podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c... Good summary from @jemgilbert.bsky.social and @profafinlayson.bsky.social on what’s been happening with universities, has allowed me to make clearer sense of why I am where I am right now.

Universities in Crisis (part 1)

Podcast Episode · Culture, Power, Politics » Podcast · 16 July · 1hr 14min

podcasts.apple.com

Something very “let them eat cake” about this bizarre rationalisation of climate change. Whilst he luxuriates with more barbecues than ever before, the working classes sweat their way to an early grave.

It’s funny that you can be entirely correct about oncoming events in Britain with a very rudimentary set of Marxist tools and a giant dose of cynicism.

The i Paper @theipaper.com · 2w ago

Rent controls set to be ditched from Burnham’s cost of living blitz trib.al/0UK9ymF

It’s almost certainly trite to say that “He-Man smacks of gender”, especially because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. But man, the new Masters of the Universe does read as desperately trying to refound a positive masculinity with already exhausted materials.

It is remarkable that the Labour analysis of the problem with Starmer is that the general public, rather than being constituted by various desires and interests that Starmer didn’t satisfy, just didn’t like him. Stick a popular northern guy in his place and VOILÀ

Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social · 2w ago

This is an appalling lack of judgement and the surest sign yet that Britain will continue to be Trump's lackey. The war in Iran has cost countless lives, and breached international law - yet we continue to support it. Very, very concerning. Very, very continuity Starmer.

Destroying neoliberalism and solving the cost of living crisis by saving us £3.75 a month on our leccy bills… ok sure.

CABO VERDE CABO VERDE CABO VERDE

Bryan Fischer@bryandfischer.bsky.social · 2w ago

The only team not to lose to Spain at the World Cup? Cape Verde.

Trying hard not to buy into the FIFA Argentina conspiracies but fuck me

It could never come home, the rent is too high and the rail replacement bus to get to it has broken down.

In response to the third restructure (ie more redundancies) Goldsmiths colleagues have been on full and indefinite strike since June. Support them here, and with a chance to win art: www.gucu-raffle.com

Disgusted that Newcastle University are marching the institution into fascism. Shameful. Fucking shameful.

elia ayoub@ayoub.bsky.social · 3w ago

Jesus. 35 UK universities quietly- without debate - joined the Ministry of Defence’s “Battlefield Alliance” which seeks to “reorientate academia towards Defence and National Security” They’re destroying the social sciences and humanities while militarising the institutions

It would be objectively very funny if they could turn Ann Widdicombe into Horst Wessel

That spending on swords rather than ploughshares is less helpful for the country is hardly news, let alone a revelation that justifies an "exclusive", but it is interesting that this arrives in the wake of weeks of lurid nonsense from the arms lobby. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Infrastructure cuts to pay for defence will cost UK 10,000 jobs, analysis shows

Exclusive: Findings cast doubt on Starmer claims that reallocation of funds to MoD will boost British jobs

theguardian.com

This is the social murder of disabled people, and I really wish people who aren't disabled would shout about it as much as we do. WHY are we having to be the ones who have to be squeezed even more AGAIN.

Saul Staniforth@saulstaniforth.bsky.social · last mo.

"a big Q is how to cut the welfare bill, I think theres an agreement it has to be cut" Yes theres an effort by politicians/media to convince us it has to be cut, when the reality is welfare spend is c.10.6% of GDP & as a proportion thats lower than most other European countries.

Nanni Balestrini was born on this day in 1935. (Also the Commune website is still up) communemag.com/nanni-balest...

Nanni Balestrini, 1935-2019 | Commune

In the great writer’s novels, style is the consciousness of a revolutionary class in formation.

communemag.com

"Many of us in the labor movement have felt strongly that more of our [political] leaders should be labor union members, should be organisers, and that that's an important part of a vision for doing politics differently." - @lizafeatherstone.bsky.social on the New York Primaries:

Rainy FASCIST island alright, fuckin hell.

Dan Sohege@danielsohege.bsky.social · last mo.

Of all the idiotic and irresponsible ideas this government has come up with this must take the cake. A self selecting group of people massively undertrained and under prepared to evaluate what are often nuanced and complex situations for asylum appeals. www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... reported on as of it’s not completely racist to assume there’s something ‘special’ about white children struggling at school. The government hasn’t just let down white children, it has let down all children with eternal austerity, neoliberal education and privatisation.

White working-class children 'failed by schools system'

The inquiry spoke to thousands of young people and their parents, as well as hundreds of teachers.

bbc.co.uk

Will it be Keir Starmer(original flavour) or Keir Starmer(Northern)

Rose Schmits@roseschmits.bsky.social · 2mo ago

WHO of these two will lead the Labour party into the future??

The idea that every human is a life deserving of fundamental rights, dignity & care—irrespective of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, or ability—*is* the common ground. It is the ground of the universal. People opposed to this aren't interested in common ground.

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Kim Leadbeater urges country to find 'common ground' 10 years after Jo Cox murder

"Anti-colonial leaders such as Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indonesia’s Sukarno, and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah were a frequent focus of British propaganda operations." Available in EN, IT, HI and RU.

Britain’s Secret ‘Black Propaganda’ Operations

Files reveal that the UK government’s covert propaganda unit, the IRD’s Special Editorial Unit, ran fake news agencies, forged documents, and manipulated journalists globally to undermine the Soviet…

buff.ly

Rest in power Marjane Sartrapi (1969-2026)

Jimothy Chiropractor@timbaffoe.bsky.social · last yr.

Sad news

Euronews@euronews.com · 2mo ago

Marjane Satrapi became known worldwide for her critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel “Perspolis” - which she later directed as an animated feature. It premiered at Cannes in 2007 and was Oscar nominated.

The right in this country have totally lost it, a complete and utter collapse of any kind of cordon sanitaire with the far right in favour of gutter racism. It's been slow, but the grinding move from "anti-white racism is real" from far right agitprop to Times leader is complete.

Retweeting this for entirely neutral and altruistic motives

John Gallagher@johnrgallagher.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I'm telling you: if you like someone's book or article, straight up email them that. It'll make their day. There are not enough compliments in academia.

Normal country where the alleged ‘paper of record’ carries water for the paranoiac victim fantasies of a growing fascist movement.

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 2mo ago

Henry Nowak and the corrosive effect of DEI on policing

Books From Below will have a stall at the Anarchist Book Fair on Saturday 30th March at the @starandshadow.bsky.social Cinema. We’ll be selling second hand books, tshirts, tote bags, and some prints! Hope to see you there!

8. Book review of E Thacker and D Pettman's Sad Planets - @benbowsher.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Sad Planets

Published in Social & Cultural Geography (Vol. 27, No. 5, 2026)

tandfonline.com

#OtD 22 May 1968 footballers in Paris occupied the French Football Association headquarters declaring "Football to the Footballers." They issued a statement demanding the immediate dismissal of football "profiteers" and for football without profits shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/...

BBC here with an infinitely generous (and obfuscatory) reading of a contemporary fascist street movement