Totally Terrorism

Episode #006 - Travis Frain - How the Westminster Bridge Attack Changed My Life


Travis Frain sustained injuries in the Westminster Bridge terror attack on 22nd March 2017. Travis has spent the years following the attack campaigning for the rights of victims of terrorism to improved support from the state, and has committed to doing what he can to play a small part in preventing future attacks. He co-founded the pressure group Survivors Against Terror in 2018, was awarded a Young Leaders in National Security Fellowship by the Counter Extremism Group, and is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Central Lancashire in the history of Islamist ideology and efforts to prevent the spread of extremism. 

He currently advises Counter Terrorism Policing HQ, the National Emergencies Trust, and several other charities and NGOs, and served as the National Chair of the UK Counter Terrorism Youth Advisory Group from Mar. 2022 - Sep. 2023. In January 2023 he was given the British Citizen Award (BCA) by Parliament in recognition of his work, and he has spoken internationally on the issue of counterterrorism at the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Commission, and many more institutions. He currently serves as a Lecturer at the University of Salford.

In this episode we talk through Travis's personal experience of the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, what actually happened, Travis's story since the attack in terms of campaigning and supporting police and government, and his perception of  terrorism threat in the UK as a survivor.

You can read more about Survivors Against Terror and their mission on their website:  https://survivorsagainstterror.org.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 #005 – Dr. Martin Gallagher – Terrorism and Organised Crime in "the Age of the Individual"

Dr. Martin Gallagher is a former Superintendent with Police Scotland. His policing career spanned three decades, encompassing periods both in uniform roles and many years as a detective, where he focussed on intelligence activities and the investigation of serious crime. He was formerly Area Commander of Paisley, Scotland’s largest town, and during his policing career received 3 commendations for personal bravery. Dr. Gallagher holds a PhD in Criminology, Masters Degrees in Terrorism Studies and Criminal Justice Studies, and a Degree in Philosophy. He has over 50 publications, and writes on a variety of topics including terrorism, organised crime, leadership and police technology. He has also been a guest speaker at numerous conferences, including on behalf of UNODC and International Centre for Counter Terrorism (ICCT) - The Hague.

In this episode we talk through some of the following themes: the links between serious organised crime and terrorism globally and in the UK, terrorism funding, crime and the IRA, is terrorism terrorism?, the age of the individual; Ukraine and the availability of weapons in the UK, drugs and terrorism, and the sixth wave of terrorism.

You can access all of Dr. Gallagher's publications on ResearchGate at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Gallagher.


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.

Note: This episode was recorded on 5th October 2023, prior to the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on 7th  October 2023.

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 #004 – Dr. Jens Binder – Should online radicalisation be our biggest concern?

Dr. Jens Binder is Associate Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. His research focuses on cybersecurity and safety, social media engagement and user wellbeing as well as online communication. He draws on perspectives from cyberpsychology, cognitive psychology and human-computer interaction and uses predominantly quantitative methods. His work has been published in high profile journals including American Psychologist, Computers in Human Behaviour, New Media & Society and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. He regularly supervises projects at PhD level and leads on a specialist Postgraduate degree in Cyberpsychology.

In this episode we talk through some of the following themes: Dr. Binder’s recent work on a publication for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) looking at radicalisation pathways of convicted terrorists in England and Wales, The differences in terrorist activity conducted by those radicalised online, offline or a hybrid of both, How dangerous online radicalisation really is, and the future of radicalisation and terrorism in the UK.

You can access the HMPPS report at: The Internet and radicalisation pathways: technological advances, relevance of mental health and role of attackers (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pool Re Solutions have also produced a deep dive report exploring the HMPPS research and groups or individuals in the UK that may act as facilitators of in-person radicalisation which can be found on our website: Exploring the Importance of In-Person Radicalisation to Understand the UK Terrorism Threat - Pool Reinsurance


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 #003 – Doctor John Morrison – Northern Irish Related Terrorism

Dr. John Morrison is an Assistant Professor in Criminology in the School of Law and Criminology. Prior to joining Maynooth, John worked in Royal Holloway, University of London, University of East London and Pennsylvania State University. John holds a PhD in International Relations (University of St Andrews), an MA in Forensic Psychology (University College Cork), and a BA in Psychology (University College Dublin).

He is an expert on violent dissident Irish republicanism, organisational fragmentation and broader issues relating to the psychology of terrorist involvement. He is an associate editor of Perspectives on Terrorism and Behavioural Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. In 2016, he co-edited a special issue of Terrorism and Political Violence that looked at one hundred years of Irish Republican paramilitary activity from 1916 to 2016.

In this episode we talk through some of the following themes: The context to Northern Irish Related terrorism and the history of ‘The Troubles’, Who are the Irish Republican Army, the Northern Irish Peace Process, and the current threat from Northern Irish Related Terrorism in Northern Ireland and to the UK Mainland.

***Please note that this recording was created prior to the alleged security breach of PSNI personal data. PSNI: Major data breach identifies thousands of officers and civilian staff - BBC News***


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 #002 - Professor Andrew Silke - Terrorism and the Climate Crisis.

Professor Andrew Silke has recently joined the Department of Law & Criminology at Royal Holloway University of London. Prior to this he held a Chair in Terrorism, Risk and Resilience at Cranfield University. He has a background in forensic psychology and criminology and has worked both in academia and for government. He is internationally recognised as a leading expert on terrorism and low intensity conflict. He has a wide range of publications including several books, with his most recent including A Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies (2023) and The Routledge Handbook on Terrorism and Counterterrorism (2019). In 2022 he guest edited a special issue on Climate Change & Terrorism for the leading research journal Terrorism & Political Violence. 

In this episode we talk through some of the following themes: How Climate Change is the fifth geo-political driver of terrorism, links between climate change and terrorism in the Middle East and Africa' links between climate change, migration and terrorism; the threat from Eco-Fascism, environmental activism and terrorism in the UK, the likelihood of environmental terrorism in the UK, and more.

• 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/.
• To read the 2022 UN report on meeting the 1.5 degree target set out in the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement please see Emissions Gap Report 2022 (unep.org).
• To read the 'Gathering Storm: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Climate Change and Terrorism' academic submission by Professor Andrew Silke and Professor John Morrison please see Full article: Gathering Storm: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Climate Change and Terrorism (tandfonline.com).

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 #001 - Conrad Prince CB – The Threat from Terrorist Use of Cyber.

Conrad Prince CB is Pool Re’s senior adviser on cyber and terrorism. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the leading defence and security think tank, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and also advises a range of companies on cyber strategy. He spent most of a 30 year career in public service at GCHQ, the UK’s cyber intelligence and security agency. He was deputy head of the agency for seven years. Following that he was the UK Government’s first Cyber Security Ambassador, helping overseas governments develop their national cyber strategies and capabilities.

In this episode we talk through some of the following themes: The general cyber threat to the UK; what is the threat to the UK from the terrorist use of cyber; how we talk about terrorist use of cyber vs cyber terrorism; the level of cyber capability UK and global terrorists have; the role of non-state cyber actors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its implications; the threat to property from terrorist use of cyber, and more.

• 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/
• To read Conrad Prince CB’s written report on the role of non-state actors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict please see the Pool Re Solutions monthly threat update from December 2022 at Monthly Threat Update December 2022 - Pool Reinsurance. 

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.