Brazil locking up its wannabe dictators and its murderous cops

Our very own Ben Pope, Representative of Casualised Members (HE) on NEC, is quoted in this Research Professional piece on REF 2029 portability rules #UCU www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Labour are totally asleep at the wheel with regard to university funding, student loans, regional economies, and seem to have little sense of the electoral implications of that.

: Half of UK universities face a deficit next year. Up to 50 could close. That is a sector in crisis. Simply blaming a tuition fee freeze and nudging fees up with inflation is not a plan. Where is the long-term strategy for higher education? #Universities #HigherEducation

In an unprecedented move, one reflective of the deeply unprecedented times at our university, UoN branches of three different unions (@UCU.org.uk, @unisonorg.uk, and Unite) have all successfully passed motions of no confidence in the Vice Chancellor and the entire executive board.

And that’s my #ucu ballot in the post! A reminder: these do need to be at the Civiva head office by 5pm on Monday 2 March. Get them in the post by this coming Thursday to make sure they arrive!

Governments need to realize the AI productivity boost is not coming, and the investment they’re eager to win will dry up once the bubble bursts. They need to protect their citizens, not sell them out to tech companies that care so little for the social good. disconnect.blog/sam-altmans-...

This is good, and Hannah Spencer sounds driven. But what really makes this article is the inclusion of one of John Harris’s typically outstanding short films, this one about Gorton and Denton, from the ‘Anywhere but Westminster’ series. Watch it. @johnharris1969.bsky.social

Relatable

Killing of neo-Nazi in Lyon: “Antifascism is now being exploited” News, Feb 23rd The death of Quentin Deranque is being used as a pretext for equating fascism and antifascism ~ Rozenn Le Carboulec, Basta! ~ freedomnews.org.uk/2026/02/23/k...

Mandelson follows the former prince Andrew into the Epstein-linked arrest book.

Here’s a few photos from tonight’s @mogwai.scot at Bristol Beacon.

Needy humans find out

Mogwai at a packed Bristol Beacon last night. Epically loud. The quiet bits were a ruse @mogwai.scot

I agree that we’ve been too slow off the mark. There are some reasons for that but to be honest I don’t think any are good enough excuses. It’s well past time to crack on with a proper campaign, and that’s my top priority. (I also live in Gorton & Denton so very alive to the risk of Reform!)

The penguins of Heard & McDonald Islands breathing a huge sigh of relief I imagine

Ooofff… that’s bad

The final #ucu VP hustings question asks whether we need a national campaign to defend the sector. Of course we do, but it can’t be just tacked onto a pay dispute as HEC voted to do last year, despite the evidence it wouldn’t work. Focus, strategy, creativity and unity. That’s what’s needed.

Er, maybe abolish the monarchy?

We’ve all had enough of politicians lying to us, right? Reckon on that we can all agree Which is why I’m absolutely buzzing for this legislation that would criminalise lying in politics …”punishable by up to two years in jail!” GAME-CHANGER news.sky.com/story/hillsb...

Hi #UCU folks, Moving quite slowly these days due to various health issues, but here's my NEC/VP election post: bparsia.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/u... Please please please vote for @markpendleton.bsky.social and @suzitoole.bsky.social for the VPs.

Yes, and don't forget Brazil:

It’s not all elections at #ucu. This afternoon I’m joining the induction for the new Congress Business Committee, the elected body that determines how our annual congress runs. This year it will be in Harrogate at the end of May. Congress is our peak democratic body, but how democratic is it?

Livestreaming at 7.30pm tonight: The Freedom Anarchist News Review! Filton 24 members get a good result, the perp formerly known as prince has a birthday horribilis, jobs news looks increasingly bleak, and Italian declare railways disruption a "terror incident." www.youtube.com/@freedomnews...

With regard to some of the posts I've seen today, can we please recognise that the children (even if now grown up) of a couple who are known to have consorted regularly with a prolific paedophile (and have consistently lied about it) are potential victims and should be treated respectfully.

