Peter Martin
@pjmartin.bsky.social
720 followers 430 following 120 posts
Stay at home Dad. Fan of NFL, GAA & other footballs. Irish, living in Belfast. Historian and gamer. Christian internationalist.
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Reposted by Peter Martin
sundersays.bsky.social
What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Reposted by Peter Martin
sundersays.bsky.social
On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.

As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.

At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone.

We will not let hate or those who spread it win.

We stand with you.
Reposted by Peter Martin
helenbarnard.bsky.social
Just to be clear:
- Paracetamol does not cause autism.
- Sadiq Khan is not introducing Sharia law in the UK
- We do not have a massive free speech problem here.
- Britain is not on the verge of civil war.
These are not controversial subjects or contested, they're just not true.
Reposted by Peter Martin
colinmurray.bsky.social
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
Reposted by Peter Martin
colinmurray.bsky.social
A new Explainer out from @aoifemod.bsky.social and me detailing the UK's ECHR commitments under the 1998 Agreement in response to recent speculation. It is short, because there is very little to say - the UK's obligations are evident on the B/GFA's plain text:

caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
pjmartin.bsky.social
Sounds like pretty normal human psychology tbh. Those of us that don’t feel that way usually have mental health issues.
Reposted by Peter Martin
shonamurray.bsky.social
Unprecedented declaration by @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu on Gaza at #Sotu

“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold.
We will stop all payments in these areas - without affecting our work with Israeli civil society
or Yad Vashem.”
pjmartin.bsky.social
A well directed narrator who can pronounce the various languages properly is usually better. Writing and reading aloud are totally different skills. However nothing is worse than a narrator who has been given inadequate time and direction and just rattles through.
Reposted by Peter Martin
helenbarnard.bsky.social
Shifting skills into DWP is interesting & potentially really positive move: bringing together the support people need to get into good jobs.

Lots of chatter that Pat McFadden’s move means another push for welfare reform. We need it to be actual ‘reform’ - not just ‘cuts’. 1/3
Reposted by Peter Martin
dennycarter.bsky.social
I don’t understand why we’re expected to agonize over the growth metrics of our favorite microblogging platform. I like Bluesky more than I ever liked Twitter. I can’t pretend to care what folks on X say about the whole thing.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Reposted by Peter Martin
felicityhannah.bsky.social
I’m increasingly convinced that working out what school shoes are acceptable at secondary school is in fact some sort of MI6 recruitment puzzle
Reposted by Peter Martin
rolandmcs.bsky.social
Reminder that small boat migration is c.5% of all UK immigration.

And asylum-seeking generally is far lower per head of UK population than most other west European countries e.g. 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇦🇹 🇮🇪. Yes even Ireland takes way more.

Yet none have the same sense of crisis and moral panic as the UK.
Reposted by Peter Martin
whaireland.bsky.social
Looking for members help. Dr Maria Luddy and Dr Judith Harford are writing a book on the experiences of Irish women national school teachers, 1890-1950. They would love to hear from anyone with material such as diaries, letters, photographs, or other artefacts. email [email protected].
pjmartin.bsky.social
I wouldn’t be confident that a Conservative Party led by Jenrick would actually oppose measures like these. That could give Reform a lot of political and establishment cover.
pjmartin.bsky.social
I keep hearing that she is talented and/or interesting. It doesn’t come across outside the Westminster bubble.
pjmartin.bsky.social
That used to be what conservatives wanted.
Reposted by Peter Martin
tribelaw.bsky.social
Since its founding, the UN’s world hunger monitoring group has confirmed only 4 official famines: Somalia 2011, South Sudan 2017, Sudan 2024, and Gaza City now. Entirely caused by Israel’s use of famine as a weapon of war. As a Jewish survivor of war myself, I’m ashamed of a country I once loved.
pjmartin.bsky.social
Indeed,blessed are the cheese makers.
pjmartin.bsky.social
So Irish cheese gets 15%, British cheese 25.9% and Northern Irish cheese?
Reposted by Peter Martin
timothysnyder.bsky.social
2/2. Everyone using the phrase "land swap" should please specify which Russian territory Ukraine would be getting. So far it’s a euphemism for forcing Ukraine to give things up to Russia.
Reposted by Peter Martin
explaintrade.com
1/ Why is your foreign policy friend mad about Trump/Putin?

A lot of how international relations and diplomacy work in practice sounds cringe or fawning when you say it out loud.

One example is that for a foreign leader, a meeting with the US President is a privilege you must negotiate for.
Reposted by Peter Martin
garius.bsky.social
As an old lecturer of mine said: "Opinion is generally free because no one in their right mind would pay for it"