I love an end-of-year list, so will inflict mine on all of you. Some film, mainly TV, a bit of music and a book that I’ve enjoyed in 2025.

England's Long Reformation finally reaches its end as Paddington becomes its St Peter for all who enter the afterlife.

Me: I don’t see the appeal of boxing TV: OK but what if it’s professional boxers savagely brutalizing influencers Me:

Daniel Gwydion Williams, of Swansea University, has set down some really eloquent thoughts about the marginalisation of critical voices in the humanities, and academia generally. Shared here with his permission. #ukhe #ucu #highereducation #humanities

Some thoughts on today’s Welsh poll results, what they may (or may not) mean for UK Labour.

Worth bearing in mind that under the new electoral system for the Senedd, you need more than 12% or so of the votes to start getting seats. I bet nobody at Labour HQ thought they’d be struggling to make that. Starmer looks set to be the Labour leader that ‘lost Wales’.

NEW on Wonkhe: This week’s card from Hugh Jones’ postbag tells of some entirely Normal episodes buff.ly/dxNbFGs

Initial thoughts on a HE car-crash: first proper post on my Substack. Part 1 of a million, probably, where I get very annoyed about bad decisions taken by UCU.

When I was elected VP of UCU I promised myself I'd do more to communicate with union members. It hasn't worked out so far, but to try and remedy that I've set up a Substack newsletter. First post below: open.substack.com/pub/dyfrigjo...

I’m not a member of UCU Commons, but I agree wholeheartedly with what is said in this blog. Will try and put some of my own thoughts down on paper over the next few days.

Been a while since the pink beanie came out. Sheffield pickets here we come. Our message to management is simple: No redundancies. Stop the incessant restructures. Listen to your staff. There is no University of Sheffield without us.

Wales generally has a left of centre political identity. This is how Caerphilly voted. Reform may win a lot of seats in Wales, but it will be so hard for them to ever form a Government as most ppl don't agree with them. This is why proportional systems are so much better.

Well, that's the lesson for Labour in tonight's Caerphilly by-election: keep obsessing about losing votes on the right, placating Reform voters...and lose votes on to the left. Here, Plaid Cymru benefitted. I wrote about Labour's strategic dilemma here: www.opendemocracy.net/en/labour-st...

Dwi’n argymell cylchlythyr Will Hayward yn gryf iawn. Rhifyn da iawn bora ‘ma, sy’n cynnwys y graffeg pwysig yma. Mae ‘na fwyafrif blaengar yng Nghaerffili, ac mae hynny’n wir am weddill Cymru hefyd, dybia i.

Learn a Welsh word: Gobaith Feeling a lot of joy after the Caerffili by-election result. medium.com/@DyfrigJones...

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Plaid Cymru WIN Caerphilly 💚 Plaid Cymru yn ENNILL Caerffili. Llongyfarchiadau Lindsay Whittle - the new Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

One of the things I love about In Our Time is that I can both listen to it properly, and also use it as sleep ASMR.

This just isn’t true. Not only is refusing to teach a significant disruption, it also has a financial cost. When @newcastleucu.bsky.social took action this year, the university paid out £2.4m in compensation to students.

With just over a week to go until the ballot opens, @dyfrigjones.bsky.social had a message to UCU higher education members at last night’s Live. Speak to as many people as possible, speak to your branch, speak to colleagues, get the message out there. Vote early. Vote YES #WeAreTheUniversity

The Board of Deputies’ response to the Israeli government inviting Tommy Robinson to visit

Mae cylchlythyr @willhaycardiff.bsky.social wastad werth ei ddarllen, ond mae rhifyn heddiw yn arbennig o dda. Darn gwych am ragrith y Toriaid ynglŷn a rhaglen Cenedl Noddfa, a gwallgofrwydd Llafur wrth gymharu Plaid Cymru gyda Reform. willhaywardwales.substack.com?utm_campaign...

Simply astonishing. Maybe Lecturer A should not have to mark over 100 essays in a two-week window in the first place? Invest in qualified staff and reduce impossible workloads FFS www.kcl.ac.uk/about/strate...

