Pauline Stafford

@pstafford.bsky.social

1.6K followers 350 following 450 posts

Historian of early Middle Ages, Grandmother, Leftwing, Labour, Leeds, British, European. Emerita Prof University of Liverpool

Videos

Pauline Stafford is Professor Emerita of Early Medieval History at Liverpool University and a visiting professor at Leeds University in England. Dr. Stafford is a former vice-president of the Royal Historical Society. .. more

History 50%

Philosophy 24%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 1d

Agree, though not necessarily with the ultra pessimistic conclusion of this thread that the U.K. will become a vassal state. Or perhaps I’m clinging too much to hope in the face of - at least recent - experience.

Steven Fielding @polprofsteve2024.bsky.social · 2d

Britain’s reliance on US intelligence is well known but they also need ours. & Trump can do a lot of economic damage to the UK. But there comes a point when national self-respect is slightly more important. & the moment has come when we need to declare our own independence from this toxified state.

Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 2d

Trump, who is openly discussing annexing Greenland, wants UK's Starmer to know that if he takes any action against Elon Musk's automated child sexual abuse material delivery system X, the UK will "face consequences" until Starmer allows US oligarchs to plunder the UK like a good boy.

Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 1d

Part of an excellent and thoughtful thread on why Farage is likely to win over Starmer on the new Europe/Brexit issue - in the short term at least.

Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 1d

The second reason is that unfortunately the facts aren’t quite what they used to be. The modern information system is very story vs fact focused. A really obvious example is that ostensible doyen of facts, the BBC, adhering to to bothsidesism — in effect, converting facts to two competing stories.

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 1d

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis, Pauline Stafford

Steven Fielding @polprofsteve2024.bsky.social · 1d

Since becoming leader Starmer has prioritised winning back ‘hero voters’ - & completely failed. Lab won in 2024 despite that busted strategy & we can see the results of persisting with it. Luke et al are more of a danger to Lab than Corbyn ever was. magazine.newstatesman.com/2026/01/09/o...

Only Reform voters can save Labour

A progressive coalition simply doesn’t have the vote share

magazine.newstatesman.com

Reposted by Bryan D. Jones, Smith, Robert C. Richards , and 4 more Bryan D. Jones, Smith, Robert C. Richards, Alan Richardson, Ann Bartow, Pauline Stafford, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 1d

Great piece by my Cato colleague. “Since July, immigration agents have shot at least six people behind the wheel of a vehicle. The same playbook is used each time: the agent says they “feared for their life” as a vehicle was “weaponized” against them. Juries should decide, but we tie their hands.

Opinion | Renee Good wasn’t the first person shot in her car by ICE. The justification followed a familiar script.

Mike Fox: The officer who shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis might never have to defend his actions before a judge or jury.

www.ms.now

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Mary L. Dudziak , and 3 more Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Mary L. Dudziak, Pauline Stafford, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe

MPR News @mprnews.org · 1d

Federal immigration officers are pulling out of a Louisiana crackdown and heading to Minneapolis in an abrupt pivot from an operation that drew protests around New Orleans and aimed to make thousands of arrests, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Federal officers are leaving Louisiana immigration crackdown for Minneapolis, documents show

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that federal border agents are pulling out of a Louisiana immigration crackdown and heading to Minneapolis.

www.mprnews.org

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 2d

A reminder that Elon Musk did not in fact design Teslas or space rockets. He is a glorified PR man.

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Disappointed Optimist @disappoptimism.bsky.social · 2d

So with the inevitability of a brain that refuses to switch off when something bothers it I thought

“I bet if some Silicon Valley boon thought Greenland would make a great project they would have boasted about it”

And what do you know:

www.insidehook.com/internet/pet...

A Startup Linked to Peter Thiel Wants to Build the "Next Great City" in Greenland

Funded to the tune of $525 million, Praxis aims to “revitalize Western Civilization” through a techno-libertarian city upon a hill

www.insidehook.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Pauline Stafford

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d

When you are the incumbent government, your re-election strategy is downstream of your governing record, which is what you should be preoccupied with now.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn, Pauline Stafford

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 2d

How do you become a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society? What kinds of activity lead to Fellowship?

RHS Fellows are elected for their 'original contribution to historical scholarship'. We've a new guide to the many ways Fellows achieve and demonstrate this bit.ly/48mpcJa

#Skystorians 1/2

Blog post image on 'Joining the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society: a brief guide if you’re considering an application'.

