"We’re in quite a fucking pickle when the country’s paper of record is indistinguishable from a man who won’t let his wife read a book he hasn’t pre-approved."

The US environmental regulator focused on economic growth? Thankfully that's not what the UK is doing... ...surely not?

Historians, race and ethnicity, women & gender studies scholars, take a look. The idea that teaching *accurate* history and scholarship is "grievance studies" misdirects who is nursing the grievances. Gorgeously written. Read it now.

Now official - the EU has weakened its planned 2040 emissions reduction target at the insistence of national governments. It is part of the overall story of Europe backtracking on its goals to fight climate change - party because of Trump pressure, partly because of changing public attitudes.

Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching

The idea that Ireland has ever "gold plated" the transposition of EU Environmental law, is causing a lot of people in my world to chortle manically.

Looking forward to editing the special issue of the ESR below. Please share widely! @irisheconassoc.bsky.social @isweconomics.bsky.social @esri.ie @stephenkinsella.bsky.social @beta1hat.bsky.social @bthalpin.bsky.social @phonohan.bsky.social @kevindenny.bsky.social @benelsner.bsky.social

So why does the BBC label the academic and economist Faiza Shaheen an "activist" but refuse to do the same for the former academic, turned anti-migrant activist Matt Goodwin?

How NGOs die This is Europe's playbook for dismantling democracy My latest for @euobserver.com euobserver.com/news/ar1c67c...

fixed that for you

The hypocrisy of Reform going on TV to allege that certain groups are constantly over represented on TV is truly epic.

We have just advertised a Full Prof position in the Political and Social Sciences department at the EUI (@eui-sps.bsky.social). Here are the details. Please spread the word, and get in touch if you have any questions. www.eui.eu/Documents/Se...

I'm meant to advise colleagues on a funding strategy soon. If my advice is anything other than "do not waste your time applying", it is shit advice because it's unrealistic. If it's "do not waste your time applying", it is also shit advice because of career demands. Welcome to academia!

Well there you have it, the Idi Amin policy is the official Tory one

Here are our thoughts on DAERA's Independent Review of Environmental Governance:

Yes, they are actually saying that a "foreigner" who has worked here for decades, paid National Insurance, & is entitled BECAUSE OF THAT to a state pension, would be deported for the crime of claiming it.

📢 Don’t Miss Out: UACES Fieldwork Scholarships 2025-26 £1,500.00 to fund PhD research that matters. Four flexible scholarships for fieldwork on contemporary European Studies. Learn More and Apply by 7 November 2025: www.uaces.org/funding/scho... #PhDLife #EuropeanStudies #PhDFunding

A curious approach from people who don't like the concept of immigration

"K: is for a knitted Michael Tea Higgins tea cosy, among a number of novelty gifts based on the ninth President." For 25 more quirky but instructive letters check out @qubhistory.bsky.social HAPP Prof Marie Coleman A to Z of the Irish Presidency 👇🧶 blogs.qub.ac.uk/qpol/an-a-z-...

A pleasure to be up in Stormont earlier to present our final report on Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland 👇 More independence, more powers, and greater transparency and accountability all needed to improve governance and the environment for all. www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/indepen...

As Sarkozy heads to prison today (🍾) it's important to not gloss over how bad the charges against him were. This is not a petty political judgement but a stark indictment of how far the RPR then UMP went to get extra funds for financing political campaigns. 👇 www.mediapart.fr/vod/personne...

So Peston failed to ask "No British government has ever revoked permanent status retrospectively. has it" "Has ANY government done this since Idi Amin?" "So you want to deport most nurses who aren't citizens, simply because they don't earn enough money. Do you think that is fair play?"

💥New: Are we teaching students AI competence or dependence? ✍️Thorsten Fröhlich #AcademicSky #HigherEducation #University

"Mainstream parties are increasingly allowing the far right to set the agenda" - for the @theguardian.com, @ashifakassam.bsky.social summed up our study. @tevoelker.bsky.social and I answered some questions to put our results into context. Give it a read! Study: bit.ly/4hhRFUN

went to check in on this freak out of curiosity and, far from being a random, she's followed by lots of MPs current and former, journalists, think tankers, etc - once again! I feel like I'm losing my entire mind!

