When you get the meetings calendar for the new academic year and it manages to outweigh your teaching hours.

Could a party to the left of Labour really have a chance at the ballot box? @goldbergradio.bsky.social hears from activist Alan Story and politics expert @jontonge.bsky.social From @bylinetimes.bsky.social pod.fo/e/312320

Thanks to the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social (PSA) for allowing me to say thanks to them for being a very supportive organisation for Politics academics.

We're also delighted to see the Founding Fellows featured, including @livunipol.bsky.social's own @jontonge.bsky.social and the key point from Prof Fiona Mackay that the study of politics is for all, not just for the elite institutions!

🌟PSA 75th Anniversary🌟Celebrating 75 years of the PSA being the home of #PoliticalStudies: advancing, supporting & promoting the global study of #politics & #InternationalRelations since 1950. 🎬 Watch this 3 min film to learn more. buff.ly/WaObGCF

Teaching timetable release day: the equivalent of the arrival of the football fixtures, down to the inevitable “oh no, I’m away then” stuff.

Worth checking out the whole special edition of Parliamentary Affairs on the #votesat16 debate in the UK, co-edited by @jontonge.bsky.social, Thomas Loughran and Andy Mycock: academic.oup.com/pa/issue/74/3

To learn more about some of the survey results discussed by our director, Prof Peter Shirlow, and our Politics colleague @jontonge.bsky.social at this @arinsproject.bsky.social event, please go to www.ria.ie/2025/07/04/n...

Research leave for the first time in a while and the out of office is on.

Shot while strapped to a chair??

Our director Prof Peter Shirlow during today's @arinsproject.bsky.social event, where he discussed the 2024 Northern Ireland General Election Survey with our @livunipol.bsky.social colleague @jontonge.bsky.social. Topics considered included immigration, voting and constitutional issues.

Next Wednesday, June 25th! Join us at the Royal Irish Academy for “The 2024 Northern Ireland General Election Survey” with Professors Peter Shirlow & @jontonge.bsky.social The event is free, but registration is required🎟️ Still some tickets left: www.ria.ie/events/arins...

Ensuring football club owners are not going to bankrupt a club or run it into the ground with a view to turning the ground into houses - both happened at Bury - isn’t “bureaucratic whim”. Astonishingly complacent arguments against a regulator from Oliver Dowden.

What does Reform’s by-election success in Runcorn & Helsby herald? theconversation.com/reform-wins-...

William Hague in today’s Times

All finished-up for another year. Thanks to convenors, @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social team, panel chairs, presenters, delegates, exhibitors, & everyone else involved in making it happen, for 3 great days of analysis and discussion #PSA25

Tomorrow’s Irish Politics panels #psa25

Great turnout for Rosie Campbell’s plenary! #PSA25

Delighted that the Department of Politics at #Liverpool - @livunipol.bsky.social - can offer a PhD studentship (fees) from this coming academic year. Details here: www.liverpool.ac.uk/histories-la... #PSA25

Ireland’s Ambassador to the UK, Martin Fraser, stressing the value of good UK-Ireland relations and NW England’s contribution, in a difficult global context, at tonight’s @irishinstitute.bsky.social dinner

Think Hugo Boss my favourite but a close call (Private Eye)

Yesterday’s Irish Times asking a few useful questions…

Looks like The Times or Sunday Times might have a decent shout of winning the, er, Times and Sunday Times Sports Journalism Awards…

We're gonna need a very strong bridge....

I know a few political journalists who have tried! Times obit on why Henry Kelly switched from journalism to gameshows.

Written this. Is it unfair?

🚨 NEW 🚨 Updated list of all the UK MPs on Bluesky 👇 Labour – 248 Liberal Democrats – 40 Conservative – 4 Green – 4 Independent – 3 SNP – 2 Alliance, Plaid Cymru, SDLP – 1 each And Commons Speaker @commonsspeaker.parliament.uk

A Presidency with much to answer for

Is the PM planning to remove the legal ban on 16 and 17 year olds undertaking frontline service? Or just unaware?

A new British Academy report on Politics and International Relations provision in UK higher education has found that it remains a popular subject, with graduates out-earning national averages. Read the report in full: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/new-rep...

🌟 Want to shape the future of Political Studies? PSA seeks new trustees for its Executive Committee, including Honorary Secretary! Build skills, networks, and make an impact. Nominations close 10 March 2025. Learn more & apply: https://buff.ly/4hhtt3n

The news this week that Wirral Council has applied for a £40m bailout from the government will have likely raised questions for many about what this actually means, with the future of key services remaining in doubt. The local authority’s council leader Cllr Paul Stuart said his administration is…

I'm so glad that my friend (but not Bluesky'er, sadly) Alex Kane has written for us about what 2025 is likely to hold for politics in Northern Ireland A UK-ROI reset, but unsettled unionism "There's little to suggest that 2025 is going to be the breakthrough year in terms of peace, hope & harmony"

Turnout inequality in UK elections close to tipping point, report warns

How can you not be excited about 2025? Happy New Year

All over - bar the inevitable “invitation to review” emails that will no doubt come from journals on Christmas Eve.

🔎 Read the Christmas statement from @anandmenon.bsky.social on UK in a Changing Europe and its future 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/announcement...

Backlash from other universities as name changes are approved: University of Central Lancashire, based in Preston, will become University of Lancashire, University of Bolton will be University of Greater Manchester. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Spent the last hour fretting whether I properly turned off the office radiator as per university instructions so I’m in tomorrow now anyway.

Excl: Government will move to scrap district councils in its devolution white paper on Monday, sparking the biggest local government reorganisation in 50 years on.ft.com/3VBH0ui

Writing about voting and demographics today, so sharing this chart again (with usual caveats about social grade as a measure). 2019 was the first election where Labour weren't ahead among the 'DEs', 2024 was the first time the Conservatives weren't ahead among the 'ABs'

As Chair of the department REF reading programme, have a 4 star Christmas everyone.

Has half the legislation planned for NI this year failed to appear? Leader of the Opposition and SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole claimed that the Executive will not deliver on the legislative programme for 2024 that was presented to the Assembly and that barely half of the 18 Bills scheduled will appear

Bad enough losing your seat but then The Times takes 9 years off your Westminster parliamentary career on your birthday as well….

Some key #GE2024 stats from the @electoralreform.bsky.social

Jeremy Hunt’s account of his appointment as chancellor independent.co.uk/voices/hunt-...