Joe Barnes
Joe Barnes covers European politics with a particular focus on defence, security and the Ukraine war for The Telegraph. His recent work tracks how European and transatlantic governments respond to Russian aggression, Nato’s evolving posture and the diplomatic effort to shape peace talks with Kyiv. He reports across the Baltic states, EU institutions and wider strategic flashpoints, joining up frontline security, alliance logistics and high-level negotiations.
Ukraine war, peace talks and allied diplomacy
Barnes is heavily engaged in coverage of the Ukraine war and the attempts to move it towards some form of negotiated settlement.
His reporting and commentary follow proposals such as Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitations to peace talks and the political reactions they trigger in Moscow and Western capitals. He examines how battlefield developments and Ukraine’s leverage feed into diplomatic initiatives, including ideas for limited ceasefires and “mini truces” around key civilian infrastructure such as commercial airports.
He focuses on the role of European governments in shaping and responding to these peace efforts, with particular attention to Britain and the main EU powers acting together or in tension. Across his coverage he treats negotiations as political strategy as much as military necessity, looking at who gains influence at the table, how proposals are framed publicly, and what they mean for Nato’s long-term posture towards Russia.
His contributions to Ukraine-focused programming and analysis add detail on how leaders in Kyiv, European capitals and Washington read each other’s intentions and red lines.
European security and Nato’s eastern flank
Security on Nato’s eastern front is a core strand of Barnes’s beat, particularly in the Baltic states and their neighbours. He has reported on Belarus using migrant flows as a tool of hybrid warfare against European border guards, drawing out how regional security officials see the tactic escalating. He follows how Latvia and its neighbours strengthen their defences, from reintroducing conscription to converting basements into shelters as fears of a potential Russian attack grow.
His work highlights the pressure on civil defence systems and the political arguments leaders use to justify these measures to their populations.
Barnes also covers hard military incidents and infrastructure, such as European fighter jets being deployed after Russian drones enter Nato airspace over Romania and Latvia. He shows how such incursions test alliance readiness and the practical mechanisms used to reassure local residents while avoiding wider escalation. In joint investigative work he has detailed German plans to prevent pro-Kremlin “traitor states” from blocking the movement of Nato troops through key logistics routes known as “Nato’s roundabout”, bringing out the constitutional and political tools officials are preparing for a crisis.
Across these pieces he consistently connects local decisions and military planning to the broader question of how Nato deters Russia while staying politically cohesive.
EU politics, sanctions and Brexit aftershocks
Barnes writes on EU politics where it intersects with security, sanctions and the legacy of Brexit. His coverage of British farmers facing EU spot checks under Keir Starmer’s Brexit deal explores how post-Brexit arrangements land in day-to-day economic life and what new oversight Brussels gains over UK sectors.
He situates these developments within the wider political relationship between London and EU institutions, treating trade and regulation as part of a broader power balance rather than a technical story.
Sanctions policy is another recurring theme, with Barnes reporting on how individual member states lobby to protect domestic industries from measures aimed at Moscow. His work on Italy pushing to exclude luxury goods from sanctions packages shows how economic interests can shape, soften or delay punitive measures against Russia. In Baltic-focused pieces he follows how decisions on accepting or restricting Russians fleeing Vladimir Putin reflect local political calculations, security concerns and attitudes towards the war.
Across sanctions and migration coverage he emphasises the political trade-offs European leaders make between economic pain, moral positioning and security objectives.
Transatlantic defence and global flashpoints
Barnes extends his politics and defence coverage to global choke points and US policy where they affect European security.
In reporting on plans for a multinational coalition to oversee the Strait of Hormuz under a White House initiative, he traces how control of key maritime routes is being restructured and what it means for European navies and trade interests. He shows how US-led proposals are negotiated with allies, looking at the balance between Washington’s strategic priorities and European concerns over escalation and commitments.
His biography notes that he has covered US elections from Washington, DC, reflecting a broader focus on how American political outcomes feed back into European defence, Nato cohesion and support for Ukraine. This transatlantic angle runs through his work, tying events in Washington and global flashpoints to the practical choices European governments face on spending, deployments and diplomatic alignment.
4 more politics journalists.
Abbi Garton-Crosbie
Abbi Garton-Crosbie is a multimedia political reporter who treats independence as a live process shaped by Holyrood power struggles, party manoeuvres and grassroots pressure. She works at The National, a pro-independence newspaper, covering how political power is contested and exercised in contemporary Scotland, with a core focus on parties, parliament and the mechanics of constitutional change. She reports on parliamentary votes, government strategy around future independence referendums, and elections across Scotland in the wider context of devolution in Wales and Northern Ireland. Her work centres on party leadership, resignations and internal conflict, including long-form interviews with senior politicians and coverage of emerging and smaller parties. She examines far-right activity, protest politics and movement organisation, and runs policy-driven reporting on rent caps, AI data centres, health boards and public services, across written, video and podcast formats.
Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu
Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu is a politics reporter with Premium Times who treats politics as a system of rules, contests and consequences rather than personalities. He focuses on power struggles, security shocks and governance disputes shaping party competition in northern Nigeria, especially how violence, corruption investigations and economic strain intersect with political authority. He reports on Bauchi’s 2027 governorship race, APC primaries and PRP realignment, tracking defections, party constitutions and factional manoeuvring. His coverage of Jigawa and Yobe follows power-sharing fights, candidate substitutions and Tinubu reelection mobilisation efforts. He links banditry and local security crises in Kano and Zamfara to political structures, using precise locations and casualty figures. His investigative work on alleged shady dealings around the Dala Inland Dry Port and reporting on soaring cooking gas prices add a corruption and economic hardship lens.
Aisha Iqbal
Aisha Iqbal covers local and regional politics for the BBC, with a distinct focus on grassroots power and how local decisions shape trust, representation and public services. She reports on Bradford Council decisions, waste services, cultural funding, regeneration grants and the use of public money. She also covers grooming gangs, community safety, political trust, elections, Muslim voters, Gaza, ceasefire campaigns and the links between faith, foreign policy and representation. Her work includes culture and public figures when they intersect with civic identity, including a feature on David Hockney. She connects committee-room votes, neighbourhood disputes and national debates, showing who gains, who loses and how communities respond. She reports across broadcast and online platforms in a clear, explanatory style. Earlier, she covered politics, culture and consumer issues for regional newspapers.
Alessia Simona Maratta
Alessia Simona Maratta stands out for showing how political decisions, regulations and conflicts ripple through communities, pairing national and global stories with on-the-ground voices and clear policy explanations. She is a digital reporter, producer and editor with Global News’ network news desk, covering breaking news, crime, politics, public health, housing, labour, immigration, environment and climate, social issues and features. Her recent work spans politics, public health regulation, labour and technology, and human-interest features that ground complex issues in everyday experience. She reports on politics, policy and community impact, public health and social debates, and labour and regulation at the intersection of technology, globalization and worker rights. Alongside hard news, she produces features that use individual stories, straightforward narrative arcs and accessible explanations to connect history, science and policy to everyday life.