If you haven't yet signed the petition against the attacks on University of Exeter staff, here it is

One of the findings in our book The Good Politician was that politicians are increasingly expected to fulfil contradictory stereotypes - to be both ordinary and extraordinary...

Underrated post

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Read this earlier today. So much to read at the moment, but I’d put this top of your pile!

So how did we get here, with Starmer on the way out after two years? To some extent, it does go back to the beginning. It was not an enthusiastic victory for Labour. Getting rid of the Tories was the top reason people voted for them in 2024, though with their message of 'Change' also resonating.

It is extremely important that Labour understands that the movement of voters between Lab and Ref was not the crucial factor, it was consolidation of the anti-Ref vote and Lab voters turning out in droves. Otherwise Burnham will make the same mistakes as Starmer in targeting only one set of voters.

Reform have now lost six by-elections in a row in England, Scotland and Wales. Their national poll rating is 26% – below Labour in 1983 – and Farage’s approval rating is -37. They’re very far from the voice of the people and need to stop being treated as such.

As debates rage about where to get the money for higher defence spending, it’s important we have a clear picture of how we spent the peace dividend while it was around. Thread 🧵⤵️

Don't think people realise quite how deeply split by age current voting intention is. This is the latest YouGov for under-50s: Green: 26% Lab: 18% Reform: 14% Tories: 12% LD: 11% And over 50s: Reform: 36% Tory: 22% Lab: 16% LD: 12% Greens: 9%

Blair putting on full display what is in many ways his special ability - to lay out a political argument grounded in his own view of global trends (globalisation in the 2000s, tech in the 2020s). But… institute.global/insights/pol...

My Pimlott lecture is available to read open access! It argues two things: that everyday understandings of old age are profoundly shaped by family relationships; and that how we narrate those intimate ties has changed in important ways over the past fifty years. academic.oup.com/tcbh/article...

Rhythm Colour no. 1076 (1939) by Sonia Delaunay, painter and designer #WomensArt

It was a busy 12th May for this particular diarist! Don't forget that tomorrow is our national diary day! We welcome contributions from all ages, especially when they are recounting days as busy as this one! Find out more about how to submit your diary at massobs.org.uk/12th-may/

Don't forget that it is @massobsarchive.bsky.social diary day. Anyone can contribute to this wonderful social history archive - anyone in the UK can submit massobs.org.uk/12th-may/

One good thing you can say about the UK is that we're spoilt for metaphors

I spent way too long this weekend correlating 81 census variables with local election results, so you don't have to. Enjoy! datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QQQ3D/7/

You don't need to "unify the country" to win elections. You just need 35% of the vote & ignore everyone else - as Thatcher knew. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Manchester's map looks a bit like Berlin's and Vienna's - green core with social democratic red ring around it, radical right in the poor suburbs, traditional right in the rich ones..

I fear Labour people risk falling into an ecological fallacy visible from space when reacting to these results. Here is what is very clear in results so far: Labour are losing *seats* to Reform, but... Labour are losing *votes* to the Greens Greens split the vote, Ref comes thru middle

Seven years in the making – @kurtiveson.bsky.social and I are thrilled to share that our book, People Power in Cities, is about to be released with Oxford University Press - out in print 3 June 2026. academic.oup.com/book/62529

Headline measures of wealth inequality haven't meaningfully changed since the 1980s, but it's harder to work and save your way up the ladder than it used to be. Meanwhile, inheritances are becoming ever more important. Me for this weekend's Observer: observer.co.uk/news/capital...

The way things are going it won’t be long before each academic has their own personal regulator.

'Perhaps most damaging for the regulator meant to oversee freedom of speech, the accusation of bias in the process was also upheld. Mrs Justice Lieven said the OfS had "closed its mind" to anything that would lead to not finding failure to uphold freedom of speech and therefore fine the university.

Loved writing this piece on drinking in Westminster. It's one of those topics that really highlights how our oral history project gets behind the scenes into the culture in parliament. There's so much on this in the archive, considering writing it up in a full article.