Our local ballot is open ✉️ Vote Yes and Yes! A successful ballot is our most important tool to push the employer to negotiate. LUCU reps are organising departmental meetings with officers. Join in to ask questions and raise concerns. #WeAreTheUniversity #StopTheCuts

This is really thoughtful and thought-provoking - so happy to have voted for Matt for this casual vacancy on UCU NEC/HEC. If you're a member of UCU + not yet voted, dig out those papers + vote @matthewbarnard.phd for UK-wide (and Adam Hansen for NE region) 🥰

Just had my first meeting as Chair of the Women member's standing committee, an amazing group of highly motivated and brilliant activists. We had a lovely and productive meeting sharing ideas for our sector of the Equalities conference. Honoured to work with such great people ❤️

Another amazing post by our candidate in the UCU casual vacancy elections, @matthewbarnard.phd on the anti-intellectual threat posed by 'gender critical' ideology. #ucu

I can't overstate how crucial these casual vacancy elections are. HEC is pretty much deadlocked atm, so please vote for @matthewbarnard.phd for UK wide rep and, if in the North East region (comprised of Northern and Yorkshire and Humberside) then vote for Adam Hansen too. #ucu

"Dydy'r brifysgol ddim yn gallu rhedeg heb ein aelodau ni, nac ydy?" - Cwestiwn teg gan ein cymrawd Unsain ar y rali ddoe Fel y dywedodd ein his-lywydd @vthuppil.bsky.social, mae diswyddiadau gorfodol yn llinell goch lwyr i ni. fb.watch/AbWK2TsC9u/

“A kick in the teeth” - 13% pay rise for the VC while jobs are on the line is inexcusable. Thank you to every student, staff member, and community ally who stood in solidarity with @bangorucu.bsky.social yesterday. We will keep fighting. ✊

My plans for a major retail emporium are being threatend by wholesalers who won't let me steal the stock.

Welcome to those of you who’ve made the journey over to UCU Congress. The Campaign for UCU Democracy has published some voting recommendations for posts elected at Congress. Please support them.

"Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crack-down against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial."

100% this. Saw there was a blue Labour MP saying he "didn't care" if universities went bankrupt so long as immigration went down. He might want to look at some of the basic demographics of Labour support (and also look at who the largest employers are in large Labour seats).

UCU was proud to stand in solidarity at today’s emergency protest for trans rights in London. ✊ Today, and every day, UCU stands with the trans community. We will never stop fighting for trans rights and equality. 🏳️‍⚧️ #TransRightsAreHumanRights #UCU #Solidarity

Facebook helpfully reminding me of the fan art when Prince Philip died 2 months after Captain Tom

This is nonsense, and if any reflection of elite groupthink deadly to the survival of large parts of English Higher Education. If there are no planning controls it doesn't matter who gets to call the shots: the collapse will be dynamic and unstoppable. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/reintro...

1. Stop assuming people announce all their activism on social media. 2. Stop demanding people announce all their activism on social media. 3. Stop deriding people for not announcing all their activism on social media. 4. Dunking on people on social media isn't activism and isn't praxis.

I don't think many managers appreciate the hard financial benefits of maintaining good will.

31 years ago today, this joke first aired on TV.

NEW from me: it's not that universities are woke or anti-woke, left right or centre. The Higher Ed crisis is down to the fact that they're exhausted, burnt-out and staggering under their many burdens. Read all about it: danperry.substack.com/p/the-great-...

A big part of the problem is stupid people have been convinced by rich people that AI is God, when AI is closer to an automatic dog food dispenser.

#StopTheCuts #UCU #ReclaimHE #CampusTradeUnions

one thing i do not like about these days is that i am filled with hate for so many people

The “speed at which they’ve operated” is down to ignoring or actively destroying laws and institutions. This is real “say what you will about Mussolini, but he made the trains run on time” territory. Very concerning that a leadership figure would consider this an appropriate thing to say in public.

Can someone from @ucu.org.uk speak up about the consequences of a country thrashing a major export (higher education) via immigration restrictions? Maybe Mr VP, PhD @dyfrigjones.bsky.social

Just finished the Ruby Franke documentary on Disney+. Haven’t Googled her yet, but fully expect to find that Trump has given her a full pardon and she’s awaiting confirmation to head the Department of Education.