Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alan Stedman

@alanjstedman.bsky.social

3.8K followers 5.1K following 11K posts

You will find me around the middle of the room. Outward looking because if you are not you get isolated and stop learning NHS for many years before retiring. Read a lot, listen a lot. Dovestones Reservoir ⬆️ I don't have access to DMs so don't bother!

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · Nov 14

If you want me to follow you I need to see a bit in your timeline to have an idea of who you are and what you're about please

12 8 130

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 1m

Wrought from the same chunk of wood then, but one a little more polished 🫣

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 6m

I can't watch...help me please. Worse than Truss?

1 4

Reposted by Alan Stedman

Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 4h

Badenoch’s only achievement is to have shrunk the Tories to a low-wattage Faragist think tank and warehouse storing future parliamentary candidates for Reform www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Badenoch’s ‘thoughtful Conservatism’ turns out to be just the slower road to Faragism | Rafael Behr

The Tory leader’s intellectual meanderings have shrunk her party into little more than a holding pen for future Reform party candidates, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

www.theguardian.com

16 99 340

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 10m

Pissupnobooze?

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 11m

Follow the money applies

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 3h

You are generalising

Try bunging 'Our campuses' in your search engine

Exeter, Liverpool, UCL Buckinghamshire, Southampton etc

A priori, not a good look

We are done

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 3h

So in summary they see it as a threat and that for me is the nub of a lot of this. There is a nostalgic view amongst them that it was all so much better 'then'

Right Wing politics is rooted in looking back to times that they perceived were better, but as those who read a bit know, it's all a myth

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 3h

True probably, but a minor point is that a few of us went to what were called campus universities back in the 60s/70s (and even now), in my case, @kent.ac.uk

Others include Warwick, UEA, Sussex etc

Genuinely, I think your point is correct but we have had 'campus' universities here for a while

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 3h

Sarcasm totally appropriate! 👍🏼

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 3h

Nick Candy could do with reading Naoise Mac Sweeney's 'The West' that I have just finished. He would then be able to put his view of 'The West' into context. It's a very limited and narrow view

Indeed, nostalgia can play some pretty mind bending tricks with memory in people like him

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 4h

She's probably fluent at shouting in English a little louder every time they don't understand 😉

With the necessary dismissive arm wave as well

Reposted by Alan Stedman

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 17h

The UAE is an authoritarian autocracy, a petro-state with no income tax for citizens, to bribe them for the lack of democratic voice or free speech

It is 85% migrant, a segregated society with a ban on integration in principle and practice, few rights, equal opportunities, nor voice for incomers

72 400 1.3K

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 4h

Was going to make a similar point. There's always an opportunity cost

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 4h

Chris do me a favour please

Can you say, "You go girl" from me!

Well done her 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

As for Badenoch words are beginning to fail me!

1 14

Reposted by Alan Stedman

The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 6h

So, the plan is to cut English, the arts, and sociology - the degrees that actually study culture - while on another part of your platform claiming to “defend” British culture.

It’s performance nationalism with a reading age of seven.

Badenoch: Curb students taking 'rip-off' degrees such as English
The performing arts, sociology and anthropology are among the subjects the Conservatives would like to cut

58 230 640

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 4h

Anyone else get a feeling in their waters that we are in colonial mode again?

'Our Universities are better than yours, you need ours because we know what's good for you'

This time though the receiving country might just have our measure

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 4h

🫣🤣🤣🤣

Reposted by Alan Stedman

Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 1d

It speaks volumes that a No 10 spokesperson wasn’t able instinctively to say something about seeking access and providing consular services to British citizens detained overseas.

Now imagine substituting certain other countries for Israel and being told ‘it’s a matter for that government’.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 1d

Keir Starmer’s spokesman asked about Israel detaining British citizens who were on the Gaza aid flotilla, while in international waters, replies that it is a “matter for the Israeli Government”

5 10 24

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 5h

That poses a lot of questions

Whoever that person is they have laid the Govt open to criticism of not treating all UK citizens abroad the same, of making judgements about them

It undermines the process we pay a lot of money to uphold of having embassies etc abroad to support UK passport holders

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 1d

Keir Starmer’s spokesman asked about Israel detaining British citizens who were on the Gaza aid flotilla, while in international waters, replies that it is a “matter for the Israeli Government”

1 3 10

Reposted by Alan Stedman

BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 1d

Israel have destroyed Gaza more completely than the Americans destroyed Hiroshima when they dropped a nuke on it.

It's not an accident and it's not warfare.

It's Genocide.

7 130 280

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 5h

I doubt a)

I'm pretty sure b) is correct

He's just a publicity seeker and the RW press love him because they get a story. It's a symbiotic relationship

You have to wonder what his children will make of him as they get older

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 5h

Twitter/Bluesky

I seem to remember the whole follow back thing over there consumed far too much of my time. The FBPE tag did however bring people together 👍🏼

Follower numbers seems to be less of a thing here

Indeed, I passed 5000 followers and only noticed a while later!

Thank you 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

1 11

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 6h

Succinctly put

Reposted by Alan Stedman

Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 16h

@channel4news.bsky.social reported David Norris’ belated confession of involvement in Stephen Lawrence’s racist murder immediately after highlighting that being openly, blatantly racist is no longer an impediment to an ambitious politician, but an asset. History is not progress.

4 20

Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 6h

I see the Secret Statistician has been playing games again!