Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rosie Campbell @profrosiecamp.bsky.social · 12h

@electoralstudies.bsky.social If you’re interested in academic studies of political polarisation we have loads of great papers at Electoral Studies. Check out this one by Joseph Phillips www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Affective polarization and habits of political participation

Affective polarization, or relative dislike of opposing partisans, is associated with several negative outcomes for democracy. However, a number of st…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Greg Davies @gjdavies.bsky.social · 2d

HMP Berwyn, the UK's largest prison, was once presented as an advance for the Welsh language.

@robdjones.bsky.social and I argue that it’s been a categorical failure by that measure, posing troubling questions for Welsh language rights more widely: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Rights, Pains and Illusions: The Experiences of Welsh‐Speakers at Wales’ ‘Flagship’ Prison

This article challenges claims of ‘inherent’ bilingualism in Wales’ largest prison, HMP Berwyn. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and extensive documentary research, we find that Welsh-speaking p...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Ben Yong @bymyong.bsky.social · 4d

I‘m giving a public talk at UCL on Thurs 16 Oct. The title is “Bureaucracy and distrust: the civil service in the constitution” looking at the civil service’s constitutional foundations, and how it might respond to a populist govt. @sirJJkc.bsky.social will chair!
www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/...

Hybrid | CLP - Bureaucracy and Distrust: The Civil Service in the Constitution

This lecture will be delivered by Dr Ben Yong, as part of the Current Legal Problems Lecture Series 2025-26

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Paul Nightingale @paulnightingale.bsky.social · 7d

Which reminds me of Nightingale's first law of science policy "Fund more history"

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@ICONSGBIE @iconsgbie.bsky.social · 10d

📢ICON GBIE, TRICON, QUB Webinar:

Familiarity, Culture & Expertise: The Future of Referendums in Ireland & the UK

Oct 17th 10:00-13:00 Online

To register follow the link below:
events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0d55a0...

1/3 👇

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 10d

So who should Labour target if they want their 2024 vote back? Simple let's look at where 2024 Lab voters are now. Here are the averages and by occupation. People who have gone to Reform or Greens are miles away. But people who have gone to LDs or Don't Know, esp Low PMC, are very close. 17/n

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 12d

Persevered

Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 12d

Or were once left leaning. It seems to me that some (but only some) UK university leaders come to believe what they used to critique. They almost to treat their own earlier academic work as a mirror-image playbook.

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 12d

The quip that the worst neo-liberal managers are personally left-leaning but believe to survive they have to act like the caricature of a fat cat capitalist they internalised as students comes to mind with Starmer sometimes when he tries to project cultural conservatism.

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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 12d

The quip that the worst neo-liberal managers are personally left-leaning but believe to survive they have to act like the caricature of a fat cat capitalist they internalised as students comes to mind with Starmer sometimes when he tries to project cultural conservatism.

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 19d

What would a critic of Oxford PPE write as parody of a rushed tutorial essay?

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19d

Britain’s zombie universities should put Schumpeter on the syllabus on.ft.com/46tIQC1 | opinion

Britain’s zombie universities should put Schumpeter on the syllabus

It’s time to borrow from the corporate crib sheets — and if all else fails, creative destruction is a force for good

on.ft.com

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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19d

Britain’s zombie universities should put Schumpeter on the syllabus on.ft.com/46tIQC1 | opinion

Britain’s zombie universities should put Schumpeter on the syllabus

It’s time to borrow from the corporate crib sheets — and if all else fails, creative destruction is a force for good

on.ft.com

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 20d

Unscramble these eggs

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 20d

Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing.

Consequence of policies of successive govts, real cut in university income, hard to recruit foreign students.

Science subjects cut as they require heavy investment. Skills shortages will deepen.

Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing, survey finds

Four out of five making staff cuts as physicists say findings are ‘great concern’ for UK’s leadership in important areas

www.theguardian.com

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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 20d

Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing.

Consequence of policies of successive govts, real cut in university income, hard to recruit foreign students.

Science subjects cut as they require heavy investment. Skills shortages will deepen.

Quarter of UK university physics departments at risk of closing, survey finds

Four out of five making staff cuts as physicists say findings are ‘great concern’ for UK’s leadership in important areas

www.theguardian.com

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 21d

Great. Let’s keep power as centralised as possible. That’ll work well if Farage become PM.

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 21d

NEW: Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane tells @politicshome.bsky.social he thinks the government is getting “cold feet” about strengthening regional devolution

“Two Reform mayors play into that. A Labour mayor on manoeuvres plays into that too."

Former Bank Of England Economist Says Government Getting 'Cold Feet' Over English Devolution

Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said he is concerned that the government is getting “cold feet” about strengthening regional de...

www.politicshome.com

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Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 21d

NEW: Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane tells @politicshome.bsky.social he thinks the government is getting “cold feet” about strengthening regional devolution

“Two Reform mayors play into that. A Labour mayor on manoeuvres plays into that too."

