It's the most 👏👏 wonderful time 👏👏 of the year 👏👏 (that is, getting to blow the minds of a few people who don't yet know how unhinged Australian daylight savings is)

Have banged on about this many times but I don’t think I’ve read a better new book in the last 10 years.

Reading with interest about our Sentencing & Penal Policy Commission's recommendations on front pages of the Scottish Daily Mail Parliament's Criminal Justice Committee have read and heard evidence of how other nations use diversion from prosecution, direct measures, restorative justice extensively

James Acaster will be a gift 👏 #CelebrityTraitors #SpoilerAlert

Someone put FOI request to Scottish Prisons about numbers of foreign national prisoners (with country breakdowns) compared to British prisoners for sexual offences. Approx. 10× the number of Brits in Scottish prisons for sex crimes compared to all foreign nationals. 🔗 www.sps.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

Reform UK MSP Thomas Kerr has posted a video saying, "this bunch of lefty tossers might not be interested in...", pointing at Scottish Parliament. His Instagram posts as an MSP are certainly interesting. This is not a compliment.

Artists and Makers! Apply to be part of the Hidden Door Winter Art Market - showcase and sell your work directly to the public in the heart of Edinburgh ❤️ 📍 The Hub, Castlehill 🗓️ 11-13 December Flat rate per table, no commission on sales Details: hiddendoorarts.org/winter-marke...

'10 universities reported adjusted operating deficits in 2024‑25, with the same number forecasting deficits for 2026‑27, despite an increase in SFC funding'.

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 4d ago

Scottish university finances worsen despite more public funds. Scottish Funding Council report also forecasts declining research income through to 2027-28. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Really keen to hear from people who want to holiday in Scotland but find it too expensive

David Leask@leaskyd.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hiya. Are you English? Fancy a holiday in Scotland? But can’t afford it? If so, I’d like to interview you for the Sunday Times.

Two-thirds of Scottish colleges and universities forecast deficits www.heraldscotland.com/news/2659654...

Two-thirds of Scottish colleges and universities forecast deficits

A new report highlights financial pressures on Scotland’s tertiary education sector, with the SFC showing that two-thirds of institutions will…

heraldscotland.com

First Minister's statement to Scottish Parliament today on the roles and functions of Scotland's Law Officers An independent review on the future functions and responsibilities of the Scottish Law Officers will be chaired by Lord Boyd. He will appoint a reference group. www.gov.scot/publications...

The Roles and Functions of Scotland’s Law Officers: First Minister's Statement

Statement by First Minister John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 29 September 2026.

gov.scot

Let me get this clear: We're in midst of "epidemic" of violence against women We're fixing an equal pay injustice for women ...by forcing pay cuts on domestic abuse workers supporting women?! Domestic abuse workers face £11k pay cut under new #Glasgow Council scheme www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Domestic abuse workers face £11k pay cut under new council scheme

Staff are concerned the cuts will put vulnerable women using council services at further risk.

bbc.co.uk

It is a relief that this "major incident" at Polmont was resolved and didn't turn into an even more serious situation. Still, it is an illustration of the pressures in our crowded prisons. Armed prisoners rioted at young offenders jail as facility locked down www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/armed-p...

Armed prisoners rioted at Scotland young offenders jail as facility locked down

Armed prisoners sparked a major protest at Scotland’s young offenders jail, forcing part of the facility into lockdown, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

dailyrecord.co.uk

Incredible: another Ukrainian famine is unfolding, this time in Russian-occupied Oleshky. The remaining inhabitants of what used to be a thriving small city, now down to about 6000 people, are blockaded by Russian forces and cut off from food and water. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Oleshky: Eating garden weeds to survive in Russian-occupied city cut off from food and water

The BBC has spoken to residents in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky who say they are being "constantly shelled".

bbc.com

The Dutch government has been holding community role plays for emergency preparedness & an advice app which works even without internet. Emergency hubs and support points have been set up. The UK needs to learn from others & go beyond telling us to buy some canned goods… www.ft.com/content/127a...

Europe prepares for life ‘between war and peace’

Dutch lead civilian drills to withstand Russian sabotage and natural disasters

ft.com

Sorry, what??! This is sooooo problematic. #HigherEd #Academia #AI

John Stott@jpsastro.bsky.social · 2w ago

Had a UKRI funded grant proposal rejected at the "AI triage stage". "This AI-based triage was used only to identify approximately 50% of the strongest proposals to take forward to full human review." 🧪 #academicsky

Firing and rehiring workers in a race to beat employment laws which may render that unlawful sounds... dreadful?! Glasgow City Council to sack all non teaching staff after equal pay talks collapse. Dismissal letters go out to 23,000–25,000 workers next week. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2657898...

