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Pauline Stafford

@pstafford.bsky.social

1.6K followers 340 following 370 posts

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

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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%

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 9h

It is certainly an arguable point for the law. Though the legal principles ought to be identical, I am certain the Shadow Justice Secretary would surely not attend court to show solidarity for somebody who burned a Bible, the Talmud, a novel, a Remembrance poppy, Union Jack - but will for the Quran

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Reposted by Elizabeth Stokoe, Pauline Stafford

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 22h

another day in very normal times

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 1d

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Pauline Stafford , and 4 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Pauline Stafford, Federica Genovese, Colm O’Cinneíde, Tim Leunig, José Pina-Sánchez

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 1d

Hollow laughter

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Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Keith Lilley, Pauline Stafford

Prof. Elaine Chalus @profelainechalus.bsky.social · 1d

Assistant Professor in Irish and/or European Medieval History
Dublin City University - School of History & Geography #skystorians 🗃️www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOY744/a...

Assistant Professor in Irish and/or European Medieval History at Dublin City University

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Assistant Professor in Irish and/or European Medieval History at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

www.jobs.ac.uk

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 1d

Enjoyed showing students today the amazing 1063 charter signed by Anna, queen of France, in cyrillic.

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 2d

We found:

- Over 6 in 10 people in poverty live in a household where someone works

- Over 4 in 10 people in a family in receipt of a low-income benefit like Universal Credit are in poverty

- 1 in 10 people in rented accommodation are pulled into poverty due to housing costs 2/3

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 2d

Let’s go back to the mid 1960s when I was applying to university and the majority of my classmates, already selected by the iniquity of the 11+ , were just discarded.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

'The party would introduce caps on funded courses that consistently “lead to poor graduate outcomes”, allowing it to invest further in the “apprenticeship revolution” it started, it said. Remaining funding will be used to support high-quality courses at research-intensive British universities.' 3/3

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2d

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 2d

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 2d

Here’s video of the incident

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Reposted by Christopher McCabe, Mark Robinson, Pauline Stafford

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 2d

A fine piece of writing there from Sam Leith

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 2d

Party donor Nick Candy says "I cherish the values we grew up with here in the West. But today you are more likely to find the values we grew up with in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.’

Via Sam Leith in the Spectator
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Wirksworth still v significant royal holding in the Peak in Domesday with lead mines. Lead from Wirksworth sent by Abbess Cynewaru to Canterbury in 835, so some connection. In Mercia as in Northumbria, stone sculpture v important source for early ecclesiastical history. Here a lost female house? 3/

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Recognition of significance of female figures - two female witnesses of Ascension of Christ in particular- + significant iconography of life and death of Mary taken to suggest female patron or person buried. Abbess? Of a female house linked to the double house at Repton, Mercian royal house. 2/

Top- Dormition and Funeral procession of Mary, again a disputed scene.

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 3d

Weekend walking in the Peak gave an opportunity to revisit the Wirksworth slab. Probably late 8C and the coped top of a tomb from which scenes on the left have been lost. The iconography is connected to Eastern Mediterranean and has been much discussed. @ascorpus.bsky.social especially intriguing 1/

Overview of Wirksworth slab. Scenes truncated or lost in left are washing of feet and perhaps Harrowing of Hell.

Wirksworth slab, central section of bottom tier. Ascension with, unusually, only two witnesses, identified by their headgear as female.

Wirksworth slab, disputed scene. Corpus of Anglo-Saxon sculpture suggests the Hypapante - a representation of the Presentation, with Simeon and Anna outside the Temple.

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

Being reminded that the low level crapness of the West Coast Mainline is as nothing compared to the top tier chaos of the trans-Pennine “express” and indeed any effort to get from one Northern city to another by travelling east-west something God and Whitehall clearly feel should be forbidden.

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 3d

If it weren’t the #Conservatives I’d say self-parody. Sad.

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

Ancestor worship - a comfort for a distressed tribe?

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

The Treasury really is the final boss in British political reform. So many pathologies ultimately stem from its insane level of control over revenue raising and spending

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

Ancestor worship - a comfort for a distressed tribe?

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Reposted by Elaine Treharne, Pauline Stafford

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 3d

Delighted to be giving a Bede's World / Durham World Heritage Site lecture in @durham.ac.uk on 18 October.

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Reposted by Charles West, Pauline Stafford, Julia Hillner

British School at Rome @bsrome.bsky.social · 8d

📣 BSR / Early Medieval Europe Fellowship – Call for Applications!

Are you a PhD student or early career researcher in early medieval European history?
Apply now!

⏳ Deadline: 30 January 2026
More info here: bsr.ac.uk/awards-resid...

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Pauline Stafford

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 8d

This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social

Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."

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Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social · 8d

Congratulations- look forward to seeing the results of that short walk.

Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Alex Sobel MP @alexsobel.co.uk · 8d

I'm horrified by the reports of an attack on the Jewish community at Heaton Park synagogue, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and all those affected by this horrific attack.

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford, Kate Bradley

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 8d

We are very pleased to announce the election of 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate members to the Royal Historical Society following the latest meeting of the RHS Council bit.ly/4o0xhJV

We warmly welcome all those joining @royalhistsoc.org from today #Skystorians 1/2

Society elects 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members - RHS

At its latest meeting on 12 September 2025, the RHS Council elected 73 Fellows, 62 Associate Fellows, 50 Members and 63 Postgraduate Members, a total of 248 people newly associated with the Society, f...

bit.ly

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Reposted by Charles West, Pauline Stafford

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 8d

I went to Civaux to see the cemetery but as I walked into the village I was startled to see this: a Carolingian church so reminiscent of Anglo-Saxon Deerhurst. It's very weird this instant recognition of spaces out of context, especially ones you've had to try to imagine. The proportions... 🧵👇 1/

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 8d

Broadly agree with John but some of this comes from those in government targeting everything towards tomorrow's headlines and treating backbenchers like unruly kids. I think the Select Committees often show many MPs want to think deeply about policy, outside of govt media aims.

John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 8d

People talk about getting a "better" political class with little agreement on what that means. I suspect the best change would be getting more people who are seriously interested in policy and government. Surprisingly few MPs actually are.

Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 8d

This is my issue with politics lately. Basically, every announcement assumes the reader has an utter lack of curiosity or knowledge to the point that it's just meaningless chaff.

The government's immigration policy is now the exact policy they dismissed when Kemi suggested it in spring.

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Reposted by Pauline Stafford

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8d

'Almost 4,000 courses fall prey to university funding crisis, with humanities degrees hardest hit'

'Less selective universities have been most affected by the cuts, however elite universities, including those in the Russell Group, have not been immune to having to axe courses.' 1/2

The Boar

theboar.org

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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 1 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Pauline Stafford

John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 8d

Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 8d

Separately, what are we doing here?

Migrants already can't claim benefits before they get permanent residency, surely we remember this?

Migrants already pay NI contributions, again, extremely obvious.

So what actually is the notional policy change? Just the volunteering bit?

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Reposted by Charles West, Pauline Stafford

Past and Present @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social · 8d

Dame Janet L. Nelson (28 March 1942 – 14 October 2024)

by Alice Rio (All Souls College, University of Oxford)

doi.org/10.1093/past...

Dame Janet L. Nelson (28 March 1942 – 14 October 2024)*

Jinty Nelson left a strong mark of her presence in every institution that she was ever a part of, and there is none which does not regard its association w

doi.org

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