Photo of Fred Harter
Fred Harter

Reporter

Fred is a reporter at The Observer who writes for the Sensemaker daily newsletter and contributes coverage across print and digital. He has reported from over a dozen countries and was previously a freelance correspondent in Ethiopia, reporting for the Guardian, The Times and others.

Photo of Fred Harter

Fred Harter

Reporter

Fred is a reporter at The Observer who writes for the Sensemaker daily newsletter and contributes coverage across print and digital. He has reported from over a dozen countries and was previously a freelance correspondent in Ethiopia, reporting for the Guardian, The Times and others.

  • Fred Harter
    The UK’s defence spending struggles are one part of a bigger picture

    Defence spending rows are fast becoming a mainstay of British politics – but the rest of Europe is rushing to rearm too

    Thu, 2 Jul 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Andy Burnham’s bets big on devolution

    He plans to rewire the state by exporting ‘Manchesterism’

    Tue, 30 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Tennis has never been more popular. Why are its players so unhappy?

    A munity is brewing over pay and player welfare

    Mon, 29 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Extreme heat has made air-con a political hot topic

    Just 20% of European homes have air conditioning, compared with 90% in the US, but keeping cool as the climate changes could exacerbate the problem

    Fri, 26 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    British sanctions against the Kremlin’s shadow fleet are not a silver bullet

    Practical and legal constraints make enforcement exceedingly difficult

    Wed, 17 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Labour is at war over defence

    Sunday’s seizure of a Russian shadow ship won’t undo the damage of John Healey and Al Carns’s resignations

    Mon, 15 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Northern Ireland’s divided society is fertile ground for far-right extremists

    The legacy of the Troubles helped fuel this week’s rioting in Belfast

    Fri, 12 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    An octopus surge is reshaping England’s coastal waters

    The trend appears to be driven by climate change

    Wed, 10 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Reform’s attempt to exploit Henry Nowak’s death is rank opportunism

    The party worries it is losing ground to the hard right Restore UK

    Thu, 4 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Questions about Peter Murrell’s SNP spending spree are not going away

    Voters doubt Nicola Sturgeon’s claims of ignorance

    Wed, 3 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    The US and Iran can’t agree how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

    More difficult conversations on Iran's nuclear programme are to come

    Mon, 1 Jun 2026

  • Fred Harter
    German YouTuber wins Gloucestershire cheese-rolling race

    Tue, 26 May 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Decreasing migration could hurt the UK economy

    Tue, 26 May 2026

  • Fred Harter
    US launches new Iran strikes despite peace talks

    Tue, 26 May 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Former SNP chief executive admits stealing party funds

    Tue, 26 May 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Ferrari asks customers not to buy its first EV

    Tue, 26 May 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Starmer looks to Charles to salvage the special relationship

    But the king’s visit to the US is full of political tripwires

    Tue, 28 Apr 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Spain embraces immigration despite political pressures

    A programme is underway to grant legal status to 500,000 illegal migrants

    Mon, 27 Apr 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Israel and Lebanon both want to disarm Hezbollah. It is not clear if they can

    Any attempt to do so by force risks igniting internal violence

    Thu, 23 Apr 2026

  • Fred Harter
    Olly Robins and Keir Starmer can’t both be right about Mandelson

    The former Foreign Office official said he faced ‘constant pressure’ to sign off on the appointment

    Wed, 22 Apr 2026

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