Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Conor Gaughan

@conorgaughan.bsky.social

1.3K followers 680 following 30 posts

Postdoctoral Research Associate | University of Manchester | Digital Research and Quantitative Politics | PhD from University of Southampton | #PUSB

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Conor Gaughan @conorgaughan.bsky.social · Nov 8

🚨Happy to share that my first academic paper has been published by @bjpols.bsky.social!

Using work from my PhD thesis, this research provides estimates of left/right position of UK MPs (2019-2024) using their Twitter/X follower networks.

Open Access: doi.org/10.1017/S00071…

5 16 55

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

John Denham @jydenham.bsky.social · 23d

Today I’m excited to launch Nation, State and Politics - a Substack exploring the powerful role that ideas of nations and nationhood play in shaping the political forces swirling around us today nationstateandpolitics.substack.com/p/nation-sta...

Nation, State and Politics - An Introduction

Progressive politics cannot afford to ignore the importance of nation, nationhood and state.

nationstateandpolitics.substack.com

1 7 10

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · Sep 8

My story revealing that MP Rupert Lowe has been paid £40k from posting on X is in Playbook PM

Graph below shows how Lowe has massively overtaken the Reform MPs with his X earnings throughout this year

8 47 69

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · Sep 5

Here's a slightly crazy diagram illustrating today's major Cabinet reshuffle

You're welcome

17 51 140

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · Sep 5

Radical right accommodation really does not work.

New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk

doi.org/10.31235/osf...

58 990 2.2K

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · Jul 8

Latest @thehousemag.bsky.social piece - on how to rank MPs, inc one of my fave academic studies, which put Diane Abbott to the right of Giles Radice.

Also includes Rush reference.

The Professor Will See You Now: Ranking MPs' politics

Professor Philip Cowley offers a political science lesson for The House’s readers. This week: ranking the politics of MPs

www.politicshome.com

12 17

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · Apr 24

Any great PhD or postdoctoral researchers out there who fulfil the attached criteria and who are interested in:

1) Formal logical models of electoral systems
2) Multilevel regression + poststratification
3) Digitising comparative elections data

Please let me know! I want to get you to Manchester!

Candidates should not have carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.) in the country of their host organisation (i.e. UK) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the deadline.

This call is open to researchers either coming to or moving within Europe, depending on the two strands of the scheme (European Postdoctoral Fellowships and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships).

Researchers should be in possession of a doctoral degree, with a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent research experience.

1 10 15

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Lawrence McKay @lawrencemckay.bsky.social · Apr 13

Mega presence for @sotonpolitics.bsky.social at @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social! #PSA25

@dbonansinga.bsky.social and @profannikawerner.bsky.social on populism
@rikkidean.bsky.social on democratic resilience
@elizabethjevans.bsky.social on feminism
Myself on urban-rural divides in trust
(1/2)

1 13 17

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · Mar 26

Just a couple more days left to apply for this one day PhD/ECR event in Manchester next month - travel and accommodation covered!

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Mar 19

📢 CALL FOR PAPERS 📢

🚨 Just over a week left to apply for this amazing opportunity with UKICE's @robfordmancs.bsky.social & @uniofmanchester.bsky.social 👇

5 6

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · Mar 20

📣 CALLING ALL QUANT SOCIAL SCIENTISTS! 📣

Do you know of causally identified research that estimates the effect of higher education on political attitudes?

@elizabethsim0n.bsky.social and I are currently working on a meta-analysis on this question and we need your help!

9 46 33

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

University of Manchester School of Social Sciences @uomsoss.bsky.social · Mar 19

Join Dr Alexandru Cernat & Dr @conorgaughan.bsky.social sky.social for a session on Open Data & digital footprints.

Learn about anonymizing and linking digital data to surveys, the DIGSURV project, and an online MSc in Data Analytics and Social Statistics.

Register: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

1 2

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · Mar 19

You can also see a short summary & discussion of our @psrm.bsky.social paper @bbcmaryam.bsky.social’s excellent The World Today show from Monday 🦸‍♀️

doi.org/10.1017/psrm...

15 44

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Gender and Inequalities Centre at Southampton @gain-centre.bsky.social · Mar 17

🚨We are so excited to announce that we are hosting the PSA Women & Politics @psawomenpol.bsky.social 2025 Annual Conference here in 📍Southampton! The conference, Troubled Times: Gender and Politics in the 21st Century, will be held from 📅 17 to 18 June! More details are in the CFP linked below.

PSA Women and Politics @psawomenpol.bsky.social · Mar 14

🚨 Call for Papers! 🚨

Join us for our 2025 Annual Conference hosted by @gain-centre.bsky.social

📅 17-18 June 2025
📍 Southampton
💡 Theme: Troubled Times: Gender and Politics in the 21st Century

Submit abstracts by Friday 11 April. Full details: tinyurl.com/ycyusm2v

#polisky #gendersky

Call for Papers: Women & Politics Annual Conference

Troubled Times: Gender and Politics in the 21st Century PSA Women and Politics Conference, June 17th/18th 2025 Hosted by the Gender and Inequalities (GAIN) Centre at the University of Southamp…

tinyurl.com

1 14 10

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

ITV News (Official) @itvnews.bsky.social · Mar 12

UK’s poorest households now worse off than poorest households in Slovenia

Analysis shows if wage growth continued in line with the pre-2008 trend, the average worker in the UK would be earning £12,000 more per year today, Business and Economics Editor Joel Hills reports
www.itv.com/news/2025-03...

