Look what arrived in the post today 👀 Huge thanks again to @aoifemod.bsky.social, @ruthhoughton.bsky.social and Cher for the chance to contribute to this book! A lovely way to end 2025 📚

A thread to send a shiver through academics everywhere. Sadly not the first example to emerge, and it won't be the last ⬇️

New post that I hope anyone who cares about human rights/the rule of law reads. If the UK Govt can use a 30 year old threat of terrorism to conceal the release of *outline* information about its agents' connection to murder, it really can act with impunity: ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/12/18/a...

'Institutions including the University of Cambridge and Queen’s University Belfast joined the list of those reporting deficits in their newly-published financial accounts as universities of all sizes continue to face financial challenges.' Leicester, Derby, LMU & Liverpool John Moores also noted.

New article out in the @nilegalq.bsky.social in a significant special issue edited by @livunislsj.bsky.social's Katie Johnston. A wake up call for both the NI Bill of Rights debate and to public lawyers across the UK to watch out for developments under Scotland's UNCRC Act: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

Blog on @globalpolicy.bsky.social about the Research Handbook on Global Governance @elgarpublishing.bsky.social edited by @aoifemod.bsky.social, Cher Weixia Chen and me www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/08/12/2...

Literally everyone watching the #LateLateToyShow right now

Barely started an I'm already an emotional wreck watching it #LateLateToyShow

"Where departments were women-led or explicitly feminist in ethos, our research participants reported feeling “seen”, trusted and able to talk about their caring responsibilities without penalty...belonging isn’t created by forms, it’s created by norms." theconversation.com/how-uk-unive...

Very happy to see this significant new book published, and to have had the opportunity to contribute to it 📖 My chapter examines the concept of equality in NI and Belgium, and explores how lessons from these two cases can help advance intersectional approaches to issues of global governance 🌍

Cross-party support for the UCU Edinburgh rally this lunchtime @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social #WeAreTheUniversity #Solidarity

A wonderful end to the week with returning to Stormont to deliver a lecture for Government and Politics teachers in NI, this year assessing the Assembly and Executive's performance. Always great to contribute to this annual event!

Now available on catch-up 📺 www.itv.com/watch/news/v...

Office for the evening, alongside Suzanne Breen from @belfasttelegraph.co.uk and with Paul Clark presenting 📺 On air at 10.45pm

Academia: plus ça change... 😅

NDNA, agreed in January 2020, feels equally a lifetime and no time ago! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Glad to see this issue finally getting some wider attention. Realities of life for people in Northern Ireland an ever-increasing mystery to UK authorities it seems... www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

"...The blame lies firmly with the British state, with the RUC who failed to investigate the murders on Bloody Sunday properly or indeed at all." The crux of so much in Northern Ireland's past that is still very much part of its present www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

This closes tomorrow at 5pm - please give it one last share if you can!

Book launch at the #PSAI conference! Happy to have contributed a chapter to this significant collection, in which I address a frustrating gap in introductory academic literature on NI and analyse it in the post-Brexit context 📚

Good to see the @lordsniscom.parliament.uk report on 'Strengthening Northern Ireland’s voice in the context of the Windsor Framework' published today. Was very happy to provide oral evidence as part of this inquiry and to see this used in the report: committees.parliament.uk/work/9002/st...

For anyone who listened to the #BBCTalkback discussion on 'middle ground' politics in NI: - The book below contains the research that was mentioned academic.oup.com/book/58114 - It also contains data on how Alliance members view the constitutional qtn (TL;DR - it's nowhere near a priority issue)

A far-right agitator called for protests to be moved to politicians’ offices within hours of being released by a judge — and shortly before a mob showed up at the east Belfast home of Justice Minister Naomi Long.

WRDA is carrying out research on VAWG offences, especially domestic abuse, exacerbated by the use of firearms. The survey is completely anonymous. Read more about the research and find the link to the survey on the WRDA Website. www.wrda.net/blog/wrda-is...

Have I missed something..? Christmas lights going up already?! ❄️

Enjoying that news of Jim Gavin's withdrawal from the Irish presidential race has brought so many people back into action on this site - have missed the lively vibe it had in the early days!