Glasgow City Council to sack all non teaching staff after equal pay talks collapse

Glasgow City Council will issue dismissal notices to up to 25,000 non-teaching staff next week after Unison withdrew from an equal pay deal that GMB…

heraldscotland.com

Racist hate crimes in Glasgow up 34% in one year I don't think Police Scotland's description that racist hate crimes "may be attributed to ongoing community tensions" is precise enough. Be clearer. Don't risk accidentally legitimising hate as "tensions". www.heraldscotland.com/news/2657945...

Racist hate crimes in Glasgow up 34 per cent as police warn of community tensions

Racist hate crimes have risen by 34 per cent as Police Scotland warns of community tensions.

heraldscotland.com

An important and independent officeholder role is currently being advertised by @scotparl.bsky.social Scotland's first Victims and Witnesses Commissioner Location: Edinburgh. Salary: £96,353 – £121,139. 🔗 www.parliament.scot/about/how-pa... #Vacancy #Victims #JobAd

A proposal which would have allowed Turnitin to use student submissions to train AI models has sparked outrage from student leaders

Students demand reassurance after Turnitin U‑turn on AI‑training plan

thenational.scot

👇 This is really interesting – for those in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 & 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿, watch this space... A major challenge will be getting a Government and a Parliament with the courage and will to act on its findings. MPs, trade unions and police call for a Royal Commission on the Justice System insidetime.org/newsround/mp...

MPs, trade unions and police call for a Royal Commission on the Justice System

Parliamentarians, trade union leaders and rank-and-file police officers have joined forces to call on the Government to order a Royal Commission on Prisons and the Justice System. A joint letter to…

insidetime.org

Video of the fascist Danny Tommo slashing a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) boat rescuing migrants at sea www.instagram.com/reel/DdmJaD4...

literally thousands of jobs in higher education were cut *last year alone* and there's been almost no media coverage and no government action

Willard Foxton@willardfoxton.bsky.social · 2w ago

I think it's absolutely mad that today there's a *national news story* about 400 oil platform workers losing their jobs, and the government being blamed. 25% of the UK TV industry lost their jobs in the last 4 years and we never hear a peep about it! Some jobs are 'real jobs' I guess.

I'll read and follow with interest anyway, but critical questions on my mind: what will these proposals mean for Justice Social Work? And for community justice? #SocialWork #PublicSectorReform www.gov.scot/publications...

The UK is safer & stronger with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). New paper sets out how ECHR membership supports national security, international cooperation & UK influence abroad. Ft. foreword by Lord Carlile, @bricksilk.bsky.social & Sir Max Hill. justice.org.uk/news/former-...

Daniel Thomas, the far-right agitator who has brought Dover and Portsmouth to standstills and closed down an RNLI station, is fundraising for a boat. There's just one problem. We can reveal his followers bought him one already... and he sank it. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Danny Tommo’s boat for policing Channel accidentally sinks

Daniel Thomas, whose Patriot Platform group caused havoc in Dover and Portsmouth, had purchased the vessel to interfere with Border Force operations

thetimes.com

I am interested in how they will do this. The Scottish Prison Service has struggled to fill the Open Estate (Castle Huntly); it has sat with some cells empty. There aren't big waiting lists to get in, so they are going to need to fix the problems with progression. www.dailymail.com/news/article...

Criminals to be locked up in 'prefab prisons' at Scotland's open jail

Criminals could soon be locked up in 'prefab prisons' in a bid to tackle the overcrowding crisis in Scotland's jails.

dailymail.com

This is punitive pandering, and it exposes an embarrassing lack of good policy ideas. Parents could lose their benefits or face prison sentences for their children's crimes under reforms to youth justice in England & Wales, Minister Jake Richards has said #YouthJustice www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Parents could face prison for child's crimes under justice reforms, minister says

The reforms to Parenting Orders could also see parents losing benefits, Jake Richards MP told the Times.

bbc.co.uk

It is incredibly important that political violence does not succeed. The far-right mob that shut down Portsmouth wanted this outcome. If the state wishes to avoid more of these actions, it needs to make sure this RNLI branch reopens *immediately*, or as close to that as humanly possible.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3w ago

Lifeboat station in Portsmouth forced to temporarily shut after far-right action