Benjamin Bland
@benjamin-bland.bsky.social
170 followers 150 following 26 posts
Historian (identity, race, popular culture, cities, memory, politics) trying to survive the times. Writing a book about transatlantic hip-hop. Work at @yorknsc.bsky.social‬.
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Reposted by Benjamin Bland
sundersays.bsky.social
This Israeli government decision to host Tommy Robinson will widen the growing gulf between the Netanyahu government and the British public, including the broad majority of Jews in Britain (3/4 of whom dsapproved of Netanyahu, before this new link to this anti-Muslim racist UK far right convict).
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
oliviawyatt1999.bsky.social
In honour of the 50th anniversary of the Chapeltown Bonfire incident, I’ll be talking about Black women’s community activism in Leeds at Leeds Beckett University.

⏰ 18:00 - 19:00
📍 Rose Bowl, City Campus
🎟️ bit.ly/480KUUD

#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackBritishHistory
50 years on: Caribbean women and the Chapeltown bonfire night incident 1975
Marking 50 years since the Bonfire Twelve, this talk explores the women's role in resisting racism and injustice in Leeds.
bit.ly
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
qmucu.bsky.social
Already 20% of the workforce gone and yet somehow still looking to impose compulsory redundancies? What on earth is going to be left of Brunel when this management team is done?

co-sign here: speakout.web.ucu.org.uk/stop-brunel-...
Stop compulsory redundancies at Brunel University of London
26 September 2025
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Brunel University of London management have expressed their intention to move forward with plans for further compulsory redundancies in 2025-26. This comes after a year of decimation in 2024-25, when the institution put more than a third of staff at risk of compulsory redundancy, and over 465 staff members, amounting to around 20% of the workforce, left Brunel as a result of multiple redundancy schemes.
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
paperghost.bsky.social
i've seen so many articles on this today, and not a single one so far has pointed out that where "not taking any benefits payments" is concerned, you have no access to public funds on a visa. this has been the case for years. but nobody, from the BBC down, will challenge this or anything else
nisreenalwan.bsky.social
To say that you will ‘have to volunteer’ to be eligible for settled status even if working full time as a doctor or nurse for example is not really volunteering because it would not be voluntary. The govt should call it something else if they want to enforce it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status
New tests will include learning English to a high standard, paying National Insurance and not claiming benefits.
www.bbc.co.uk
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
stephenkb.bsky.social
Getting mighty tired of the meme on here of “oh, it is just so difficult for the government to set the agenda”. The government (which literally employs thousands of press officers) is setting the agenda - it’s just that it is setting it on toxic ground it can’t win.
sharonk.bsky.social
*wanking motion*
MIGRANTS will have to carry out community work or volunteering to qualify to permanently remain in the UK, according to the Home Secretary.

Shabana Mahmood has indicated that she is looking to toughen up the rules around claiming indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in Britain.
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
mcslaven.bsky.social
If you want to know what a new UK digital ID for immigration would mean, read "States of Ignorance" a book that came out of an ESRC project comparing the development of UK control with two countries with ID. From this research, I think it's a dangerous idea 1/ www.cambridge.org/core/books/s...
States of Ignorance
Cambridge Core - Twentieth Century European History - States of Ignorance
www.cambridge.org
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
vickyblake.bsky.social
Why is @ucu.org.uk engaging in the very behaviour that we/it publicly call out when members’ employers employ such tactics?

It is shameful. It undermines every branch of #UCU

It’s utterly destructive to staff morale and our branches’ leverage

Not in our name.

Solidarity @uniteucu.bsky.social
uniteucu.bsky.social
Do you want to know how UCU senior management has responded to UCU branches calling on them to remove their threat of deductions? This is how.

How would you react?

uniteucu.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/u...
Screenshot of email from UCU management which reads: ASOS Attendance Form - New Weekly Survey
Starting Monday 22 September, all staff will receive an email with a link to the new ASOS attendance form. This short weekly survey is mandatory for all staff, whether you were on ASOS or not. Please make sure to complete it each week, failure to do so may result in pay deductions. The cut off each week will be Friday at 5pm.
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
josephfinlay.bsky.social
I like the way Starmer says ‘We recognised the State of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people’ as if the UK had no role in those events and no responsibility for how they played out.
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
drdominicdean.bsky.social
Living in an era quite this anti-intellectual is just so tedious.
benansell.bsky.social
An actual quote from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’

Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'
benjamin-bland.bsky.social
Haha, sorry... I just meant to only use "in/of recent years" once rather than twice in that opening sentence!
benjamin-bland.bsky.social
P.S. Anyone who reads this review need not worry, I did spot the error in the first sentence... just not until I saw the published version.
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
annadent.bsky.social
Cats say a £22bn investment in Dreamies and new Catnip technologies will boost Britain's economy in the next few years
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
lottelydia.bsky.social
It's fairly pointless fact-checking this sort of racist bilge, but as it happens I live in Plaistow and -- of course the area is undoubtedly multicultural, one of the most diverse in the country -- but there are certainly white children here. I've got two of them in my house.
martinwarne.net
This, from The Londoner yesterday, also features people on the march who claim not to be racists. Though the things they say prove otherwise
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
runnymedetrust.bsky.social
This weekend we witnessed one of the most disgraceful and distressing demonstrations of racism in British history.

Speakers including Elon Musk directly incited racist violence, calling for British people to ‘fight back’ or die.

Read our full statement 🔗 www.runnymedetrust.org/news/stateme...
benjamin-bland.bsky.social
Has anyone else had articles eaten by the Taylor & Francis submission portal? I have received automated submission receipt and peer review emails... but when I login to submit revisions there is nothing there!
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
jrf-uk.bsky.social
One week left to apply 📅

We’re hiring for a Research Officer and a Lead Researcher.

Are you passionate about conducting qualitative research on poverty and financial hardship? Do you have a strong commitment to ethical and inclusive research?

Apply here: www.jrf.org.uk/careers.
Careers
Do you want to help build a fairer future, free from poverty? Join us and use your skills to make a real difference.
www.jrf.org.uk
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
stephenkb.bsky.social
Another thing I love about the present moment - Musk regularly goes 'don't worry, we are going to change THAT' whenever Grok produces an answer that doesn't align with his priors, yet the British Labour government thinks that they are going to be able to land an argument on there in 2029.
chriso-wiki.bsky.social
Grok is being sent to the reeducation camp
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
ihr.bsky.social
📣Calling all new research students in history & historical subjects. Do you want to learn how the IHR can help you during your studies?

Join us on the 8 October to find out more.

@royalhistsoc.org @ihrhistorylab.bsky.social @historyandpolicy.bsky.social @chppc.bsky.social

bit.ly/41UPOyG
Reposted by Benjamin Bland
momoulton.bsky.social
Some big news: the University of Birmingham is launching a new MA in Gender & Sexuality. It's interdisciplinary, with a focus on combining theory & practice. It's going to be amazing. I'm convening it: message or email with questions. www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgr... @unibirmingham.bsky.social
Gender and Sexuality MA - University of Birmingham
Course information for prospective postgraduate students on our MA History taught masters degree programme at the University of Birmingham.
www.birmingham.ac.uk