I have no idea, of course, whether there was plagiarism. I do now a lot of people in Liverpool will be very pissed off with the way he's been treated for having been poor and being black. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Jason Arday: Cambridge professor in plagiarism row quits

Prof Jason Arday said he had "concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away".

bbc.co.uk

This threat of punitive enforcement is why mayors & councillors need to activate their right under sec. 53 and the SCA Act 2007 respectively to make formal demand of the Sec of State that she remove this function from the EHRC's remit, as she can do by order under 15 (6) of the Equality Act 2006.

Would be easy to take the piss but this is actually quite a dignified and brutally honest statement for the bloke about the unexpected expectations on you when you become a councillor, and I wish him well. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Walkley councillor who ousted Sheffield Council leader resigns

The Green Party's Andy Davies, who beat Labour's Tom Hunt by just 73 votes in May, is stepping down.

bbc.co.uk

Bluesky users are far too refined to go on this bloke's AI-generated website 'Crewkerne Gazette', and look at e.g. the AI-generated 'rap' video from February called 'Mass Deportations' ft. a AI-generated Kemi Badenoch.

This is very good, but then all Andrew's NESTA newsletters are.

Andrew Sissons@acjsissons.bsky.social · 2d ago

New piece from me: Getting over the 2030 energy bill bump On how we're in a period of unusually high energy bills that we should be able to escape from - but only if we start making serious progress on electrification www.nesta.org.uk/blog/the-ene...

If you want to do something concrete about the discriminatory new EHRC code of conduct which comes into force today, contact your councillor, or your mayor if you have one, about a section 53 or SCA proposal to govt. bickerrecord.medium.com/section-53-a...

Section 53 and the defence of trans people

Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think…

bickerrecord.medium.com

This is a v good question from @cjayanetti.bsky.social, which to date I've only covered fairly in my briefing notes (which were focused on the SCA version). It deserves a full response as it cuts to the heart not just of this campaign but also the wider devolution agenda. No time now, but later

Chaminda Jayanetti@cjayanetti.bsky.social · 2d ago

what's to stop Reform mayors subsequently following suit and demanding the right to local interpretation of the EA2010 to pass reactionary measures across a variety of fields?

It does look like nobody here is going to be interested in this, which is pretty standard when it comes to the left's unwillingness to do left field. Fortunately it'll happen anyway in the real world, though a bit slower than if those with profile here had given it a push.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · 3d ago

I wish Bev well, and I liked that she stood on platform of support for trans people under attack. If she wants to follow through on that now, this is what she can do which will a) be good; b) surprise a few people. bickerrecord.medium.com/section-53-a...

I have explored this, and it is legally sound. What is currently missing is political bravery, other in than the one trailblazer area where it will go ahead in September. I will try to refrain from 'what took you so long?' as it spreads and it becomes somebody else's grand plan.

Iain Roberts@slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 3d ago

Interesting idea - can a mayor use existing legal powers to ensure trans people are treated fairly and humanely in their area? I don't have the legal expertise to say, but worth exploring.

I wish Bev well, and I liked that she stood on platform of support for trans people under attack. If she wants to follow through on that now, this is what she can do which will a) be good; b) surprise a few people. bickerrecord.medium.com/section-53-a...

Section 53 and the defence of trans people

Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think…

bickerrecord.medium.com

I wish Bev well, and I liked that she stood on platform of support for trans people under attack. If she wants to follow through on that now, this is what she can do which will a) be good; b) surprise a few people. bickerrecord.medium.com/section-53-a...

Section 53 and the defence of trans people

Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think…

bickerrecord.medium.com

Section 53 (of the English Devolution Act 2026) and the defence of trans people, now up in slightly fuller blog form bickerrecord.medium.com/section-53-a...

Section 53 and the defence of trans people

Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think…

bickerrecord.medium.com

When I do the blog version of this, I'll add the bit I stupidly missed out about how the proposed power fits within the designated 'areas of competence' under which it can be sought. But basically it 's well-being, culture, economy and - if she wants to do sarcasm - public safety.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · 3d ago

1/ Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think the biggest 'new power' she and other mayors may gain from may turn out to be one that precedes the Burnham premiership. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

14 post thread on how section 53 of the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Act 2026 could be a game changer for the defence of trans people, as long a @bevcraig.bsky.social is up for it.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · 3d ago

1/ Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think the biggest 'new power' she and other mayors may gain from may turn out to be one that precedes the Burnham premiership. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/ Mayor Bev Craig has, understandably given her new job and reasons for it, praised Andy Burnham for his devolution commitments, but I think the biggest 'new power' she and other mayors may gain from may turn out to be one that precedes the Burnham premiership. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Greater Manchester's mayor Bev Craig says PM's new powers will change lives

Bev Craig succeeds Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester's mayor after winning Thursday's by-election.

bbc.co.uk

I am glad for Bev Craig. She is a good person and will be a good mayor.

