Breaking news: The UK government’s contentious ban on Palestine Action under anti-terror laws has been ruled unlawful in a landmark legal victory for civil liberties campaigners. ft.trib.al/V0bk3dr

If you want to know what Reform would be like in power, look at how it threatened Bangor University | Gaby Hinsliff

Are you a physics teacher in the UK? We need your help! 🧑‍🔬🧑‍🏫 We've created an open letter for teachers to sign and express their grave concern at the devastating proposed cuts to astronomy, space science and particle and nuclear physics. ✍️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre... #STFC #UKRI

Letters to the editor of the Guardian from scientists about the proposed funding cuts to academic science: www.theguardian.com/education/20... #UKScienceFundingCrisis #STFC

If the former Tory leader of Barnet Council recalls anyone in Welsh politics, it’s not the radical standard bearers of yesterday but parachuted-in placemen like Alex Barros-Curtis of Cardiff West and Torsten Bell of Swansea West ✍️Ben Wildsmith wp.me/p8Mk4U-1eUW

Farage's claims here are straightforward lies (and it's about time the media/press said so) The correct figures are 160K (0.3%) and 900K (1.5%) www.gbnews.com/news/video-n...

If you are a businessman planning a large and complex project like, IDK, building a massive new football stadium where you need support from local and national politicians, its probably not a great idea to make a toxic statement on TV which draws immediate hostile reactions from those politicians

The RAS @royalastrosoc.bsky.social is encouraging physics teachers to sign our open letter - if you believe astronomy and space science inspire young people then help us fight the UKRI / STFC cuts. ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...

One from the @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social archive.

I'm sorry to learn of the death of the astrophysicist Prof. Mike Cruise. He was my tutor in my first year at university and one of my lecturers in my second year. He was always very pleasant and was an excellent university teacher. I remember him as president of the Royal Astronomical Society later.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the announcement at a press conference in Washington DC of the first direct detection of gravitational radiation. On 14 September 2015, gravitational wave observatories had detected radiation emitted by the merger of two black holes. #HistoryOfAstronomy

Wednesday's @theguardian.com cartoon #Westminster #Labour #Starmer

Breaking news: Abergavenny implicated in the Epstein scandal.

Reform UK threatens to cut £30 million funding to Bangor University after a student society refuses to invite a Reform member of parliament to speak to it. That's very Trumpian, or fascist. It's why Reform UK should not get anywhere near power. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

My understanding is that the Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald has already been sacked, happened yesterday and is only remaining in post to discuss terms. Complete No 10 clearout.

A leaked plan by the Science and Technology Funding Council for the future configuration of the Diamond synchrotron source after 20% funding cuts. #STFC #UKScienceFundingCrisis

Matt @MattCartoonist on #ChagosIslands @Telegraph – political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.com

Tuesday’s @thetimes.com cartoon times.newsprints.co.uk/morten-morla...

Eluned Morgan has said she supports Keir Starmer in his post. After 20 hours of silence.

Anas Sarwar tried to initiate the downfall of Keir Starmer but failed, at least for now. This leaves Scottish Labour in an uncomfortable position if Starmer is still in place at the time of the May elections: the mess damages Sarwar's credibility as a party leader in those elections.

On fake Facebook accounts created to stir up tensions.

Wes Streeting is trying to distance himself from Peter Mandelson.

The trouble with Anas Sarwar's statement is that it has come at the wrong time. The Labour Party cannot easily hold a contested leadership election to have a new leader in place for the May elections.

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour Leader, has said the situation is Downing Street is not good enough. "It cannot continue."

By 2025, Brexit has been estimated to have reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, UK business investment is 18% lower than that of comparable countries, and UK employment and labour productivity are on average, 4% lower than other similar countries. Repairing our relationship with Europe must be a priority.

Who is next?

Today is the 40th anniversary of Comet Halley reaching its closest to the Sun (perihelion) during its 1986 return to the inner Solar System. #HistoryOfAstronomy #CometHalley #HalleysComet [Image: W. Liller and NASA, from the Wikimedia Commons]

EXCL: Tim Allan, Keir Starmer’s director of communications, steps down from Downing Street role. “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No 10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success,” he says.

There's a dramatisation of Lord of the Flies on television. We studied the book when I was in my second year at secondary school. Then we studied it again in our third year. Then it was later a set text for O Level. I ended up studying the ******* book formally THREE times. THREE ******* times!

Newly appointed Reform UK Wales leader Dan Thomas does not appear in the electoral register compiled in December 2025 that covers the part of Wales where he has his roots, we have been informed ✍️Martin Shipton

"Dear Neighbour, My name is Patricia Clegg. I'm a 74 year old pensioner and I'm writing to explain that my last letter wasn't a cynical piece of propaganda that blatantly breached election law..."

And I haven't understood voices in the Labour Party calling for Keir Starmer to announce his resignation now. It is too late to replace Starmer before the May elections, and he has to stay in post until then. He could then announce his resignation to take effect after a summer leadership election.

I'm surprised that Morgan McSweeney has resigned now. I was expecting him to stay on until after the result of the Gorton and Denton byelection, and then he would resign whatever the result.

Morgan McSweeney resigns as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff

BREAKING: Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's chief of staff amid fall-out from the Mandelson scandal

Poignant words by @chrislintott.bsky.social (starting at 7:33 min) about why UK funding of astronomy is an investment that has been returning more that the UK spends & why these huge funding cuts to physics & astronomy with STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) will be devastating 🔭🧪

‘Period’ - #RSThomas (H'm, Macmillan)

Today is the 15th anniversary of my first post on Twitter. Twitter was then quite similar to how Bluesky is today. Then the anonymous accounts, fake accounts, and bots multiplied. My last post on the Muskophone was in 2024.

They looked for “Don T” in the Epstein files and redacted all instances, which means they also redacted a lot of “don’t”

William Mival's top recommendation of a recording of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony on BBC Radio 3's Building A Library is from Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

All early career researchers know the ending : years of precarious labour, followed by joblessness & expectation that they should be grateful for the experience Pipeline isn’t leaking. It’s being deliberately drained People pushed out are the future www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Have a read of this. Great scoop, obviously, but it’s also an absolute masterclass in how to report on these jokers. Plenty of London-based hacks could learn a lot from Martin Shipton here. If they actually wanted to… nation.cymru/news/the-new...

Farage claims that Nick candy, now Reform UK Treasurer, only sold one flat to Epstein for £39,000,000. 21 Chesham place (2010 - Email below) However, there are two more property deals in the Epstein Files, and multiple social emails with two of Epstein's biggest accomplices

The newly appointed leader of Reform UK in Wales hasn’t moved back to his home town in the Valleys, but has bought a £1m house near Bath, we can reveal ✍️Martin Shipton

My latest @theguardian.com column. Labour are increasingly not been seen as the best way to stop Reform. In Caerphilly this led to people flocking to Plaid Cymru. They risk making all the same mistakes again in the Gorton and Denton by-election. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I, along with many other UKRI, STFC and RS fellows are signing this open letter on the STFC cuts. The proposed reductions will devastate UK astronomy and the researchers who make it possible. Please read, share, and, if a fellow, sign. advancedfellows-openletter-stfc.github.io/index.html #astro

Mandelson latest

We’ve drafted an open letter from early-career researchers in response to UKRI reprioritisation and the funding crisis in Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN). This risks losing an entire generation of young researchers from UK science. We cannot let that happen. #STFC #UKRI

An analysis by Prof. George Efstathiou of the financial mess affecting the funding of UK astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics within the Science and Technology Funding Council. #STFC #UKScienceFundingCrisis