The Labour government hates universities and is out to destroy them. But don’t worry everything will be fine because, er, …AI?

If you can’t come to the book launch on 17 July, you can still find a copy of the book at the link below! @historyworkshop.org.uk @milwelfhist.bsky.social @occupationstudies.bsky.social @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @mybisa.bsky.social @bisawarstudies.bsky.social @sochistorywar.bsky.social

'The amount of money the government directly spends on teaching at universities is about to be cut for the second year in a row, Universities UK (UUK) has warned.' Shrinking the knowledge economy to grow the economy, anyone? 1/2

We have a rare and exciting opportunity to join our team as Director of Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College. Application deadline is 9am on 29th June 2026. Please share this with people you think would be interested.

The societies which are mobilising fastest are those on Russia’s borders. The idea that these measures are necessary in the U.K. is laughable.

An important new article on British defence policy which, unusually, is both conceptually and empirically original:

'According to the Swiss university, rankings often focus on measurable output, creating an incentive to increase the number of publications rather than prioritise the quality of content.' Kudos to Zurich. The Sorbonne decided to withdraw from the THE World Rankings in 2025, and is still standing.

I wrote our cover story this week, a valedictory essay on the changes in war & warfare over my eight years as defence editor. It’s a reflection on the growth & limits of battlefield transparency, the lessons from different wars & the utility of force today www.economist.com/interactive/...

A little over a month until our book launch in the centre of Bristol for our edited volume, Military Humanitarianism: Histories and Practices on 17th June @ 5.30pm. Join @briandrohan.bsky.social and me to celebrate the publication and all its contributors! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/military-h...

Knowledge & understanding grow in university settings when experts disagree with each other, testing each others' claims, adducing different evidence & positing alternative scenarios. That's how change happens. In this thread, I suggest that we take a different approach to that featured here. 1/x

This is a bizarre contribution, really. Whom, precisely, does Tugendhat imagine was in government when many of the decisions/non-decisions he criticizes occurred?

I cannot recommend this week's cover story by @christopherjm.ft.com highly enough. It's the frankly astonishing story of the fortitude of one Ukrainian drone commander on the eastern front... don't miss it... as.ft.com/r/ddae74ad-4...

📢 CfP: Society for the History of War Conference 2026 📍 University of Limerick 🗓 26–27 Nov 2026 Papers & panels invited on all aspects of war & violence incl. gender, memory, civil wars, cultures of conflict, and lived experience. 🗓 Deadline: 3 July 2026 📩 [email protected]

I very much enjoyed my brief appearance on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour this morning to speak about women and conscrption with Amy Hill and presenter, Nuala McGovern. I look forward to opportunities to continue this important conversation! www.bbc.com/audio/play/m...

Want to understand the collapse of Labour in Wales? And the Senedd elections more broadly? Take 6 or 7 minutes to watch this report. (#the implosion of the electorally most successful party in the democratic world.) www.channel4.com/news/wales-e...

On the Mandelson vetting, either ministers were negligent for not knowing about an extremely sensitive decision, or they are lying. In any case, blaming officials is dishonourable.

Have just remembered, for no reason whatsoever, The League of Gentlemen. Suddenly feel compelled to buy some pegs for my wife.

Thank you very much for the cardigan I've been wanting this colour because Mummy burnt my other one.

This is wonderful news. The UK has officially signed up to rejoin the EU’s Erasmus+ scheme from 2027 It means students, apprentices and young people will be able to study and work across Europe 👏

I think HMT are trying to get agreement to take over procurement in return for the cash and that's what's causing the delay.

We're currently recruiting for five (yes five!) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership awards at IWM See the full list of projects and partners here, with further details of how to apply: www.iwm.org.uk/research/doc...

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿“I want to wake up & not have to worry & go to sleep without having to worry” Spent the weekend in focus groups across south Wales from Cardiff to Merthyr, to Port Talbot & Pembroke Dock, above all else we heard deep pessimism about the state of Wales, the UK & the wider world

🚨 Major intervention on defence spending by Lord George Robertson, author of govt Strategic Defence Review, tonight UK’s leaders have shown ‘corrosive complacency’, putting nation ‘in peril’ while it’s ‘under attack’ PM ‘not willing to make the necessary investment,’ he tells @financialtimes.com

Enjoy the (long!) read. It's poignant but also comical in places. The strange story of my life: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a....