Full abstract: "Fellowship is one of several ways to join and belong to the Royal Historical Society. Fellows are elected to this position by the Society in recognition of their work for the historical discipline and profession.

There are many different routes to Fellowship, just as there are different kinds of contributions and careers within the discipline of history.

Today’s RHS Fellows are history practitioners from a range of backgrounds (within and beyond higher education) who have contributed to historical understanding and knowledge through a body of work.

These contributions take many forms, from academic publications of different formats, to editorial and curatorial work, history programming and public history.

This post addresses common questions asked by those considering applying to join the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society. If you are interested in making an application, we hope this helps."

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Steven Fielding @polprofsteve2024.bsky.social · 2d

Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 2d

Reposted by Steve Peers, Christopher McCabe, Tim Bale , and 3 more Steve Peers, Christopher McCabe, Tim Bale, John Foot, Tom Griffin, Pauline Stafford

The New Statesman @newstatesman1913.bsky.social · 2d

Only Reform voters can save Labour

By Luke Akehurst

Only Reform voters can save Labour

A progressive coalition simply doesn't have the vote share

www.newstatesman.com

Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 2d

A call for the politics of ‘can do’.

Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 2d

Great @economist.com piece by @matthewholehouse.bsky.social on state capacity. Am convinced next election winner will be who convinces people Government can actually just *do things* & politicians aren’t powerless to make good on promises. My reframe of Reagan maxim www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Mel Bartley, Neil Lee , and 1 more Ben H. Ansell, Mel Bartley, Neil Lee, Pauline Stafford

Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · 2d

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 2d

Could this Iron Age hand reveal the origins of Basque, a language-isolate that pre-dates the spread of Indo-European speakers? #WordNerdDay
One word is similar to the Basque for 'good fortune', suggesting the languages share roots.

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology

Above: bronze hand engraved with Palaeohispanic writing. Below: sketch of the same hand, making the writing clearer.

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 2d

34 of Nigel Farage’s school contemporaries have now come forward to confirm they were subjected to racist bullying or abuse by the Reform UK leader, or witnessed it.

‘Go back home’: Farage schoolmate accounts bring total alleging racist behaviour to 34

Exclusive: Dulwich college contemporaries say Reform leader often used antisemitic language and racial epithets

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Alex Sobel MP @alexsobel.co.uk · 2d

Democracy and human rights are sacrosanct. A new great game, in which might beats what is right, is replacing the international rules-based order.

Full clip: https://loom.ly/kLHzRhQ

#Venezuela #Ukraine #Taiwan

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Agenda des médiévistes @rmblf.bsky.social · 2d

Publication – « Speculations: The Centennial Issue » (Speculum, 101, janv. 2026)

rmblf.be/2026/01/09/p...

Publication – « Speculations: The Centennial Issue » (Speculum, 101, janv. 2026)

Speculations: The Centennial Issue, Speculum, t. 101, janv. 2026. Table des matières : Editors’ Introduction — Mohamad Ballan, Cecily J. Hilsdale, Katherine L. Jansen, Sierra Lomuto, and Pegg…

rmblf.be

Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 2d

Editorial in the National Catholic Reporter: "The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel."

Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.

www.ncronline.org

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Robert West, Rebecca Solnit , and 34 more Timothy Snyder, Robert West, Rebecca Solnit, Dorothy Bishop, Will Jennings, Samuel L. Perry, Tom Shakespeare, Valerie P. Hans, Henning Melber, Philip Nel, Peter Holmes, Joni Lovenduski, Trevon D. Logan, Robert C. Richards, R. M. Wilson, Gerald Friedman, Nazita Lajevardi, Scott A. Imberman, Michael H. Whitworth, Anne Norton, Eric D. Knowles, Michael Müller, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, Daryl Adair, Mark Priestley, Kate Starbird, Pauline Stafford, Björn Heile, Umut Özkırımlı, Greg Linden, Tim Stephens, Christina Pagel, Colin Talbot, Markus Haverland, Jeannette Sutton, Virginia Sapiro, Jim McManus

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 3d

For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3d

6 February deadline. Obviously a very difficult time in the history of academia to ask for voluntary labour, but our ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals relies upon it, and it's a great way of both using and developing expertise. Open to current Fellows of the Royal Hist. Soc. #Skystorians

Society invites applications to join new-look 'Transactions' editorial board - RHS

The Royal Historical Society seeks to appoint new members to the editorial board of its academic journal, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, published by Cambridge University Press. These n...

royalhistsoc.org

Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 3d

It’s a shame these are in-person only. But if you’re within reach here’s the - usual -feast.