4 25 44

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · Mar 12

Just over two weeks to go to apply for this exciting PhD and ECR event here in Manchester at the end of April - with funding to cover travel and accommodation. Get your abstracts in now! Get the word out to your colleagues and PhD students!

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Jan 28

🤩 Amazing opportunity with @officialuom.bsky.social and UKICE's @robfordmancs.bsky.social 👇

1 21 11

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Jon Mellon @jonmellon.bsky.social · Mar 10

Helpful NYT article showing 30 exclusion restriction violations for studies claiming covid is an instrument for their preferred x variable

nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/09/upshot/covid-lockdown-five-year-charts.html

30 Charts That Show How Everything Changed in March 2020

It can be easy to forget, or look away from, the pain and disruption of the pandemic. The numbers will be there to remind us.

nytimes.com

5 38 130

Conor Gaughan @conorgaughan.bsky.social · Feb 17

Still a real lack of right-wing presence among UK politicians so far, but overall is looking good 🇬🇧🦋

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · Feb 17

For everyone nerdy enough to care, this is @politicshome.bsky.social’s latest estimate of the percentage of each party’s MPs who have accounts on Bluesky

Shows clearly what we know already - in terms of MP presence, Bluesky is massively tilted towards the left

1 2

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · Feb 17

The majority of Labour, Lib Dem and Green MPs are now on Bluesky

And many of these MPs appear to be regularly posting on this platform

PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · Feb 17

🚨 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

17 65 340

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Will Jennings 🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · Feb 12

Our article 'A Crisis of Political Trust?' led by @viktorv.bsky.social is now out in @bjpols.bsky.social! We use >3,000 surveys in 143 countries between 1958 and 2019, finding that trust in representative institutions has generally been declining in recent decades. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

6 130 310

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Ed Kelly @edmundkelly.bsky.social · Feb 7

Happy to share that my paper (w/ James Tilley) is now out in @bjpols.bsky.social

We show that expenses misconduct by British MPs was not associated with political distrust among their constituents.

Open access here: doi.org/10.1017/S000...

British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Jan 31

#OpenAccess from our latest issue -

Misconduct by Voters' Own Representatives Does Not Affect Voters' Generalized Political Trust - cup.org/40ZhYsp

- Edmund Kelly & James Tilley

BJPolS abstract of a study discussing how financial scandals involving politicians might not significantly reduce voter trust or support in the United Kingdom, based on survey and statistical analysis.

3 12

Conor Gaughan @conorgaughan.bsky.social · Jan 31

Thank you, Philip!

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Kenn Rushworth @kennrushworth.bsky.social · Jan 27

I'm assisting @robfordmancs.bsky.social in organising this ECR event for UK in a Changing Europe.

Get your papers in, come to Manchester, enjoy the rain, have a drink, go home, tell your mates how good it was.

9 12

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · Jan 27

Another great paper from @sotonpolitics.bsky.social in BJPOLS.

This is from one of our great PhD candidates

British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Jan 27

#OpenAccess from our latest issue -

Estimating Ideal Points of British MPs Through Their Social Media Followership - cup.org/3Cekdyr

- @conorgaughan.bsky.social

BJPolS abstract discussing an abstract from a statistical analysis on MPs in the UK House of Commons and their endorsements of Liz Truss based on social media following.

3 15

Reposted by Conor Gaughan

Marvin Stecker @marvins.bsky.social · Jan 27

First ever publication alert!
Do you credit all the software you use in your research?👀

In a new article in Computational Communication Research, we investigate when software gets mentioned in research articles and what makes a tool more likely to be cited.

Read it here: doi.org/10.5117/CCR2...

Tools of the Trade – When Are Software Tools Mentioned in Computational Text Analysis Research? | Amsterdam University Press Journals Online

The use of computational methods for text analysis has been rapidly gaining a foothold in computational social science. Yet, little is known about the reporting practices of the software tools utilise...

doi.org

6 19 53

Conor Gaughan @conorgaughan.bsky.social · Jan 27

Check it out if you haven't already! 👇🏻🚨👇🏻

British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Jan 27

#OpenAccess from our latest issue -

Estimating Ideal Points of British MPs Through Their Social Media Followership - cup.org/3Cekdyr

- @conorgaughan.bsky.social

Conor Gaughan @conorgaughan.bsky.social · Jan 8

Really cool work by @chanret.bsky.social and @vlazarov.bsky.social!

Speaking of left-right positions of UK MPs, it turns out that their social media followership is also an extremely effective way of generating ideology estimates too 👇👀👇

doi.org/10.1017/S000...

Left-right positions of UK MPs in the last parliament (2019-24)

1 8 17