RUSSIA GETS: -Higher oil prices -Reduced US economic pressure -Bogged down US military -Air defense assets not sent to Ukraine US GETS: -Indefinite war in pursuit of undefined outcome -Weaker economy -Frayed international partnerships -Combat deaths

This situation is damaging our organising capacity & the united front we need to win, handing ammunition to employers by not practicing what we preach. We deserve a democratic union in which critical voices are heard & we need the dispute with @uniteucu.bsky.social to be resolved. #HandsOffMarie

Jointly with the Chair of W+IGS and the President of the GLA, the President of the AGS, @pdavies.bsky.social, has sent a letter to the Principal of Heriot-Watt University opposing proposed staff cuts to the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and threats to close German and Chinese.

Fun as it is to see Peston stating outright what the situation is, here’s what’s going to happen: government and press will brazen this out with drivel until it drops out of the headlines, then everyone will get right back on their previous bullshit. This is what they always do, without fail.

A defining moment for Europe. If it endorses/fails to condemn this flagrant breach of international law, it will have surrendered its core justification for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

THIS THIS THIS. ALL OF THIS THIS is why faculty resist technological strategies for teaching. There is no engaging with Edtech without this context

Some really (and qualifiedly) good news from Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social : No redundancies next year, no downgrading of professional services staff. And all without the need for disruptive industrial action, which nobody at all wants. nation.cymru/news/cardiff...

Meanwhile Robin Ince genuinely has been cancelled for daring to voice his opinions and for defending trans people. Where's the outrage from the "cancel culture" lot? What are the Free Speech Union doing to help him?

The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party. Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar

If you randomly have this kids 2016 Barcelona kit in the back of your cupboard and can save Christmas in my house please get in touch 🤞

🔴Nigel Farage’s Russian Influence Advent Calendar Byline Times has compiled a festive offering of the prize moments when the Reform leader has gifted the political agenda to Vladimir Putin and Russia bylinetimes.com/2025/12/10/n...

‘Blanket’ ban of trans people from gender-appropriate facilities likely unlawful. Sandie Peggie harassed Dr Upton, not the other way round. Employer guilty of minor procedural faults.

Lots to unpack in the Peggie v Fife judgment, and much of it has already been covered on here, but it's useful imo to highlight a single sentence from para 1024: "a protected belief does not give carte blanche to say whatever the person holding those beliefs wishes".

This! WI and GG..

'The media has not yet picked up on the fact that Northumbria University has also now quietly closed applications to its Music degree. This is a new course, which admitted its first students only five years ago. Staff with excellent research profiles were appointed'. 1/3

I don’t think there is any read across - at all - from the OBR’s ability post a document to its website at the right time and the OBR’s ability to produce fiscal and economic forecasts.

If you’ve been thinking about applying for the EHRC Commissioner roles, please, please do! Falkner and Reindorf will soon be out and there is a real desire for representatives of our 🏳️‍⚧️ community on the Board. Be quick though — the deadline is midday on Monday 1st December

"Bluntly, even in 2022 we only supported Ukrainians because they fought like heroes from Norse myth and got results. We didn’t support them because it was the morally right thing to do." @drjademcglynn.bsky.social smalldeedsbigwar.substack.com/p/circus

‘the progressive closure of foreign language degree programmes is especially worrying because of the desperate need for language skills in government’

Some notable things in what's being called the "Trump peace plan" but which could not have been more clearly written in Moscow if it came with a 2 for 1 deal on tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet. 🧵

Save Modern Languages at the University of Nottingham www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk

3. The Vice Chancellor has committed to dialogue with UCU about course closures. The dialogue begins next week and must show progress by December. Unless there is meaningful dialogue, UCU will consult with members about further strike action.

Shabana Mahmood asks MPs to stop mentioning Tommy Robinson's name (in relation to his support for her policies) as "he doesn't even think I am English. I find that offensive."

Labour MP Brian Leishman: "The Government has surrendered to... the vile rhetoric of Reform. Does the Home Secretary not see that removing the legal obligation to support asylum seekers who will be otherwise destitute, is as far away from Labour Party principles and values as we can get?"

