Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 1d

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens

University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 5d

It’s good to see some of our students, current and former, in today’s Daily Telegraph enjoying themselves at the Conservative Party conference. The great woke indoctrination at U.K. universities is going well 😂😂

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 9d

It's too early to know and investigations will quite properly follow into what was and was not known about the Manchester attacker. It is the first seminar of my intelligence module tomorrow and I'll be starting with this from @bricksilk.bsky.social following a previous attack in Manchester

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 11d

For anyone who's published a book. (Source: www.alcs.co.uk/news/the-lat...)

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 12d

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Terry Farrell, architect who designed MI6 building, dies aged 87

He also designed the headquarters for ITV's 80s breakfast show TV-am, with giant eggcups on the roof.

www.bbc.co.uk

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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 12d

🔎 Times are changing — and so are we. The King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence is now on Instagram.

Follow for insights on intelligence, security, and global affairs, plus highlights from our research, events, and teaching.

👉 instagram.com/kcsi.uk

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Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · 12d

UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

By Glen O'Hara, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Oxford Brookes University

politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...

Where now for Britain’s Universities?

UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 15d

In one of his less well known roles, Menzies Campbell was a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2008-2015, a period which saw significant reform of the committee. Here he is in 2011 advocating more power for the ISC in the annual House of Commons ISC debate.

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Gary Rawnsley @garydrawnsley.bsky.social · 15d

The Annual Welcome Week Lecture of School of Social & Political Sciences, Uni of Lincoln, this year is delivered by Dr Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social. His subject is Bridging Two Cultures: what’s scientific about the social sciences?

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 22d

Just dropped through my letterbox - a great special edition of @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social on women in intelligence

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 25d

Reposting my blogpost from November 2024 - What does the British public think about another Trump Presidency? whorunsbritain.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2024/11/08/w...

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 25d

In relation to the dropping of charges in the Chinese espionage case, a robust call for enhanced powers for the Intelligence & Security Committee from former member Mark Pritchard.

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 25d

The Speaker’s statement about the CPS decision to withdraw charges against two individuals under the Official Secrets Act in relation to Chinese espionage in Parliament. He’s not happy. hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 26d

Always a special day, graduation with a great bunch of colleagues from Social and Political Sciences at Lincoln.

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 9

Some of which will be more concerning to the French people than the other.

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 5

The government has published its response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on Iran www.gov.uk/government/p...

Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Report 'IRAN'

The government’s response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament's Iran Report.

www.gov.uk

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 29

Doing some tidying up in the office. Came across this CIA flyer on diversity and inclusion which I picked up at a CIA careers stand in the US a few years ago. I guess they don’t hand these out anymore. 😕

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 20

In Bruges

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 19

A few days in Bruges, took a short ride out to the small town of Sluis just across the Dutch border. Sluis was liberated by Canadian forces on 1 November 1944 but at a terrible cost, the town’s moving war memorial lists the names and ages of those who died in the bombardment of the town.

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 12

Continuing my summer reading on early modern intelligence with Postal Intelligence by @rmidura.bsky.social

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 7

More holiday reading, I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while - Intelligence and espionage in the English Republic 1600 - 60 by Alan Marshall, with some great cover art - The Hired Assassins by Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, from the Wallace Collection #ArtofSpying

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Aug 4

The Sunday Telegraph’s report on Stella Rimington’s appointment as D-G of MI5 in December 1991.

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Dr. Dan Lomas @sandbaggerone.bsky.social · Jul 31

"We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty".
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Statement on state threats from Iranian intelligence services: 31 July 2025

Joint statement of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US on state threats from Iranian intelligence services

www.gov.uk

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Jul 30

In the Scottish Borders, some holiday reading.

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Jul 25

😳

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · Jul 25

A university bankruptcy in the UK, which now seems pretty likely, won't look like a company going down and sacking everyone. Things to look out for, much more likely:-
(1) University creditors providing soft easier loans, (a) to avoid bad publicity, (b) to try to get their money at some point. (1/3)

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · Jul 25

A university bankruptcy in the UK, which now seems pretty likely, won't look like a company going down and sacking everyone. Things to look out for, much more likely:-
(1) University creditors providing soft easier loans, (a) to avoid bad publicity, (b) to try to get their money at some point. (1/3)

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Jul 22

The Intelligence and Security Committee will be conducting an inquiry into the Afghan data breach

Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Jul 18

Discussing votes at 16 with my children (all over 18) reveals a diverse range of views. Remarkable degree of consensus however on removing the vote from older people. 🤔

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Joe Greenwood-Hau @niceonecombo.bsky.social · Jul 18

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

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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Jul 18

Selling off buildings preferable to redundancies, although some doing both, but I suspect recent acquisitions and developments not worth what they paid for them so unis stuck in negative equity - which brings me back to my previous point - awful situation, good thread, thanks 🙏👍.

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