May I interest you in £10k for humanities or social science research? Our small grants scheme is open. Apply by 3rd June. We allocate through partial randomisation - awarding randomly between all applications that meet our quality threshold www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

Why is Aylesbury the county town?

Finally we are getting proper recognition that the UK will have to move towards single market/customs union alignment.

A Downing Street source suggested that if successful, this scheme could be expanded to include inflatable army tanks and fighter jets, allowing for a fully air-powered military by 2035. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=68155

More fantastic work by UK Security Vetting

Come along to the book launch for our edited volume on ‘Military Humanitarianism’ at 5.30pm on 17th June in the Old Fire Station (Silver St.) in Bristol! Please spread the word! For more details and to sign up for tickets, see the eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/military-h...

It is time for European countries to start threatening to evict the US military from bases on their territory.

Looking forward to talking about my current project on seapower & the FWW at @kcllnucsc.bsky.social on 28 May. Link here: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/the-w...

Excited to have this piece published in The Political Quarterly with @blagdendavid.bsky.social & Ronald Krebs. We have explored in previous work the concerning deference to the military in the U.S. context. After fielding a survey in the UK, we see similar concerning patterns of military deference.

WHIGS IN SPACE! Or why democratisation, commercialisation, and militarisation rhetoric about space is wrong. Very happy to see my new research article published with @ejisbisa.bsky.social! The Perils of periodising astropolitics: space security and the system builders @sgiadurham.bsky.social 🧵👇

These two things may both be true. In fact, one could argue both parties have been complacent about the state of UK defence since Russia invaded Georgia in 2008. If not then, at least since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 - we've had 12 wasted years when we could have prepared for & deterred Putin.

This week over 100,000 ALCS members will receive their share of £34m. Let's celebrate the value of human creativity, something that isn't going anywhere 💡📖🌳

Enjoyed visiting Edinburgh yesterday and received a warm welcome at the archives of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. A very well managed regimental collection which continues to grow.

'The tech industry said the UK had “the worst copyright regime for AI training of any major economy”.' Good.

europeans when asked to help unblock the strait of hormuz

This is cool. The Government is set to allow plug-in solar, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space. "In Germany over a million have been sold, helping households with energy costs and reducing dependence on fossil fuels."

Committing war crimes is now official US government policy. The UK should continue to distance itself from the USA, and end the dangerous dependence on its defence and intelligence capabilities.

Needless cruelty by the U.K. government. Debases our international reputation, harms young lives, and deprives British students of the chance to learn from other cultures. Shameful.

📣 Save the date! The next conference of the Society for the History of War will take place at the University of Limerick, Ireland 🇮🇪 🗓 26–27 November 2026 Historians of war, conflict, and violence - mark your calendars!! 📄 Call for Papers coming soon!

Persuading young Britons to pay more for defence is not going to work unless: (1) further education is improved (2) tuition fee debt is addressed (3) pension triple lock is abolished. No amount of influencers or school propaganda can overcome the structural unfairness blighting young people’s lives.

Having a Middle East war global recession while also having a capricious tariff global recession while also having an AI bubble global recession is not going to be a good time.

We are moving towards the point where America is causing such damage to its allies that public opinion will demand counter-measures. The only question is how severe will they be? Diplomatic expulsions? Close Lakenheath or Ramstein? EU economic sanctions?

There’s no point trying to placate Trump, so don’t bother trying. Keep the U.K. carriers away from the Middle East and let the Americans sort out their own mess.

The House of Lords Digital & Communications Committee just published their report on AI, copyright & the creative industries, and their conclusions could not be clearer. 🧵 1/5

The first public signs of TACO via geopolitical pressure. First the Gulf states will suspend massive investments in the US, then China and others will follow. The disruption to LNG supplies alone will compel many states to bring pressure to bear on Trump.

A blast from the past, written from frustration at a failed Freedom of Information request. Thanks to @historytoday.com for sharing ⏬️