Thomas Harding

Thomas Harding

Security and Policy Editor
London
Thomas Harding is the security and policy editor covering Westminster politics and European affairs. He has reported extensively on the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the British parliament. Before joining The National in 2020, he was a special adviser to the UK defence secretary, working on policy and communications in the Ministry of Defence. He was also defence correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, covering the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, the Balkans and Northern Ireland. He has a degree in international history.

Articles

Sudanese refugees in Korsi, in the northern city of Birao, in the Central African Republic. AFP
Lana Nusseibeh says only a negotiated settlement will work in Sudan

Assistant Minister says the UAE is playing a constructive role in seeking peace in civil war, in letter to UK publication

September 06, 2024, 5:13 PM
A test firing of Iran's home-built surface-to-surface Fateh missile. AFP
Iranian missiles sent to Russia for new onslaught

President Zelenskyy says Western allies are dragging their feet, with a significant number of promised air defences still to be delivered

September 06, 2024, 3:24 PM
Donald Trump would give Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'even more free rein' than President Joe Biden, a former MI6 agent has said. Reuters
MI6 compiles dossier for Trump's 'messy' global return

The Middle East and Ukraine could suffer from the withdrawal of US backing in a second Trump presidency

September 05, 2024, 10:40 AM
A Norwegian soldier taking part in a military exercise. The country is doubling its defence budget to meet threats. Reuters
Norway warns melting Arctic ice increases chance of major conflict

Oslo is rearming with warships, submarines and space surveillance to counter growing Russia and China threat

September 04, 2024, 6:00 AM
An Israeli F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. The advanced jets, which have been used to bomb Gaza, are not included Britain's arms export ban. AFP
Symbolic British Israeli arms ban under attack from opposing sides

Labour groups call for total ban on weapons exports while pro-Israelis condemn embargo as aiding Hamas and Iran

September 03, 2024, 1:39 PM
British Foreign Minister David Lammy said 'this is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo'. AFP
UK announces partial ban on arms exports to Israel

Foreign Secretary says 30 export licences suspended over 'clear risk' they could be used in 'serious violation' of international law

September 02, 2024, 3:38 PM
An Israeli main battle tank during operations to destroy a tunnel in central Gaza. An in-depth report has highlighted new issues over tactics of fighting a 'devastated terrain warfare'. AFP
Israeli target errors in Gaza stemmed from 'devastated terrain warfare' tactics

In-depth UK think tank report highlights military shortcomings, with Hamas tunnels creating 'corrosive moral' issues

August 30, 2024, 7:00 AM
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Crown Prince, shakes hands with Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister, outside No 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Bloomberg
Bahrain's Crown Prince meets British PM to discuss trade and security

Resuming talks on a free-trade deal and the crisis in Gaza were top of the agenda between the two leaders

August 27, 2024, 3:52 PM
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a speech in Downing Street's Rose Garden warning that his government’s October budget would be 'painful'. Bloomberg
Keir Starmer delivers bleak winter forecast before things improve in UK

Prime Minister warns that things will 'get worse before they get better' and prepares public for a 'painful' budget in October

August 27, 2024, 1:48 PM
Riot officers hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport, England. Getty
Decades of deprivation behind UK riots are challenge for Starmer

Seven of the UK's 10 most deprived areas witnessed unrest

August 10, 2024, 7:06 AM
A photo of a man arrested over a terror plot targeting a Taylor Swift concert is shown on screen at a press conference. AFP
Taylor Swift terror plot: Teen suspects' 'network' under scrutiny

Iraqi teenager becomes third suspect arrested over the plot to attack concert in Vienna

August 09, 2024, 5:07 PM
A Russian soldier fires from D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location. AP
Moscow scrambles after Ukraine seizes Russian territory in surprise offensive

Kyiv's troops have advanced more than 30km over the border, with elite combat brigades heading for Kursk and causing panic among civilian population

August 09, 2024, 1:20 PM
Shop windows are boarded up in Northampton, England, as people brace for another right of unrest on Wednesday. AP
UK riots: Muslims urged not to confront far-right mobs

Shops are boarded up as Britain braces for further violence despite first rioters being jailed

August 07, 2024, 4:50 PM
Abdelkader Al Alloush, owner of the Sham Supermarket, sits outside his shop in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after rioters set it on fire. PA via AP
British shops, law firms and refugee centres in lockdown over riots

Rumours swirling on social media about more far-right protests, causing shop owners to close over fears of trouble

August 07, 2024, 5:00 AM
A youth throws a fence post towards police during anti-immigration clashes with police near the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. PA
Britain's first Yemeni MP calls out Elon Musk over his 'civil war' in UK post

The tech billionaire posted on social media about far-right riots gripping parts of the UK

August 06, 2024, 4:40 PM