This one does remind me of working c. 2022 in a unit for people living with dementia where the typical communal soundtrack to the day was Doris Day and Judy Garland etc, but chatting to a resident who really liked Suede.

Screaming Pectoriloquy@caulimovirus.bsky.social · 5d ago

1/ First draft submitted for the trailblazer council and I'm quite pleased with it, though word limit (which seems to differ from council to council) is a challenge.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · 4w ago

The battle now goes local, The first Sustainable Communities Act 2007 applications will come forward in September, seeking local powers of interpretation, and many more will follow before Christmas. Perhaps your council area/s might follow siuit.

Does anybody in the world read a book with one hand and fingers splayed like that, the pages flopping about and a piece of paper stuck twenty pages on? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What your summer reading list says about you

Just picked your holiday book? Our choices can subconsciously reveal important parts of our personality, studies show.

bbc.co.uk

Meanwhile, on Facebook, this is being posted as a genuine MiC poll with thousands of likes - comments split rougly half-half between "yes, this is the real poll, those leftards suck" and the (IMO unhelpful) "was this done at 9am in Wetherespoons?" stuff

Maybe a bit puritanical on my part, but I'd have liked a hit piece about Reform disrespecting the rights of people living with dementia not to use a headline including a dated term which disrespects the identity of people living with dementia. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Even GB News cringes as Reform turns dementia patients into a political football | John Crace

Honest Bob was rattled at the idea of joining cross-party talks on social care. Why bother behaving as a serious opposition?

theguardian.com

Have to say that Burnham undercutting Mahmoud on careworker ILR 'crackdown', via social care review announcement and getting Rayner to do it, thereby making the rest of the Mahmould plan potentially undeliverable, looks like pretty canny politics at this stage. www.yahoo.com/news/politic...

Rayner tells Burnham: Spare foreign carers from migrant crackdown

Andy Burnham must exempt care workers from stricter visa rules as part of his overhaul of social care, Angela Rayner has said.

yahoo.com

Broadly related to this matter, am I right in thinking that crisps are nowadays crunchier and therefore noisier than when they were first eaten on buses by gits?

Jonn Elledge@jonnelledge.bsky.social · 7d ago

I maintain that if Burnham made it legal to confiscate phones from people who watch video or listen to music without headphones, then called a snap election, he could actually increase his majority.

Most people will be ahead of me on this but the comments below on how this could derail the schools guidance on how to spread hate to trans children are very interesting, and I'll look to include in the SCA stuff still under devt. Thanks to those who spotted for spotting.

Helen 🏳️‍⚧️✊🏻💕@mimmymum.bsky.social · last wk.

Lecturer loses appeal after calling trans student a ‘troublesome trans kid’ and using homophobic slur An Employment Appeal Tribunal has now upheld an earlier ruling that found his dismissal was fair, rejecting arguments that his rights to freedom of expression and academic freedom had been breached

my quick email to my MP about the Big Conversation on Care and the need for it not to be AI-'read' as per the EHRC tactics, in case anyone wants to do similar

I'll maybe engage with this as a careworker, 'cos I've a lot to say, but I'll first need assurance that my response will not be analyzied by AI, as was my response to the EHRC draft Code of Conduct post -FWS. Will write to MP.

Nursing Times@nursingtimes.bsky.social · last wk.

Public consultation launched on future of social care in England A major consultation exercise designed to engage with the population of England on the future shape of social care, including nursing in the sector, has been launched today. #socialcare #policy www.nursingtimes.net/social-care/...

Breaking new: the apparent error has survived until the ? most recent edition on sale inBirmingham Waterstones, as evidenced by the picture of the text and my v helpful daughter's dinner break feet. Still not sure how any editions that is from 1980, but it's quite a few. This scandal is big.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · last wk.

Reading 1980s Penguin Classics edition of Zola's La Terre in translation. You'd have thought that in its 6th reprint in decade they'd have sorted this typo (it's 'le premier' in French edition - checked because Delhomme is actually a farmer), but no.. Might nip into Waterstones and check latest

Panic over, people of the cities. My daughter lives in a city and is rushing to a large bookshop or library to undertake this vital work. The rest of you have let me down, mind.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · last wk.

It's not in my closest one, which is tiny. People of the cities. Your job today is to go into a big bookshop, go to the Penguin Classics edition of Zola's The Earth, check page 51 to see if this typo remains, the date of this edition and how many editions there have been since 1980. Vital work.

It's not in my closest one, which is tiny. People of the cities. Your job today is to go into a big bookshop, go to the Penguin Classics edition of Zola's The Earth, check page 51 to see if this typo remains, the date of this edition and how many editions there have been since 1980. Vital work.

Paul Cotterill@bickerrecord.bsky.social · last wk.

Reading 1980s Penguin Classics edition of Zola's La Terre in translation. You'd have thought that in its 6th reprint in decade they'd have sorted this typo (it's 'le premier' in French edition - checked because Delhomme is actually a farmer), but no.. Might nip into Waterstones and check latest