Andrew Defty
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adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty
@adefty.bsky.social
710 followers 720 following 170 posts

Associate Professor of Politics, University of Lincoln. Parliament, the intelligence services, a little bit of social policy.

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Political science 84%
Sociology 5%
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adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 4d
Wondering once again if the wholesale dismantling of modern languages in U.K. universities is a national security issue.
The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...
The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas
Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists
www.timeshighereducation.com

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 5d
I managed to spend a little bit of time in the library today 🧐 #ArtofSpying

Reposted by Andrew Defty

garydrawnsley.bsky.social
Gary Rawnsley @garydrawnsley.bsky.social · 6d
The highlight of our Houses of Parliament-approved Parliamentary Studies module is the annual site visit for students. One of many reasons why our Politics programme is ranked #7 in the Guardian rankings. Many thanks to @adefty.bsky.social for leading & I hope all our students enjoyed their visit.
adefty.bsky.social Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 6d
A privilege to take Lincoln Parliamentary Studies students to Parliament today. A great opportunity to learn about Parliament in the building and from those who work there.

Reposted by Gary D. Rawnsley

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 6d
A privilege to take Lincoln Parliamentary Studies students to Parliament today. A great opportunity to learn about Parliament in the building and from those who work there.

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 8d
Current reading #ArtofSpying

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 8d
Aside from the broader point, lots of security measures depicted in Eurich’s painting - more details in catalogue entry here www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
Preparations for D-Day
image: A coastal scene looking out to sea with an island on the left horizon. In the central foreground tanks line up for loading on board ship, through gaping red metal doors opening into a dark hold...
www.iwm.org.uk

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 8d
Each week I share artwork with students on my intelligence module. This week's topic is intelligence failure. I've chosen Preparations for D-Day (1944) by Richard Eurich from the Imperial War Museum a reminder that intel success for one side may be failure for another #ArtofSpying

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 11d
Each year I get my Parliamentary Studies students to write questions as if for PMQs. When we look at them in class, in order to demonstrate bad questions I have to intersperse them with recents questions from real PMQs.

Reposted by Ben Worthy

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 12d
With Police and Crime Commissioners heading for the history books it’s a good time to revisit my blogpost written following the first PCC elections in 2012 - Was the election of Police and Crime Commissioners the most expensive election in history? whorunsbritain.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2014/11/01/w...

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 25d
Each week I share with students on my intelligence module, Vigilant State, an artwork relating to that week’s topic. This week we were discussing intelligence analysis and I selected ‘Road to Baghdad’ (1996) by Elwyn Lynn from the AustralianWar Memorial art collection #ArtofSpying

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 27d
Continuing to collect artworks relating to intelligence. Struck by these from Australian War Memorial ‘Two types: Imperial and Colonial Intelligence Officer’ (1901) by Norman Hardy & untitled portrait of a member of the Australian Intelligence Corps, Afghanistan (2013) by Campbell Myers #ArtofSpying

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 26
Sad to hear of the death of former Lincoln MP, Dick Taverne. Labour MP for Lincoln from 1962 to 1972, after stepping down as a Labour MP won two elections (1973 and February 1974) standing as an independent Democratic Labour MP. Liberal Democrat peer since 1996. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Tributes paid to ex-Lincoln MP and Lib Dems founding member Dick Taverne
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey described him as
www.bbc.co.uk

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 24
What a great day’s teaching - comparing “INTS” in my intelligence module and students’ Private Members’ Bill ballot in Parliamentary Studies.

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 21
I’m again sharing artworks with students on my intelligence module Vigilant State. I now have more paintings than topics but this week we’re discussing intelligence collection and I’ll find space for Burton Silverman’s portrait of “Emil Goldfus” aka Soviet illegal Rudolf Abel. #ArtofSpying

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 17
Intelligence & Security Committee press notice. The ISC will be looking at the intelligence underpinning the Chinese spying prosecution but makes clear “the CPS does not fall within the remit of the ISC, and the Committee will not therefore be considering the actions of the CPS.”

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 16
Midway between writing chapters for two books one on social policy under Starmer’s Labour government, the second on the Conservatives under Truss and Sunak. My head is starting to spin, wishing I’d tackled them in chronological order.

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 15
University of Warwick are looking for a Professor of Intelligence Studies www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOZ241/p...
Professor of Intelligence Studies (110902-1025) at University of Warwick
Discover Professor of Intelligence Studies (110902-1025) jobs and more in higher education on jobs.ac.uk. Apply for further details on the top job board.
www.jobs.ac.uk

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 10
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

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 6
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 😂😂

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Oct 2
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

Reposted by Kevin O’Rourke, Frederik Dhondt, Andrew Defty

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · Sep 30
For anyone who's published a book. (Source: www.alcs.co.uk/news/the-lat...)

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 29
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

Reposted by Michael S. Goodman, Andrew Defty

kcsi.uk
King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · Sep 29
🔎 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

Reposted by Andrew Defty

politicalquarterly.bsky.social
Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · Sep 29
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

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 26
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.

Reposted by Andrew Defty

garydrawnsley.bsky.social
Gary Rawnsley @garydrawnsley.bsky.social · Sep 26
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?

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 19
Just dropped through my letterbox - a great special edition of @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social on women in intelligence

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 16
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...

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 16
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.

adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · Sep 16
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...