This week I spoke with Colin Thomas and Tim Beasley of the Bristol Radical History Group to discuss the history of state surveillance in their pamphlet ‘State Snooping – Spooks, Cops and Double Agents’. From the reign of Elizabeth I right up until the present day, the British state has used spies, informants and double agents to infiltrate what it perceives to be dissident organisations. We discussed the development of surveillance institutions and the ways in which their activities have been resisted.
Bristol History Podcast is dedicated to exploring various aspects of Bristol’s history, hosted by Tom Brothwell. Produced in partnership with the Bristol Cable since April 2018.
Thanks to the 2,500 members who support the Cable, our in-depth journalism is free for everyone. Together, we empower readers with independent and investigative local reporting. Join us and be a part of Bristol’s reader-owned media cooperative.
Avon & Somerset Police are using algorithms to predict how likely someone is to commit a crime. A logical next step for policing or an invitation for discrimination?
While police are fighting to protect the identities of officers during the ‘spycops’ public inquiry into undercover policing, an Avon and Somerset Police Facebook group has exposed the identities of former officers, including covert police.
