An excellent read; Keith Gildart’s review essay in The English Historical Review focusing on a collection of recent historical works on aspects of the 1984/5 British Miners Strike and remembering that 40years on. Incl. @nataliethomlinson.bsky.social FYI @ewangibbs.bsky.social @sslh.bsky.social

At a time when humanities and social science courses are facing severe cutbacks I’ll be mounting a defence of them and their role in shaping a better future at this lecture at De Montfort University on 27 November. All welcome www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-a-...

March 2024: We launch a complaint against the IEA 12 days later: Charity Commission dismisses our complaint May 2024: We complain about that decision 1 year later: The regulator opens an investigation into the IEA This week: The Charity Commission says the IEA must change https://goodlaw.social/8vmm

Don't miss the @deindustrialpol.bsky.social virtual roundtable this Friday! Policies and Programs: Deindustrialization and the Environment Deindustrialization and the Politics of Our Time Friday November 7th at 9:30am Eastern Time niche-canada.org/2025/10/29/v... #envhist #envstudies

Pretty extraordinary story here www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....

'In February, Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC), a leading research institution focused on human rights, ordered one of its best-known professors, Laura Murphy, to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China.' 1/3

Very important article: Elon Musk’s attempts to hijack the world’s knowledge base and make us all think like fascists. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

This’ll be what Farage and Reform serve up in the UK as well. In return for a presidential pardon of Changpeng Zhao, two of Trump’s cryptocurrencies floated on Binance. The kleptocracy unabashed and at large!

It’s also yet another example of politicians not adequately thinking through the consequences of their actions. In a former life as an official, albeit in a different policy area, I witnessed all too often the damaging effects of endemic short-termism reacting to headlines and political expediency.

A dreadful idea. Not satisfied with doing everything else in their power to undermine a vital sector, they’re proposing imposing further ill-conceived metrics. This micromanagement is precisely what you’d expect from a government devoid of big thinking, flip-flopping like a freshly landed catch!

Starmer says the SNP insults Scotland by planning for independence. The only one insulting Scotland is Starmer with his refusal to even say how another referendum will be held. If this continues the SNP should consider withdrawing its MPs from Westminster My column in @heraldscotland.bsky.social

Just another example of the UK govt stipulating that Scotland has to mop up the bills for UK policy gaffs - Brexit and alignment with Trump and Netanyahu - without being able to exercise its right to self determination. Enough is enough! @snp.org @scottishgreens.org

£26m to satisfy UK ministers sycophantic placating of Trump. Why should Scotland shoulder the costs of this!

Crime pays… just ask the Hamburglar!

I wrote this up for RNZ www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

The greatest economic and geopolitical threat is posed by the US under Trump… and supine leaders like Starmer who will not deviate from a redundant devotion to the mythology of the transatlantic alliance.

Oh, there's even more. Even more unhinged. Posted on the other place. Now is the worst time to be posting misinformation about immigration and asylum

Whatever you think of the SNP in Glasgow, some remarks from Scottish Labour MPs who should know better, have been embarrassing. This today, incorrectly claiming SNP housing policies have any impact on asylum cases which is reserved to Westminster and dealt with by Home Office contractors, is mince.

New out in Journal of Management Studies: Non-Market Strategy and Deglobalization: Firm–State Relations and the Historical Microfoundations of Corporate Political Activity

I wrote this on Nathan Gill, Russian bribes, Reform and Farage nearly two weeks ago. Here it is again if you’re sick of the silence of the UK media www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

🧵🚨 The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news. Today our report is published! www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n... 1/11

Scotland has enormous resources and huge potential, but we are being held back by Westminster governments that treat us like an afterthought. It’s time for a fresh start. An independent Scotland. Today I have published our latest paper on what it could look like: www.gov.scot/publications...

Business and Industrial History’s call for papers for its 2026 issue has been extended. We also welcome submissions for subsequent issues of the Journal. Details can be found here below. @royalhistsoc.org @ihr.bsky.social

A reminder for early career researchers working in the fields of business and industrial history of the call for the Moss and Richmond prizes. Details can be found by following the attached link.

