I'll level with you... Repurposing the final diary entries of a mistake prone mediocrity experiencing a catastrophe entirely of his own devising to accommodate Keir Starmer, wasn't the trickiest assignment!

Starmer of the Antarctic www.thenewworld.co.uk/henry-morris...

Grim grim grim

It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it.

LGB Alliance concerned abusive conversion practices will be banned. From their own mouth.

NEWSFLASH: 75% of students who responded to a Northumbria Students' Union poll said they supported @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social taking strike action to save pay and pensions. @northumbriauni.bsky.social @timeshighered.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk @georgeclarke.bsky.social @chroniclelive.co.uk

My phone just reminded me of this screengrab from 9 years ago, how timely

I hear only the introductory essay is actually accessible? You want it all, but you can't have it.

Oh my fucking god. The best band to ever have existed. I’m not even joking. Love this!

I honestly think a fair number of RG universities are happy with the idea of scrapping the research-intensive commitments if it means squeezing more UG fees out of the remaining stones.

☠️

BREAKING - Parliamentary Standards Commissioner will launch an investigation into Farage's £5m donation.

You are correct that it will be helpful to have a HEC that is finally serious about developing national strategy, as some of us have been arguing for years. However, as you know, that HEC is not in office yet. As incoming chair and VP, I will ensure that from June we are 100% focused on this.

I'm just so curious what they think Streeting does differently, how he is in any way preferable to Starmer? I actually think he's one of the few PLP figures wherein I genuinely prefer Starmer to him, fwiw. I basically associate him with only the bad stuff of current iteration of Labour.

I’m subtitling the section of my next book that’s about the conversion of the Danes ‘Bluetooth-enabled’, just to test if my publisher has the will and resolve to stop me. If not, then the gloves will come off and my puns will be totally out of control from now on

This is a long shot because this isn't the old twitter, but I'm looking for history articles/books that look at cases of British/Irish settlers/squatters being prosecuted for crimes against Indigenous/colonized people. It can be anywhere in the world, but ideally the late C18/early C19.

Come and hear our branch chair discuss open-ended employment contracts that are… well, not so open-ended!

They mess up with no accountability and fail upwards to destroy the next place; staff, students and the local community pay the price.

TODAY: #UCU Anticasualisation Committee are hosting a 1 hour webinar, 12-1pm, on ‘subject to funding’ open ended contracts. Our very own @highamian.bsky.social will share experiences from LSE, followed by Q&A and discussion. Recording will be made available. More info and reg: www.ucu.org.uk/ACC

Apart from AHRC catalyst, what UK grants can be applied for by folks out of ECR territory that are not already employed at a UK institution (but can ‘bootstrap’ if successful)? ERC?

Hertfordshire’s the latest.

Vital resource. Hope someone can take it on!

Good.

Yesterday Kier Starmer announced Labour will nationalise British Steel, and save 2700 jobs. Today, the Uni of Nottingham put 2700 staff at risk of redundancy. This is just one university. Across the UK 15,000 higher education jobs need saving. Where is the rescue package for our universities?

500 sigs and climbing!

Petition to save the Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire: c.org/9JLppW5tMS

Hey Bluesky folks. If you’re in education or just follow for my thirst traps, would you please sign this if you can, and share far and wide? c.org/dCKk9vjqxY It’s much appreciated. My university is cancelling all UG humanities degrees. We need support and love right now x

Truly, what the fuck.

Yes, please come and listen to me talk about how vulnerable girls in Florence tried to navigate a city with no place for them.

How exciting! Looking forward to hearing about Gill’s amazing research at @ihrlifecycles.bsky.social on 23 June! #MedievalSky #EarlyModern

Burnham, disembarking Avanti West Coast

At least 2 people in my replies proving my point

What, you mean the performative cruelty to trans people was cover for doing nothing about real violence against women and girls all along? 😱 This context of course goes unmentioned at the Guardian, who seem to be gagged from mentioning how badly anti-trans politics has performed in the election.

Of course.

Labour's processes for changing leader are hopelessly, catastrophically unsuited to government. More than half of all prime ministers since 1945 have taken over between general elections. This is not an unusual procedure. So it really matters when parties screw this system up... 🧵

The House of Commons Committe has now reported on the likely impacts of a university insolvency: "In this report, we recommend that the Government fully recognise and reflect the economic and civic anchor role of universities when developing policy and responding to financial distress in the sector"

Something I've noticed: older people who are proud allies of the LGBTQ+ and ND communities, who don't really get their news anywhere apart from the BBC and Guardian, have *no idea* of how dangerous Wes Streeting is. This has happened to me in various conversations with folks in their 60s, 70s.

I suspect the Venn diagram of these folks and those complaining about ‘kids these days are always indoors and don’t know anything about their (proud) heritage anymore, whereas back in my day we always played outdoors ’ is a circle.

Monday election update: 1 Reform councillor fired, 1 Reform councillor ran away, and 1 Reform councillor might not exist. Waveney Valley's George Alexander Jonathan Boyd is an AI generated image. No A-V, no sightings, no trace except for agent's address. Why aren't the news media all over this?

Definite George Monck energy going on here.

Strike action is underway at Capital City College Group. Four days. Eight sites. Picket lines from today through to Friday. CCCG had months to negotiate on workload. They didn't. Show your support! www.ucu.org.uk/article/1450...

The work it takes when lots of your students use AI is quite something. Unfortunately many unis allow students to use AI for ‘proofreading’ and such which means all sorts happens. It’s making everyone stupider and we need a zero tolerance policy on AI use for assignments.

I've hit 100 responses to my survey on personal tutoring - half way there! If you're an academic in UK HE who's had pastoral responsibility for students in the last five years, whatever that's called, I'd love to hear your thoughts - it shouldn't take more than ten minutes. Do share if you can.

Just had my first visit to Elmer’s End due to a bus diversion. Christ alive.

This is terrible. The thing with universities is that they’re there to do things that are *important* not just did things that are popular or income-generating. I wish more people would remember this.

Then the knock on: dire consequences for communities. (Thinking here of how the pull out of my institution from Southend is going to affect the region.) Followed by UK knowledge base and economy if several go. Pull 1 string, lots unravels. Not one obv package to support but sprawling & messy.

@antoniabance.bsky.social seen this babe?

Lots of staff still have student loans. We’re tied into this on multiple levels.