Former Bank Of England Economist Says Government Getting 'Cold Feet' Over English Devolution

Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said he is concerned that the government is getting “cold feet” about strengthening regional de...

www.politicshome.com

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 22d

The UK & EU becoming capable of full self defence + role wrt Ukraine encompasses timing questions. Equally, when, in the US domestic politics spiral, does UK government work to sustain the ‘special relationship’ fail a basic moral sniff test, if it hasn’t already? What should the UKG do (then)?

timing.at

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 22d

A ‘sovereign’ Parliament with 2 elected chambers looks different. Before GE 2024 Lords reform became a 2nd term issue for Labour.
I wasn’t wholly convinced by the Brown commission from a devo perspective. Now maybe a missed opportunity for several reasons? labour.org.uk/wp-content/u...

labour.org.uk

Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 24d

No wonder Farage quit worrying and learned to love FPTP

Jac Larner @jaclarner.bsky.social · 24d

The Westminster implications are staggering too. On these numbers, Labour would likely be reduced to just 3 Welsh seats, Plaid would win around 6, and Reform could take most of the remaining 23 seats out of Wales's 32 constituencies 🧵 End

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Dr Adam Evans @a-b-evans.bsky.social · 24d

To put the 14% in perspective it would not just be Labour's worst performance in Wales since it supplanted the Liberals in 1922, but its lowest vote share at any national election in Wales since 1906 (when it only contested a handful of seats due to the Gladstone-MacDonald pact)

#senedd #devolution

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 24d

Oof.
Welsh Labour hopes for benefits flowing from partnership with a Labour government have, it seems, been dashed.
Is anyone in the UK party thinking about the medium term consequences of Labour losing Wales?

Wales Governance Centre | Canolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru @walesgovernance.bsky.social · 24d

Our new BARN Cymru poll run with @itvcymruwales.bsky.social and @yougov.co.uk has landed 📈 #Senedd26 #Wales #Cymru

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Jac Larner @jaclarner.bsky.social · 24d

The Westminster implications are staggering too. On these numbers, Labour would likely be reduced to just 3 Welsh seats, Plaid would win around 6, and Reform could take most of the remaining 23 seats out of Wales's 32 constituencies 🧵 End

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Jac Larner @jaclarner.bsky.social · 24d

Latest ITV BarnCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 poll confirms trend seen over last 6 months - neck and neck race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK for largest party, with Labour falling to even more distant third. Evidence growing of distinct realignment in Wales 🧵

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Wales Governance Centre | Canolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru @walesgovernance.bsky.social · 24d

Our new BARN Cymru poll run with @itvcymruwales.bsky.social and @yougov.co.uk has landed 📈 #Senedd26 #Wales #Cymru

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James Breckwoldt @jamesbreckwoldt.bsky.social · 24d

What Happened to Labour's 2024 Voters?

Using the recent wave of the @britishelectionstudy.com I look at people who voted Labour in 2024:
- How many are still with the party?
- How many have left?
- Why might that be?

TLDR: they've left because of economic issues/concerns, probably.

What Happened to Labour's 2024 Voters?

The who, what, when, how and huh of why Labour has lost so much support in such a short period of time

jamesbreckwoldt.substack.com

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 25d

The UK also stands out for having cut Welfare Benefit Generosity. Turning WBG to a single number begs lots of issues (equally, tho GDP), but Scruggs+ Ramalho Tafoya have a decent index I used a few years ago. I think the issues it gets to are still often misunderstood. ukandeu.ac.uk/how-generous...

How generous is British welfare? - UK in a changing Europe

Professor Dan Wincott compares the generosity of welfare entitlements in the UK with other high-income countries.

ukandeu.ac.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 26d

‘I was there. I kept the receipts. I remember how normalized the sexual exploitation of teenage girls and even tweens by adult men was, how it showed up in movies, in the tales of rock stars and “baby groupies”’

Powerful piece from @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Shocked by Epstein’s birthday book? That culture was everywhere before feminism | Rebecca Solnit

Feminism exposed the ubiquity of child abuse, rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence – and helped fight that culture

www.theguardian.com

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 26d

Its correct to call Robinson’s rally larger than any far right rally in history.

3/4 of people on it would say it was not far right, and would deny racism

About 1/4 on it may be happy to own racism

The ostensibly moderate/peaceful frame is one reason it can go wider than Mosley or Britain First

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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 27d

I’m sure someone will have the stats on it but is this the biggest far right demo since the noontide of Mosley?

apnews.com/article/lond...

Supporters of far-right activist Tommy Robinson clash with London police during massive protest

A massive march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson in London has grown violent as a small group of his supporters clashed with police.

apnews.com

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Daniel Wincott @danielwincott.bsky.social · 28d

A moving tribute.

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 28d

The news of Conor Gearty's death has just been announced and I'm not coping. He was a mentor and the pole star in my constitutional thinking. He was also a great friend and fantastic fun to be around. I'm heartbroken for Aoife and the children.

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Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 28d

The news of Conor Gearty's death has just been announced and I'm not coping. He was a mentor and the pole star in my constitutional thinking. He was also a great friend and fantastic fun to be around. I'm heartbroken for Aoife and the children.

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