Prof Colin Talbot
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colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot
@colintalbot.bsky.social
19K followers 940 following 710 posts

Professor (Emeritus) U of Manchester ▪️co-ops and cooperation ▪️progressive pluralism▪️ex Aikidoka ▪️Arsenal ▪️Born Dover (that's my Castle)

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Colin Ronald Talbot is a British political scientist. He was until August 2017 a professor at the University of Manchester and held the Chair of Government in the School of Social Sciences. He is now Professor Emeritus at Manchester and a research associate at the University of Cambridge. He has also been an adviser to UK Parliamentary Committees on HM Treasury and on Public Administration. .. more

Political science 54%
Business 17%
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colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · Dec 10
Withe abolition of Police & Crime Commissioners, who will
Police the Police?

consoc.org.uk/the-abolitio...
With PCCs abolished, who polices the police?  - The Constitution Society
Colin Talbot explores the unanswered questions arising from the government's decision to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners.
consoc.org.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 4h
‘Great’ Britain was introduced by the Romans to distinguish from Little Britain (Brittany). It had nothing to do with status or self-aggrandisement.

In more modern times it means E&W+S, as opposed to just Britain (E&W). UK is GB+NI (so “Team GB” at Olympics is actually wrong)

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 16h
Minnesotan solidarity goes way back. Teamsters Rebellion in 1930s in the Twin Cities….

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 22h
The USA was always held up as THE example of a Presidential system that “works”.

As opposed to all those in Latin America and elsewhere that didn’t.

Now that bubble has burst I’d hope the myth of the heroic, single, strong, leader can be dispelled. There and here.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

molynj.bsky.social
Charles Julian @molynj.bsky.social · 23h
I was always suspicious (& slightly anti) presidential models, without really being able to put my finger on why.

Now we have an example of what can go wrong. The "President" acts like a king & over interprets their mandate. This, despite having been voted for by a minority of the population.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

jayanne.bsky.social @jayanne.bsky.social · 1d
Simplistic I know , but Saxon v Norman style of governance .
Less local democracy , less ability to pop down to the local District Council offices .
More control from central government.
More mayors playing the role of District Commissioners, maybe.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 1d
One Mayor To Rule Them All?

Me, for the Constitution Society

consoc.org.uk/one-mayor-to...
One Mayor to Rule Them All: Labour and Local Government  - The Constitution Society
Colin Talbot investigates whether we are moving towards an increaingly presidential form of local government.
consoc.org.uk

Reposted by Colin Talbot

resolutionfoundation.org
Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 1d
An 11 ppt swing from mortgagers to renters over the 3 decades since 1995 means that 8.6 million people in lower-income families rent from a private landlord.

These people spend on average 43 per cent of their total household budget on rent.

Read Unsung Britain now ⤵️ buff.ly/7WcqrbQ
Chart showing proportion of non pensioner low to middle income families in different tenure types In 1994-95, three-in-ten families in Unsung Britain had a mortgage. But by 2023-24, renting privately was the most common tenure (29 per cent), with the proportion living with parents (15 per cent) almost as high as the share of mortgaged families (17 per cent).

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 1d
I was more worried about our little Schnauzer who was wandering about

Reposted by Colin Talbot

generalboles.bsky.social
General Boles @generalboles.bsky.social · 1d
What if you threw a coup and nobody came?