‘Tony Blair has remarkable influence over Keir Starmer’ I talk to the author of a new biography of Blair who reveals the powerful hold he has over Britain’s current Prime Minister In @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551802...

Happy celestial birthday to the late great Jock Stein. The Lanarkshire coal miner who led @celticfc-mirror.bsky.social to European greatness and Scotland manager. 🏆☘️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

More repressive and reactive proposals from @labouruk.bsky.social Like its Tory predecessor characterised by one ill-conceived policy after another. Given who they’re taking their lead from internationally, it comes as little surprise…

Vous prenez la tête M. le Président!

And unlike Starmer and Labour @johnswinney.bsky.social @snp.org @scottishgreens.org @zackpolanski.bsky.social & @eddavey.libdems.org.uk amongst others have all demonstrated that there is still some moral courage amongst our politicians!

@will-davies.bsky.social on point in this essay on the rise of the idiocracy.

What connects the Irish Famine, the Choctaw Trail of Tears, and seasonal stories of survival? In this new article, Shelley Angelie Saggar from the @sharinglands.bsky.social project explores the intertwined histories of Indigenous and Irish food cultures.

This is an exciting announcement.

So you are saying…

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has pleaded guilty to bribery charges relating to making statements in favour of Russia while being an elected member of the European Parliament

"on a technicality" Not really. A failure to get necessary consents to a terror charge is not a slight error. They are safeguards when a person faces a serious charge. Prosecutors should take such safeguards seriously: this is terrorism law they are using. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...

Today is the European Day of Languages. And this year, we mark 25 years of celebrating multilingualism in our Union. 🥳 Languages open doors. They help us connect, explore cultures, make lifelong friends, and journey further. We remain stronger, united in our diversity. europa.eu/!6FkntW

Stephen Mullen's excellent book on this topic, The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775–1838 is available to read for free from our website: uolpress.co.uk/book/the-gla... #OpenAccess #History #Slavery #Scotland

One of the unexpected things I've learned from my advocacy for trans people is how malignant parts of the State can be, how it can misuse data for positively evil purposes. It's taught me people can't be safe with a digital ID card and so I've signed this. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

We’re against Starmer’s Brit-card.

I am opposed to mandatory digital ID - people should be able to go about their daily lives without such infringements. That aside, by calling it BritCard, the Prime Minister seems to be attempting to force every Scot to declare ourselves British. I am a Scot. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Can a rock band make history? Glasgow rock band, the Tenementals (@tenementals.bsky.social) explore what it means to create radical history through music.

If you're in London on 21 October there are still a few tickets available for the launch of my new book Songs of Seven Dials: An intimate history of 1920s and 1930s London. I'll be in conversation with the wonderful @julialaite.bsky.social about all things history.

A reminder of this piece by Margie Cheeseman, Aaron Martin & Keren Weitzberg @lseblogs.bsky.social in July

We have published a new Policy Paper by @jmoss88.bsky.social & @emilyrobinson.bsky.social. They argue that Mass Observation @massobsarchive.bsky.social should be revived with state funding to help us understand the reasons behind contemporary voter apathy. historyandpolicy.org/policy-paper...

Yet another ridiculous proposal from this preposterous UK government and another opportunity for them to hand over all your data to their pals in Big Tech. @ukparliament.parliament.uk

In today’s @financialtimes.com one of main culprits responsible for the devastation wrought by Brexit advocates for a MAGA-style cull of government departments and regulators. These architects of destruction need to be held accountable for their actions.

Latest in the National: I spoke with Rachael Muir, Business Archives Surveying Officer for Scotland, who told me about her work across the country, investigating, organising, and sometimes rescuing archives. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 www.thenational.scot/culture/2548...

To the children, students and families from Gaza arriving in Scotland for medical care: You are welcome here. Our communities will stand by you as neighbours and friends, and Scotland stands with the people of Palestine. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇵🇸

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