New paper with @casey-lynch.bsky.social on AI refusal, an introduction to our special issue on the topic. We examine cultural practices as potentially privileged, if messy and imperfect, sites of AI refusal. DM me for a PDF journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

I'm in @theobserveruk.bsky.social today looking at why so many unis are in financial trouble and what the government needs to do to save HE. observer.co.uk/news/columni...

The pay premium of the median teacher, or university lecturer, has also fallen

My new book Culture Wars in Britain is out today in e-book forms. Currently £13.48 on Kindle at Amazon (with the paperback which publishes on 13 May, available to pre-order at £14.19). You can also order direct from publisher at my pinned post. #Sociology #CultureWars #Britain

A reminder that we have this event coming up in conjunction with @amsruk.bsky.social which is sure to be fascinating! www.eventbrite.com/e/1982182572...

Registration for MBS2026 is now open! Registration link and the conference programme can be found here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/moder...

New substack: whereas well-functioning markets can make bad people do good things, political systems can make even good people do bad things. chrisdillow.substack.com/p/in-it-for-...

Rather excited to see my book reviewed in the @newyorker.com by the excellent @chaykak.bsky.social. "Dekeyser offers a tidy manifesto that may urge us on: “There is insufficient hatred for this technological world.” I could get a tattoo of that line, or at least use it as my iPhone background."

It’s nearly time for our national diary day! Every 12th May we ask people to write down what they got up to. This year we’re also really interested in experiences of nature and wellbeing, as well as what else you get up to on the day! #diary #journal #nature #skystorians #write #Archive

London ❤️

Rug design by Bauhaus artist Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) pioneer in modern weaving #WomensArt

Love the daily Freecycle email. Every one a slice of life.

My department @uniofbath.bsky.social is looking to appoint a Lecturer in Environmental Politics on an open-ended teaching and research contract. I and other colleagues will be at PSA next week if anybody wants to chat informally about the position. Deadline is 14/4. www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy...

Jürgen Habermas FBA believed in critical dialogue, reasoned debate and the possibility of a better future. Following his recent passing, British Academy President Professor Susan Smith reflects on why his ideas matter now more than ever. Read the full article in The Conversation.

Yesterday we sent out our latest directive! For Spring 2026 we have a combination of collaborative topics and in-house questions. Part one is a collaboration with Dr Ellen Pilsworth from @uniofreading.bsky.social, and is on 'Seeking Asylum', part of a 4-year research project, 'Nation of Refuge'.

Job opportunity: Teaching Fellow in Human Geography, University of Southampton. Please share. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQW415/t...

New piece in Progress in Human Geography, 'Crisis-thinking and critical urbanism'. What might crisis-thinking be doing to how the urban is conceived, researched, and politicised? How might it impact how we see urban possibility? Open access here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

📢 If you missed Vincent Hiribarren's recent @ihr.bsky.social Digital History seminar 'Historian vs AI: who reads and analyses archives best', the talk is now on our YouTube channel youtu.be/VO26YAK1mu0 #dhist

Officially released today!💥Techno-Negative: A Long History of Refusing the Machine💥 Tracing the refusal that haunts the history of tech, my book offers a source of inspiration for those looking for a new tech politics beyond reform/acceleration. www.upress.umn.edu/978151791773... Buy w/ discount👇

We're excited for this online talk! We'll be hearing from Ben Highmore (Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies, @sussex.ac.uk), Phyllis MacFarlane (Head of Content, @amsruk.bsky.social) & Stella Moss (Lecturer in Modern British History, @royalholloway.bsky.social ). Book here: tinyurl.com/37sdd74x

Job opportunity: Teaching Fellow in Human Geography, University of Southampton. Four-month post to cover my teaching from Sept 2026. Deadline for applications: 13 April. jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Job opportunity: Teaching Fellow in Human Geography, University of Southampton. Please share. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQW415/t...

This is a very rich resource for sociologists as well

Very useful piece by Nick Clarke, Alex Hill and Jonathan Moss on an archive heavily used by historians of modern Britain - and underutilised by scholars of British politics. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

We are looking to appoint a full-time Teaching Fellow in Human Geography for a fixed term contract to cover @nickclarkegeo.bsky.social's teaching. Details below. Please share. jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx... @sotongeogenviron.bsky.social