Not that anyone seems to care, but just a quick reminder that Hungary is still a member state of the ICC and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin still under indictment by the Court and Hungary still under an obligation to arrest him.

📢 Call for Papers for EPSS 2026 conference in Belfast is out: epssnet.org/belfast-2026... This we’’ll feature two sections to provide more information about the conference. 🔝 This week: Formal Political Theory & Political Representation 🧵

98%! Only 2 in every 100 installations don’t need corrective action. Read it and weep

I love how Queen's makes sure Canadian staff and students can celebrate thanksgiving properly...by inviting the local Poutine truck on campus. Sadly only spotted it after lunch yesterday 😞🍟🟤🧀

this is sociopathic behaviour and I think we need to treat it as such! just because something has become easy to do doesn't mean it has become less creepy, or more acceptable!

Couldn’t resist this one!

Après tout Lecornu 1 pouvait se targuer d'un bilan impeccable

The @europarl.europa.eu has to do its job as democracy watchdog and hold the Commission to account. “Loyalty to national interests cannot trump the EU’s general interest, or the edifice will crumble when threatened from all sides, including within it” says @alemanno.bsky.social

Commercial law, human rights law, EU law

The centre-right European People's Party is siding with far-right groups to slash EU sustainability and corporate due diligence rules, while business leaders and former EU heavyweights are urging to keep climate and human rights reporting rules intact.

Yet another Australian Commonwealth Government fiasco: The @Deloitte scandal discredits both this high (taxpayer) paid consultant and AI (artificial intelligence). Before it was cut and paste. Now AI has been exposed making stuff up. False/fraudulent. Elizabeth Knight/SMH 👇

Also ‘that stuff you want to study is rubbish’ is a hard sell.

News like this makes me even more delighted we'll be offering a joint degree in Anthropology and Sociology next year at Queen's.

You should be angry at private companies making massive profits from our taxes to house the most desperate people in appalling conditions... And NOT the people forced to live in them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Australia takes bold action against sovereign citizens

'The Ministry of Defence (MoD) spends about £1m a year sending children to private schools in north Wales because "state schools teach some or all lessons in the Welsh language". It paid £1,019,000 in day school allowance in north Wales for 83 children of service personnel in 2024-2025'. Discuss.

🚌 Ready to roll! Our own OmniBus is hitting the streets today Citizens are speaking up against the deregulation of environmental laws, and we’re bringing their message @ec.europa.eu: don’t throw nature under the bus! #HandsOffNature

It's #EPC day once again, so a reminder of who's coming and what's being discussed PDF: bit.ly/UshGraphic131 @ukandeu.bsky.social

Delighted to see that my brilliant colleague Kieran Connell's book is shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 👇 Some fantastic historical research (and teaching) happening at Queen's!

Krishnan Guru Murthy, "Isn't it a bit insulting to say to an Indian doctor who is working 60-70 hours a week that in order to get settled status he's got to volunteer?" Rachel Reeves, "We want people to contribute if they come to our country" Labour have gone utterly bonkers

Paris-Berlin sleeper: low carbon, 2 years old, constantly full, but currently losing SNCF a few million EUR/yr Intl Jet fuel tax exemptions are 80 years old and cost the EU 22 million EUR/yr for the Paris-Berlin route alone. And you're cutting... the sleeper? www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

🚂🇪🇺 Quelques années seulement après leur relance, les lignes de train de nuit Paris-Strasbourg-Berlin et Paris-Strasbourg-Vienne sont supprimées faute de subventions de l’État. Ces lignes étaient une alternative à l’avion très plébiscitée par les usager·es. Elles ne peuvent pas disparaître.

I really would like to interview some of the UK's political journalists to find out how much they know about ILR - I suspect very little indeed, despite opining about it with great confidence.