Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 4h

As is Higher Educ'n overall. Culture and education are among the UKs most significant *exports*. Soft power etc.

Tell me again how much the UK steel industry that our politicians endlessly emote/agonize over is actually worth? Fine, 'strategic' 'symbolic' etc, but size-wise dwarfed by *Arts stuff*.

Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 5h

Not to mention performing arts! The UK has some of the best talent in the world in film and TV. Not just actors but producers, lighting, ADs, makeup, costume, casting. High-end production companies come from around the world to make stuff here. Performing arts is a *massive industry for Britain*.

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 5h

Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 6h

"You go to some places like Handsworth.. parts of Dewsbury, Bradford, Leicester, where you see.. a single ethnicity.. we don't think that's healthy thing"

Kevin Hollinrake is MP for Thirsk and Malton, which according to the 2021 census is 98% white.

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Gaia Vince @wanderinggaia.bsky.social · 5h

We must be patriotically proud to be British but not to learn about or contribute to any of the culture that pride might be based on

Tim Worthington @outonbluesix.bsky.social · 5h

How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16h

I know this is uncomfortable to admit, but there is a small area in England's second city where people are just not integrated with the rest of society. Many of them hold views that arguably go against British values.

Yes, we need to talk about the Tory conference in Manchester.

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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 13h

The U.S. armed forces may soon face the choice of whether to refuse illegal and unconstitutional orders, @radiofreetom.bsky.social writes. What will they do?

The Civil-Military Crisis Is Here

The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.

bit.ly

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Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 13h

Find myself humming 'Brexit has killed the Tory Party' to the tune of 'Video killed the radio star'.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 1d

Kemi Badenoch asked about the low turnout at Conservative Party conference describes it as "teeming" with members

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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 22h

If this was a no, it would be really easy to say no.

Bondi’s ad hominem attack on Whitehouse is WAY more of an answer than she realizes.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

NOTABLE -- Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 17h

All these people really want is to pay no taxes and be treated with floor scraping deference. Everything else is just bullshit in pursuit of that goal.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 19h

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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kaybell27.bsky.social @kaybell27.bsky.social · 1d

I respect Neville for speaking out. He is right true patriotism isn't hanging a flag upside down or trailing in the mud or even worse causing chaos and destruction in the areas you live, it is about positively promoting our country and embracing everyone in our community.
bsky.app/profile/pmar...

Paul Marshall @pmarsha11.bsky.social · 1d

The right-wing press targeted Lineker because he had the balls to speak out. Now it’s Gary Neville’s turn.
We need to be talking about flags and angry middle-aged white men. Well done Gary.
👏👏

Gary Neville hits out after removing union flag from Manchester development site

The former Manchester United captain says the flag was being ‘used in a negative fashion’ by ‘angry, middle-aged white men’

www.independent.co.uk

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Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 15h

#ThisIsAmerica

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

“.. On closer inspection, however, it turned out that the image was not a photograph of a real event in Portland, but instead a fabrication created by combining two photographs of scenes that unfolded in South America nearly a decade apart ..”

@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 16h

Fascinating marker of how far the Tory target voter has shifted from ‘middle class parents wanting their kids to go to uni’ to ‘old people who didn’t go and don’t see what anyone else should either’. (Obv there’s a solid case for apprenticeships, but not convinced that’s what this is about)

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 17h

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce plans to cut the number of UK university places by about 100,000 annually by reintroducing student number controls, reports Patrick Jack #edusky
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/badenochs-number-caps-plan-would-cut-100000-university-places

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 15h

"Look, the President clearly has some kind of dementia" should be how Democrats begin every single comment to reporters these days.

Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 20h

Ruben Gallego on whether Trump is talking to Democrats:

“Look, the President clearly has some kind of dementia, so I think there's a he's probably talking to himself, or think he's talking to a Democrat, but I sincerely doubt that that's actually he's actually physically talking to a Democrat.“

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Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 13h

Seems that Brummies have no trouble recognising Li'l Bobby Jenrick as a prize arse.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 19h

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

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Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 15h

This is good. Yes, there is scholarship on this, and it shows that staying silent never ends well.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io

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Alex Sowden @ajs1977.bsky.social · 15h

Thoughts and prayers for the prominent influencers who regret helping propel Trump to the White House.*

* No, fuck them
bsky.app/profile/geor...

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 22h

Hadn't realised lots of trusts were no longer prescribing gluten-free food for coeliac kids.

My son is coeliac and his food is so much more expensive. We don't get on prescription because we can afford it but for a family in poverty that's a massive issue.

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...

NHS suggests coeliac children use food banks as doctors blast ‘cruel’ cuts

Clinicians warn of ‘shocking levels of ignorance’ over ‘cruel and risky’ decision to cut gluten-free prescriptions

www.independent.co.uk

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 1d

We’re in a moment now where it would be worth people taking three hours to watch Gandhi, particularly the scene of the salt march. There is value to making the brutality of your opponent so plain as day that no one can argue with it. The clarity of that brought down an empire

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Rhianna Pratchett @rhi.bsky.social · 1d

Dad’s books are full of empathy, common sense, and a healthy suspicion of the powerful. But at its heart his work is also about how systems keep people poor while pretending it’s their own fault. So I hope Kemi’s taking notes as well as reading the jokes.

Paul Haine @paulhaine.bsky.social · 1d

Kemi Badenoch claiming Terry Pratchett as her favourite author is wild

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Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social · 12d

'Huddled under blankets in my freezing office, because the anti-suicide lock on the window has seized slightly ajar, I am – like everyone –frantically trying to make it work for the students, [since] any hit in our student satisfaction scores will be an excuse for management to cut more jobs.'

Huge Cardiff University Cuts Have Been A Disaster For Staff & Students -

Reading Time: 3 minutesMonths since bosses at Wales’ biggest university imposed dramatic cuts, an anonymous academic reveals what…

voice.cymru

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Carsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent, on Crumpsall and the people who live there.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

I didn’t realise how much I loved my home town until a terrorist attacked it. I pray unity prevails there | Simon Hattenstone

Last week’s attack on the synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, was also an assault on a model and diverse community, says Guardian features writer Simon Hattenstone

www.theguardian.com

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Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 1d

Remind you of anyone? Frogface Nigel? Donnie Trumpo?

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 1d

After spending an entire morning defending his suggestion that there are too many non-white faces in the UK, Robert Jenrick ends his speech with the line: "Let's take our country back".

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Pete Fraser @petefrasermusic.bsky.social · 1d

‘No, not like that.’

Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 1d

Am wondering if all of those suddenly deciding they’re against communities living “parallel lives” might reconsider their support of religious schools? Or indeed private ones?

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 1d

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Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 1d

Srsly? I'd have thought TP's oeuvre and worldview was pretty much the antithesis of everything Badenough claims to stand for.

Can't exactly see K-Bad being one of TP's favourite politicians, let's put it that way.

Paul Haine @paulhaine.bsky.social · 1d

Kemi Badenoch claiming Terry Pratchett as her favourite author is wild

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