🚨 NEW REPORT! 🚨 What is the state of the UK academic job market in politics, and what does this mean for the field and #highered? In a new @psaecn.bsky.social report, @lawrencemckay.bsky.social @williamlallen.bsky.social and I find worrying trends in job adverts and HESA data from 2012-25 #PSA26

More of a comment than a question @psapdd.bsky.social #psa26

🚨🚨🚨Job alert!!🚨🚨🚨 Theory post at Cambridge!

Wonderful couple of days talking about a section of my book on conspiracy movements at Heidelberg University. Gloomy weather but fantastic discussion throughout.

How can governments better bridge the gap between academia and security policy? 🏛️ Prof Christoph Meyer’s expertise on strategic and intelligence studies is shaping new recommendations for the German government. Full story: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-e... #GlobalSecurity #PolicyImpact

Reminder: If you are applying for a 2026 Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, the deadline to submit your application is this Thursday 19 February, 4pm. www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early-career...

⏰ Call for proposals!⏰ Organisers are calling for full panel proposals, author-meets-critics sessions, or individual papers from those who would like to attend the next annual PPE conference at King's The deadline for submissions is February 20👇 ppesociety.org/ppe-society-...

A tangle of people and dog avoiding the weather

Livid the LSE made this list but not King's

📢 Call for papers! We are organizing the 6th Early Career Workshop in Quantitative Political Economy on 14-15 May 2026 at King’s College London! Keynote: Shanker Satyanath (NYU) No fee, travel grants might become available! Submit at: tinyurl.com/qpe2026

📢 Call for Papers KCL Political Theory Graduate Conference | 22 May 2026 (in person, London) We invite submissions in political theory & related fields from Graduate students. 🎤Keynote: Prof. Bernardo Zacka (MIT) ⏰ Deadline: 2 Feb 2026 (11:59pm GMT) 🔗 For more info: philevents.org/event/show/1...

Graduation day @kcl-spe.bsky.social! I love these days, a chance to celebrate our students and their families. This time there was an added hazard with yours truly straying *perilously* close to the edge of the stage!

Time for another one of my old London paintings. I completed this one on a crowded street and the main focus is St Martin-in-the-Fields but I also enjoyed dashing in the passing people with a few pen strokes. This went into an exhibition and sold immediately. #art #streetart #London #watercolour

In case anyone needs it after this week, here's my dog seeing snow fall for the first time. #dogs #blueskydogs

A frosty walk with Blue to start the day

In May 2024, my wonderful wife Isabella was diagnosed with breast cancer. A whirlwind followed - surgery, 4 months of gruelling chemo, and more. She showed huge strength. She’s now taking on a 100km trek for CoppaFeel. Please sponsor her if you can: www.justgiving.com/page/isabell...

Well, I can't pretend 2025 was anything other than a truly horrific year. But as one of life's optimists, I'm going to build on some of the (very few) good things I've done this year. More of these! My top 5 in no particular order...

Get a Labrador they said. A pedigree. Such beautiful animals...

New job at Cambridge! Professorship of Public Policy www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/profess...

🚨🚨🚨 Job alert! 🚨🚨🚨 The Department of Political Economy @kcl-spe.bsky.social are hiring a permanent Lecturer in Economics. It's a fantastic department that's really going places. Please share widely! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPL723/l...

Tremendous turnout for the launch of my wonderful @kcl-spe.bsky.social colleague @rubenruizrufino.bsky.social's timely new book. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

After a few days working away, a long walk with an excited Blue

Wrote a short history of conspiracy theories, and why we're drowning in them, for MIT Technology Review. Short answer: they're not really theories but a way of understanding the world — false yet seductive www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/30/1...

We have just advertised a Full Prof position in the Political and Social Sciences department at the EUI (@eui-sps.bsky.social). Here are the details. Please spread the word, and get in touch if you have any questions. www.eui.eu/Documents/Se...