Breaking: Jim Gavin withdraws from Presidential Election.

Looking for a really simple explainer? The #ECHR and #HRA on post-it notes.

Joint Statement from today's EU-UK Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework. Work still to be done on 'full, timely and faithful' implementation. More detail than in past statements Value of stakeholder engagement flagged commission.europa.eu/document/dow...

Now available on catch-up 📺 www.itv.com/watch/news/v...

Back on the airwaves tonight, joining @vickihawthorne.bsky.social and Jon Tonge on View from Stormont to discuss the Labour Party conference 10.45pm on UTV 📺

A 200-page report and still serious questions remain - a step in an on-going process of unveiling the full picture rather than the end Full report available here: www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our... And a summary of developments available here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The man who announced the result of the Good Friday Agreement referendum to the world in 1998 has passed away. Patrick Bradley organised key elections in Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles, and later worked as an electoral adviser for the UN and EU around the world.

Academia dot edu licensing agreement says it can use your likeness and voice and publications in any manner they want, world wide.

A new Explainer out from @aoifemod.bsky.social and me detailing the UK's ECHR commitments under the 1998 Agreement in response to recent speculation. It is short, because there is very little to say - the UK's obligations are evident on the B/GFA's plain text: caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...

When people here in NI say the healthcare system is broken, it's no exaggeration. This is just a partial snapshot of how bad things are...⬇️

The call for papers and panels for #ECPG26 is now open! There's a very exciting academic program in place for conference which you can find here: ecpr.eu/Events/343 Come join us at @nclpolitics.bsky.social 😀 Deadline for proposals is 7 November!

The sign here says "strike for fair pay" but this strike is really over the plan to cut upwards of 1,800 jobs from the University, despite not being in deficit. The entire "plan" has no justification or, well, discernible plan. We've already had 350 people leave on vol severance. What of workloads??

The ECHR has been under threat from some in the UK for years; for more light than heat in this debate, these three links are excellent: explainer from @ukandeu.bsky.social; the Good Friday Agreement and the ECHR from @anuragdeb.bsky.social ; the Brexit deal and the ECHR by @stevepeers.bsky.social

First time seeing 'The Election Badge' episode of Hey Duggee today 📺 If you're also a nerd for elections, or just need a chuckle at the end of a long week, this is a great watch 🗳 www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

I ... splutter ... cry ...

As leaving the #ECHR is back (again) on the agenda here is myself @colinmurray.bsky.social & Ben Warwick on why for #NorthernIreland this is nigh on impossible & why renegotiating the 1998 Good Friday Agreement is not to be done lightly papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... 1/2

📚 new open access book: "Climate Assemblies - New Civic Institutions for a Climate-Changed World" 🌍 ✅ 25 co-authors examine the state of the field and the reasons behind the growing hope and hype about climate assemblies ✅Free PDF available here 👉🏼 www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Usually love seeing Christmas stuff starting to appear in the shops, in autumn/winter. Was in no way prepared for this sight earlier today! 🎅

Again - the reason the Irish government/nationalists in Northern Ireland wanted a reference to the ECHR in the Good Friday Agreement is that the European Court of Human Rights had held the UK accountable for human rights abuses in NI - whereas "domestic UK and common law principles" had not

Interesting work here confirming what all Politics ECRs have been experiencing in recent years with the academic job market - something that will only continue to get worse as unis move through crisis after crisis...

If you're getting notifications from Academia(.)edu about AI versions of your papers now being podcasts, that's because the (predatory) platform has opted you into AI-enhanced outputs, which you can turn off in your Account Settings here.

Great to join 'View From Stormont' last night for a wide-ranging discussion on welfare reform, VAWG in NI, Labour's first year, and standards in the NI Assembly Available here on catch-up 📺: www.itv.com/watch/news/v...

Tomorrow at 10.15 we will be hearing from Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP and Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP for the final session of our inquiry into 'Strengthening Northern Ireland's Voice in the Context of the Windsor Framework' committees.parliament.uk/event/24410/...