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 1d
I think the Tories (negatively) and LDs (positively) did far more than MMcS to help Labour win in 2024. It was an anti-Tory election far more than a pro Labour one.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 1d
Hunter over the allotment today

Reposted by Richard H. King, Tom Griffin, Federica Genovese , and 2 more

pippacrerar.bsky.social
Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 2d
BREAKING: Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's chief of staff amid fall-out from the Mandelson scandal

Reposted by Paul Nightingale, Colin Talbot

financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 4d
Lack of a common foe enfeebled Europe — but not any more, says Simon Kuper ft.trib.al/DSHzkRZ

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Kori Schake, Edgar Morgenroth , and 2 more

savchenkoua.bsky.social
Savchenko Volodymyr @savchenkoua.bsky.social · 4d
🇲🇩🇺🇦 Moldovan President Sandu said that she is against her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, because there are more worthy candidates - Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Sandu emphasized that it is Ukrainians who are truly sacrificing themselves for the sake of peace and security in Ukraine and the EU.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 5d
Read John Searle on the social construction and brute facts of money. It requires both to work - real tokens and belief.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 5d
I can tell you who it was privately. But as he’s not around to defend himself. And he was my friend for a time. I’d rather not say publicly

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 5d
Possibly. He’s dead now.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 5d
I knew a GLC politician just like MMcS.

He like operating mostly in the shadows. As he put it “making the bullets for other people to fire”. On the other side of Labour to MMcS, but very similar.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

humanismedu.bsky.social
Understanding Humanism @humanismedu.bsky.social · 5d
12 Feb is #DarwinDay! Explore the story of our human origins. For a humanist perspective, check out our free classroom resources or invite in a humanist school visitor! understandinghumanism.org.uk/area/human-b...

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 6d
Having been a Trot in the 70s probably didn’t help. They were also concerned about family history - mine was “complicated” and I had to ask some difficult questions of (adopted) relatives!

Reposted by Colin Talbot

markeye.bsky.social
Markeye @markeye.bsky.social · 6d
Agreed. And if the ‘something’ that went wrong was that the appointment was simply waved through by Starmer, with McSweeney’s support, then they both rightly deserve every bad thing that ensues.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

robertwoolley.bsky.social
Robert Woolley 🇬🇧🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @robertwoolley.bsky.social · 6d
I believe it is the way it is so that you can't be blackmailed.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 6d
Indeed. Their file on me was disturbingly thick! But by the time I was DV’d they were more concerned about money and sex than politics. And it was two decades since I’d been a Trot 😀

Reposted by Colin Talbot

petruscrinitus.bsky.social
Petrus Crinitus @petruscrinitus.bsky.social · 6d
Ah yes, I remember them being called PV.

A friend announced that he was having to undergo a PV investigation to be able to work at GCHQ. Our medical friends were more than a little suprised, not to say somewhat horrified.

To them, a PV investigstion meant Per Vagina...

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 6d
This is about Andy Coulson. Another one who wouldn’t have passed DV

blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/whitehallwat...
Andy Coulson and and his non ‘Developed Vetting’ – why on earth did the Civil Service let this happen?
blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 7d
I agree. I wrote about both of them at the time. This one’s Boris Johnson

statecraft.blog/2016/07/14/b...
Boris Johnson and national security
[amended] The appointment of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary took almost everyone by surprise. Why has he been appointed? It’s hard to fathom without recourse to ‘Kremlin watching&#8…
statecraft.blog

Reposted by Colin Talbot

geoffsmith.bsky.social
Geoff___Smith @geoffsmith.bsky.social · 7d
I went through it at under 17 with my parents present. It was brutal.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

webdevops.uk
#c0ffee 🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️ @webdevops.uk · 7d
In a much earlier stage of my life, I used to attend what was known as PV interviews - Positive Vetting, which I assume DV has replaced. I can confirm the level of shock, shame, embarrasment and humiliation inflicted on the interviewees - not all of whom I'm sure mentally survived the experience.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

amhoward.bsky.social
Andrew Howard @amhoward.bsky.social · 7d
I got the form once …. No thanks.

Similarly, I don’t believe Boris Johnson or Cummings went through it.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 7d
DEVELOPED VETTING

I’ve been thru it. High level of security clearance. It is excruciatingly, embarrassingly, thorough, believe me.

It’s come up in relation to Peter Mandelson.

I cannot believe he was DV’d for the Ambassador job? If he was something went very badly wrong.