The School of Public Policy at the LSE is hiring in political science! Associate or Full. I was the first political scientist hired by the SPP, come be the second! jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Having a productive afternoon with Blue

Welcome Week is one of the things I look forward to most in the academic year. Such a pleasure to see @kcl-spe.bsky.social students and staff mixing and looking forward to the year ahead.

Like clockwork, Aseem Malhotra peddling the same tired conspiracy theories again. @benquinn75.bsky.social on the case as usual. Currently finishing a paper on conspiracy tropes and Reform, so...thanks I guess!

Another busy open day @kcl-spe.bsky.social. As ever, huge thanks to all the Department of Political Economy staff, and especially the wonderful student ambassadors, who gave up their weekend to help.

In lovely Thessaloniki for this year's ECPR conference. As they used to say, it's redders!

📢 CALL FOR PAPERS *PSA26 Annual Conference* We invite paper proposals for our next International Annual Conference in Oxford, 30 March - 1 April, 2026. ➡️ key dates and deadlines online.

So I've got a paper coming out which shows that mainstream media tends *not* to spread conspiracy theories. I guess there are always exceptions...

Some people say the biggest gap in research funding is at mid career level. So here is our new call for our mid career fellowship programme which provides buyout for 6 to 12 months to devote to the completion of a major piece of research. Spread the word! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/mid-...

Half-hearted arm tackle by the fullback just before he makes the door. Use your shoulder lad!

Full house for Department of Political Economy open day talk @kcl-spe.bsky.social Wonderful day meeting with applicants and their families. So important to demystify the application process and open up our wonderful institution.

🚨🚨Job alert!!🚨🚨 The Department of Political Economy at KCL is hiring 3(!) permanent education track lecturers. We are looking for outstanding scholars interested in research-led education in the following areas... 1/

How about this for a panel at our Centre for British Democracy conference this week. Anne Phillips(!), @damienbol.bsky.social @stevenklein.bsky.social and Simon Caney (just out of shot). Big hitters, great discussion and such a pleasure to chair.

Fantastic event last Friday in the sweltering heat @kebleoxford.bsky.social. @philtinline.bsky.social gave a wonderful talk on politics and conspiracy theories, drawing on his excellent new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain. Fascinating stuff!

🚨🚨Job alert!!🚨🚨 The Department of Political Economy at KCL is hiring 3(!) permanent education track lecturers. We are looking for outstanding scholars interested in research-led education in the following areas... 1/

Blue says not to be distracted from the important issues by the reality TV bickering of petulant children. Talk to the paw lads, we should all turn the other jowl!

Brief personal note, do help if you can. Firefighters Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler lost their lives at a major fire on 15 May. Their families, the FBU and Oxfordshire FRS are raising money in their memory for the Firefighters Charity. Help us honour them by donating here: tinyurl.com/3tpmw65s

On Friday 13th(!) at 5pm @philtinline.bsky.social will be giving a talk @kebleoxford.bsky.social, discussing the significance of conspiracy theories for politics in the US (and beyond), drawing on his excellent new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain. Oxford people, sign up below: bit.ly/43HGyxT

If you're at a loose end this Friday in London, I'm giving my inaugural lecture at King's at 6pm. I'll be talking technology and intimacy, why we need interdisciplinary approaches, and how "because it brings joy" is a great reason to do research. Free! Sign up: www.tickettailor.com/events/kings...

Is this the first sovereign citizen nod in UK local government?

On Friday 13th(!) at 5pm @philtinline.bsky.social will be giving a talk @kebleoxford.bsky.social, discussing the significance of conspiracy theories for politics in the US (and beyond), drawing on his excellent new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain. Oxford people, sign up below: bit.ly/43HGyxT

It's proving to be quite the day for this stuff. When I taught a class on this, the sheer range of celebs/public figures included in these retribution fantasies always shocked the students. Tom Hanks? Check. The cast of Friends? Check.

Or (in a similarly deep cut) did they accidentally leave their master plan on an old photocopier..?

World Government conspiracies front and centre here. This stuff is still on the margins but it's not hard to find in mainstream UK politics (Conservative Party Conference 2023, I'm looking at you)