the cover illustration to Oliver Saunders KC who's suggestion of aging an old photograph of HN1 was presented to a free online AI.

The second part of our mini-series on the senior officers from the early days of the Special Demonstration Squad. We now go on to the "backroom fixer' Phil Saunders who was singled out for critism in the interim report from the inquiry.

Chris Brian x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group continues the conversation with Tom Fowler x.com/tombfowler.

Inquiry documents relating to Phil Saunders: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-1251/

First in a mini-series on the Special Branch cops that shaped the Special Demonstration Squad. Starting with the 'Brash Chancer' Conrad Dixon who claimed to have founded the unit.

Chris Brian https://x.com/bristolnoborder from the Undercover Research Group returns to "go retro" with Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler and have a look at the early days of the spycops unit.

Inquiry documents relating to Dixon: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/hn-325/

The Undercover Policing Inquiry was meant to return for Phase two of Tranche two on Monday 30th September, but it didn't.

Kate Wilson https://x.com/fruitbatmania joins Tom Fowler https://x.com/tombfowler to discuss why that is, and look at all the goings on behind the scenes that show just how dysfunctional the whole process has been.

Tranche 2 Phase 2 will now start on Monday 14th October, with live hearings starting on Monday 21st October at the International Dispute Resolution Centre, London. You can register now https://www.ucpi.org.uk/2024/09/27/registration-open-for-inquirys-tranche-2-phase-2-hearings/