Or what Labour voters have to say about these matters. So if you're not doing it for Reform voters, and you're not doing it for Labour voters ... who the fuck are you doing it for?

Shabana Mahmood on the BBC this morning talking about desperate people fleeing war and persecution as being given a "golden ticket" and "handouts" and saying she's got a "moral mission" to take them away from them Indistinguishable from the rhetoric of Reform www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/shabana-ma...

At some point, for the love of God, will someone ANYONE at long last take the council funding crisis seriously?!? Because THIS is what will break down a society, not some poor soul escaping incredible dangers, arriving on our shores.

A very insightful article on the recent threats to UK modern languages: www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late... Support the petitions to stop the closures at Leicester and Nottingham, to sign click here: www.change.org/p/save-moder... www.change.org/p/stop-the-r... #languages #mfl

Petition started by students in Modern Languages at the University of Leicester. The department has been told it will close despite its stellar NSS record and brilliant teaching and research - the same devastating short-term thinking as elsewhere. Please sign and share www.change.org/p/save-moder...

SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten. "I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA

In response to some of the comments: If you agree with *all* the reporting of a news organisation that is both independent *and* non-partisan, then it's very unlikely to be independent and non-partisan. This is true regardless of your politics. Agreeing with all its reporting is the wrong test

I agree that the BBC should apologise to Trump for being misleading. Right after Trump apologises for the 30,573 false or misleading claims he made during his first presidency, or for each of his current daily average of 21 new lies per. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_o...

The first day is now over but…more tomorrow!! What’s on your list for Tuesday? 🤔 #languages #leedscityoflanguages @lcsleeds.bsky.social

Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments: One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.

Picket demonstrating feeling about announcements of cuts to courses at University of Nottingham @uonucu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

The University of Nottingham has announced the suspension of all Modern Languages and Cultures (MLC) programmes from September 2026. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Dear GOD if you want to save money in the asylum system 1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK 2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc 3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today

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Truly awful news. Ruthless, short-sighted and ill-informed. I remember working at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social about a decade ago and the University taking great pride in being one of the biggest languages departments in the country… Where’s that pride gone?! www.bbc.com/news/article...?

This is horrifying! I have a degree in German and Russian from Nottingham. And I went there because it was in many respects a leading light in modern languages. This is incredibly short-sighted and idiotic.

Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx 'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.' Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.

Compulsory team teaching on every module is perhaps the biggest ever threat to the quality of teaching in UK universities. It causes chaos on the ground for timetabling, ruins course coherence and turns lecturers into permanent supply teachers. It is pedagogically incoherent… 1/

Reminder: we're still looking for paper and panel proposals for our section "Feminist Theory: Between Hope and Disappointment". Interdisciplinary approaches and a wide range of contexts welcome! #cfp @mmrovlje.bsky.social @deryaozkaya.bsky.social

Much solidarity with professor Laura Murphy. Can we now have an overhaul of the funding system so we don’t expose our research infrastructure to interference by foreign powers please? Thanks.

What he said: 💯 🎯

Does #German really sound aggressive? Why do some people find the sound of #French romantic and sexy? And how about the friendly-sounding Geordies? Join us for a public lecture by Prof Sascha Stollhans. 👉 Find out more: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/talk-... @saschastollhans.bsky.social

Dr Pete Watson discusses the various meanings, symbolisms and power of football in Colombia over the last decade, from the 2014 Men’s World Cup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup and asks: “What power does football really have?” More info on: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/talk-... #languages

Interested in Spanish? Look at the upcoming events that our partner, Instituto Cervantes, is offering! 🖥️ Online Taster Classes 🏫 Face-to-Face Taster Classes 📝 Spanish Level Tests And a wonderful concert with Luma Trio! Book your tickets 👇: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/conce... #Spanish

Webinar: Oracy is for everyone, by Prof Stephen Coleman. For teachers & youth workers. Oracy is about enabling every young person to leave school with the confidence to speak for themselves so they can flourish as human beings.  Booking required: leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk/events/webin...

The UK Linguistics Olympiad is a national language-analysis competition for students in KS2-KS5. Free to enter, the UKLO contains language puzzles that provides an opportunity to apply formal reasoning from STEM subjects. This online session for teachers will outline how the UKLO works. #languages