COBRA met this week – but what is it?
It is reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has convened a meeting of Cobra in order to plan a response to the far Right rioting around the country that has followed the terrible stabbings in Southport.
Cobra sounds really exciting. It evokes images of a venomous snake or – if you’re a movie fan like me – the 1986 Sylvester Stallone action film of that name.
In fact, the truth is much more prosaic. Cobra is simply an acronym.
It stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A. Cobra meetings are held in Downing Street, within Cabinet Office buildings. In most cases, Cobra is convened as part of the Civil Contingencies Committee which plans government responses in times of emergency.