Nobody, in the entire history of caring, has ever cared one fraction of a percent about anything as much as he cares about this.

Thanks, Lisa!! 😁

Want to access a list of awesome folks like these? Check out ucucommons.org/election26/

2/3 Next up, the mighty @drgillhistory.bsky.social who I've had the pleasure of being alongside at several Equality conferences seeing her do the good + hard work of being firm about inclusion + support for all our sisters. Gill will bring her wealth of experience at the OU to benefit all ❤️

🧵1/3 Giving a special shout out to our wonderful @ucucommons.org candidates - all people putting in the hard graft for UCU members. Matt joined HEC recently + it would be great to continue having his wisdom contributing to our union strategy. Vote @matthewbarnard.phd (owner of excellent cats)

3/3 and then we come to @profalexp.bsky.social who came SO CLOSE to election a couple of seasons ago. Really rooting for Alex to bring his insightful radical passion to benefit members across UCU. Interrogating the arguments so we win important advances. 👏🏼

If you haven’t voted in the NEC elections yet, please do. Helpful voting hints in the post below. Cheers!

Back in 2023, I noticed the refreshed Ursula K. Le Guin website no longer had this essay. I reached out to ask if it could be restored, and a few days later someone from the foundation sent over the URL to show it was back online :)

Zack Polanski, "We have huge intergenerational injustice" "So we shouldn't be pitting young people against the businesses employing them" "A wealth tax on assets would raise £12-15 billion" "We also need to bring capital gains tax in line with income tax"

3. Once the ballot was voted for and with the sec of state dispute in danger, I was the one who proposed remission of the sec of state dispute in order to keep it alive. This was documented in a @ucucommons.org report on the meeting: ucucommons.org/report-from-...

Nothing beats management fuck ups for recruitment

A UCU NEC rep has written a post with false claims. Let me set the record straight. 1. I am in @ucucommons.org & I've been a strong backer of the Sec of State dispute. I spoke in favour of it at Congress & against UCU Left amendments that would have gutted it. UCUL are ambivalent at best about it.

Shut it down

More evidence, if it were needed, that the X algorithm is having political consequences - skewing content and shifting people's attitudes to the right. If you are still on the platform, and using the algorithmic feed, then you are being manipulated by Elon Musk. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I was director of education when the pandemic hit, and I and the rest of the institution bust a gut to get students and my colleagues out of classrooms and online to protect them and their families. These students are entitled fucking scumbags.

This should be of interest to many of the Historical IR crowd!

@politicsoxford.bsky.social is adverising two 3 year lectureships in international relations, one in IPE and one in historial/interpretive approaches ⬇️ please circulate. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

In some ways I'm philosophical about The End these days. It is what it is. But for the final wave to hit because of the crisis when we worked the hardest we possibly could, we nearly broke ourselves, and did exactly what the govt told us to do? It seems.. painful.

Hustings videos for the #UCU elections are up. Both UCU Left candidates clearly state they are members of the Socialist Workers' Party, which won't be a shock to anyone in the know. In more positive news, check out Mark and Suzi's videos here! www.ucu.org.uk/article/1419...

Narayan Krishna (1875-1949) was the first at many things: the first Indian to meet Leo Tolstoy (in Aug 1903); the first Indian to meet Thomas Edison (in March 1915); the first Indian to join a socialist party (in Portland in Dec 1906).

I regret to inform you that the Crown Prosecution Service has joined the terrorist conspiracy against our blameless nation. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

All aggravated burglary charges have been dropped against the "Filton 24" - the Palestine Action activists who broke into Elbit in Filton and damaged Israeli drones and weapons components! I don't think it's been publicly reported yet, but I have a mate who is at the trial.

Freedom seeks contributions to “Black Anarchism” issue Editorial, Feb 18th We invite essays and reflections, reports on actions and campaigns, personal accounts, and other non-fiction writing freedomnews.org.uk/2026/02/18/f...