I feel like today's Guardian soulmate might have been grading my grant applications all these years....

Academics when people get preachy about alcohol at work events...

Starmer: "We protect freedom of speech and peaceful protest in this country... But if you stand alongside people who say 'Globalize the Intifada" — you are calling for terrorism against Jews. And people who use that phrase should be prosecuted."

In my latest policy brief, I look at the 2025 results of the European Defence Fund. With five years of results now, I have also been able to analyse data over this period to find relevant trends. I hope it is useful. Read here: csds.vub.be/publication/...

Thinking of my Jewish friends today. You're not alone. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live...

Currently watching the greatest game in Champions League history. Sometimes you just have to drink it in.

Kemi Badenoch's influence strategy is very curious. She's meant to be persuading Labour backbenchers to vote with her but she's spent an hour being deeply and personally unpleasant to each and every one of them.

Last few spaces available for our BISA-BFPG Undergraduate network event tomorrow on UK-EU relations at Warwick Uni. A fantastic line up of speakers including the always brilliant EU Ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano. Open to all undergrad students across the UK. www.bisa.ac.uk/members/work...

As FAC members kept hinting, the Mandelson appointment had policy implications. The PUS is the PM's senior foreign policy advisor. They can request an audience with the PM whenever they wish. They can choose to express a view on policy issues and appointments.

It's a real struggle to watch Sir Philip Barton's testimony to the FAC. He seems to have viewed PUS role in the Foreign Office as entirely passive. Explains a lot of the dept's malaise under his tenure.

Revolutionary idea!

Reader's digest ....

Great paper here from @newdiplomacy.bsky.social on Britain's foreign policy choices. Heartily agree on prioritisation. Not sure about FCDO becoming dept of trade. Need to recover deep understanding of other countries and regions. Risk of conflicting aims. www.newdiplomacy.uk/briefings/zk...

Dan Taylor's published two policy papers this week. 1/ via @policywise.bsky.social, a Wise in 5 on unpaid carers and govt support: www.policywise.org.uk/wise-in-5 2/ via @growthandreform.bsky.social, examining 10 years' of inclusive growth in Barking and Dagenham growthandreform.org/resource-hub...

The Matthew Doyle allegation is extraordinary. Starmer is becoming Johnsonesque in racking up things that should be resigning matters.

In case you missed it, our Dan Taylor was on BBC Radio 4's Free Thinking programme last month, discussing humility and Spinoza with @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social, Robert Buckland and guests. Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Starmer showing a really unpleasant side to his character in the Commons. Absolutely trashing Robbins. If he was a Tory, he'd be gone on the basis of this performance.

Kudos to the crews, but not something to be celebrated. Normalising six month+ patrols is not good for either national security nor for the submariners who man the deterrent.

Reminder: if you can't defend your country, there is no welfare, no social security, no health, etc. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Has Darren Jones just given low level security vetting officials a veto on all appointments? There could be good reasons to overrule a recommendation.

If true, this is a resigning matter. But who? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Article accepted! And it's an absolute cracker on UK strategic defence reviews, with maeve ryan and @anglo-japan45.bsky.social. Could be timely...

Having just had yet another ESRC rejection on a project trying to look into UK defence, I'd say it might be nice if they funded some research on this at some point. Just sayin... www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

I love how bitter the unsuccessful nominees are in the Olivier awards. The most talented actors in the world can't hide their bitterness. Cheered me up no end.

The Guardian seems to be publishing a lot of unscientific nonsense lately. What gives? The UK's roads are among the safest in Europe. The number of deaths is tiny and has been going down for decades. Objectively, this is an area we've got about right... www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I do of course know this, you'll be shocked to learn I've thought about it *loads*, and written about it, too. The fact London still retained political rights over Australia when Neighbours entered production is a useful way of reminding ourselves that these things are process not event, I feel

This is an incredible military feat. If either crew had been captured, that would have had major political implications.

The Society offers grants for university students undertaking research on any aspect of the British Army. The deadline for applications is Friday 1 May, and full details can be found on the website. Please consider applying if eligible and share widely. www.sahr.org.uk/urg-rules.php

Ooh, could this be a Denmark 1992 Euros scenario? What are the odds of Italy winning the world cup?

Free and everyone is very welcome! 👇👇👇

Very noisy in the skies over Gloucestershire. Not usually a good sign.

Sigh. Another day, another grant rejection. KBO. I wonder if people really understand review scores. We had one person praising it to the skies and then giving it 5/6, which means it won't get funded.

Starmerism: delaying a policy until you've annoyed everybody, even people advocating for it, so you get no credit when you finally get round to making the choice. It must be exhausting working for him.

What's odd about this rule is I've not heard any explanation of its logic. As in this article, gov statements just say it has changed but not why.

Well said that man. Happy St Patrick's day everyone.

Just a reminder that the Washington Treaty defines the geography of NATO’s mutual defense pledge — at U.S. insistence in 1949 — to prevent allies from committing us to their wars outside of Europe.

And sure enough England were less than 2 mins from the end, with an extra player, and still did a high kick to lose the game.

Ffs, if you're a player down, DO NOT KICK THE BALL AND GIVE IT AWAY TO THE OTHER TEAM.

Ireland fans hoping England win...you love to see it

Very good news that the government has accepted the Fingleton Review on nuclear power in full. It’s the exact repudiation of Clegg’s 2010 view that nuclear is “not even an answer”. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Everyone has missed the obvious one: sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge they wouldn't have started this war without a plan to do just this.

But are we going to develop European manufacturing capabilities, or just create an entire energy system dependent on Chinese supply?

Lovely surprise to have Chris Hill as the fellow guest. What a legend.

Prediction: in a few years, there will be an entire AI university with courses based on what academics have innocently fed into it.

Appearing on Radio 4's The Moral Maze tonight from 8pm. Fingers crossed, should be fun!

He's right, but Miliband will never go for it.

When you invite someone to speak on a subject that was the title of their book and they say that's not their area 😆

Grrr, I mean they should have deployed HMS Dragon earlier but if you're looking to identify who's responsible for us only having a handful of destroyers, it's the fault of governments 15-20 years ago.

Interesting headline in The Economist...I'd say the Israelis have a pretty clear strategy, even if the US doesn't..

What also fascinates me is note the complete absence of impact of the digital age...wasn't that supposed to transform output? Make us all super productive?