IHR Earlier Middle Ages Seminar @earliermiddleages.bsky.social · 6d

Happy new year! We're delighted to share our seminar schedule for Spring 2026. All events take place at the @ihr.bsky.social (Wolfson NB02) on Wednesdays at 5.30pm. All welcome - please sign up in advance here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

IHR Earlier Middle Ages seminar schedule for spring 2026

Reposted by Michael Stewart, Pauline Stafford

Brepols @brepols.net · 3d

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮
Éric Fournier, Maijastina Kahlos (eds)

More Info: bit.ly/49KnjI8

#Women #Antiquity #Medieval #Womensstudies #Europe #Africa #History #Medievalsky #Medievalists

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Antonia Bance MP @antoniabance.bsky.social · 3d

Rachel Reeves on the 2CL:

“I don’t really care what colour a kid’s skin is – some deserve to be in poverty and some don’t?

“Does Nigel Farage want to go around and say: ‘White? Yeah, you can have the money. Black? No, I’m sorry, it’s not for you.’ What sort of country does he think we are?”

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

The News Agents @newsagents.bsky.social · 3d

Will Labour take a stand against X/Twitter users asking Grok to remove clothes from photos of women and children?

“If you can't win the political fight against the creation of paedophilic images, then what is the point of them?" Lewis Goodall asks

www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-l...

‘If Labour can’t fight Elon Musk on Grok AI porn then, frankly, we're lost’ | The News Agents

Why won’t the UK government act to prevent Grok, Elon Musk’s X/Twitter AI chatbot, from altering photos of women and children to remove clothes and create explicit, and illegal, material?

www.thenewsagents.co.uk

Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 3d

You and your wife drop your 6-year-old off at school. You just moved here. You see ICE terrorizing your new neighbors. You film them, as is your legal right. Your wife complies with orders. She is then shot in the head. You still have to pick up your child later today.

This could be you.

Distraught woman says ICE killed her wife in video after deadly Minneapolis shooting
"They killed my wife," the distraught woman says, adding, "They shot her in the head."
An ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman who was driving an SUV in Minneapolis on Wednesday. / Screenshot/@Breaking911

"They killed my wife. I don't know what to do," the woman says through sobs in the footage, with a damaged SUV visible in the distance behind her. "We stopped to videotape, and they shot her in the head," the woman cries.
"We have a six-year-old at school," she says, almost unable to breathe, as a chaotic scene in which federal officers prevented at least one doctor who was on the scene from assisting the shot victim unfolds. "We're new here," the distraught woman says in despair.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Rosemary A. Joyce, Melissa Johnson , and 11 more Anna O. Law, Rosemary A. Joyce, Melissa Johnson, Alan Richardson, Michael Zimmer, Jacob T. Levy, Richard Larouche, Samantha Brennan, Pauline Stafford, Olivier Mannoni, David S. Tanenhaus, Martin S. Flaherty, Dan Immergluck, Harvey J. Kaye

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 3d

AOC: This has now become what we feared most about ICE for a long time—that it would be used as an anti-civilian force with no accountability. At the end of the day, what we saw today was a murder, and murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted.

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 4d

... not only a carnyx but also a 'bronze boar’s head battle standard'... So much about this that's Deerhurst label stop/ Coppergate helmet but not quite. A reminder perhaps of how much more Iron Age material was still around in the early middle ages?

Reposted by Tim Bale, Pauline Stafford

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 6d

I have lost count of the number of times I have been given this government line in response to SO MANY @politicshome.bsky.social stories about X

If the platform was going to "act appropriately", it would have done so by now

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 6d

Keir Starmer's spokesman asked if Government will still use X now it posts indecent images of children, replies "we always keep communication channels under review to reach public in most appropriate way possible”

"Operators are under obligation to act appropriately. We always hope they would do"

Reposted by Charles West, Keith Lilley, Pauline Stafford

IHR Earlier Middle Ages Seminar @earliermiddleages.bsky.social · 6d

Add to Home Screen

Light up
your news

Add to Home Screen

Light upyour news

Sign in to Lightnews

Sign up to start reading

Connect Bluesky

Connect with Bluesky

Light up
your news