Nick Clarke
@nickclarkegeo.bsky.social
Geographer, social scientist, student of politics
"Details, in their singularity and idiosyncrasy, point to the capaciousness of human experience." New today in the Society's journal 'Transactions': Joe Moran 'On Detail in Historical Writing': bit.ly/44UMi8C Now available OA @joemoransblog.bsky.social @massobsarchive.bsky.social #Skystorians 1/2
We've just sent our latest directive out! Our three topics this time are 'Wealthy and the Rich', 'Corruption' and 'Books'. You can read the full directive, including info on our comissioners and collaborators, over on our website: massobs.org.uk/pastdirectiv...
List of past directives - Mass Observation Archive
massobs.org.uk
Unbelievably, there are *two* academic jobs at Cardiff University. One in British politics (seemingly broadly defined) cardiffuniweb.eploy.net/vacancies/53... One in political behaviour/opinion 🙌 cardiffuniweb.eploy.net/vacancies/52...
Lecturer in Politics - Teaching and Research in Law Building | Internal & External Website
View details and apply for this Lecturer in Politics - Teaching and Research vacancy in Law Building. Lecturer in Politics - Teaching & Research School of Law and Politics The School of Law a...
cardiffuniweb.eploy.net
If you haven't yet signed the petition against the attacks on University of Exeter staff, here it is
Francesca Stavrakopoulou@proffrancesca.bsky.social · last mo.I’d love it if you’d sign this. It might not prevent me and my colleagues losing our jobs, but it will draw attention to the ideological vandalism being perpetrated by the wealthy execs running our university. Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter - sign the petition below! c.org/NpvY4sR9gH
One of the findings in our book The Good Politician was that politicians are increasingly expected to fulfil contradictory stereotypes - to be both ordinary and extraordinary...
The Good Politician
Cambridge Core - European Studies - The Good Politician
cambridge.org
Tom Baldwin@tombaldwin66.bsky.social · last mo.Why being an “ordinary bloke” may no longer be enough in our extraordinary politics. Keir Starmer vowed to be an ‘ordinary’ PM, but it is not an ordinary job. Burnham should take heed observer.co.uk/news/politic...
A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.
Read this earlier today. So much to read at the moment, but I’d put this top of your pile!
Robert Saunders@robertsaunders.bsky.social · last mo.I'm really grateful to @enghistrev.bsky.social for getting this out in time for the anniversary. Why not relax ahead of the England game by reading about "Brexit as Democratic Crisis"? It asks why Brexit was so hard for our democratic institutions to handle - & what that tells us about democracy.
So how did we get here, with Starmer on the way out after two years? To some extent, it does go back to the beginning. It was not an enthusiastic victory for Labour. Getting rid of the Tories was the top reason people voted for them in 2024, though with their message of 'Change' also resonating.
It is extremely important that Labour understands that the movement of voters between Lab and Ref was not the crucial factor, it was consolidation of the anti-Ref vote and Lab voters turning out in droves. Otherwise Burnham will make the same mistakes as Starmer in targeting only one set of voters.
Nathan@nwylabour.bsky.social · 2mo agoConcerned about this 'swathes of ex-Reform voters returning to Labour' narrative taking hold. On the numbers it does not seem likely to be true - Reform got more votes at this by-election than they did across the constituency's wards at the locals.
Reform have now lost six by-elections in a row in England, Scotland and Wales. Their national poll rating is 26% – below Labour in 1983 – and Farage’s approval rating is -37. They’re very far from the voice of the people and need to stop being treated as such.
As debates rage about where to get the money for higher defence spending, it’s important we have a clear picture of how we spent the peace dividend while it was around. Thread 🧵⤵️
Don't think people realise quite how deeply split by age current voting intention is. This is the latest YouGov for under-50s: Green: 26% Lab: 18% Reform: 14% Tories: 12% LD: 11% And over 50s: Reform: 36% Tory: 22% Lab: 16% LD: 12% Greens: 9%
Blair putting on full display what is in many ways his special ability - to lay out a political argument grounded in his own view of global trends (globalisation in the 2000s, tech in the 2020s). But… institute.global/insights/pol...
The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country
In this essay, Tony Blair sets out the need for a new agenda for Britain.
institute.global
My Pimlott lecture is available to read open access! It argues two things: that everyday understandings of old age are profoundly shaped by family relationships; and that how we narrate those intimate ties has changed in important ways over the past fifty years. academic.oup.com/tcbh/article...
Family stories: retirement, old age, and generational thinking in Britain since the 1970s
Abstract. When we look for everyday understandings of retirement and old age in the recent past, what we frequently find are family stories: of a grandfath
academic.oup.com
It was a busy 12th May for this particular diarist! Don't forget that tomorrow is our national diary day! We welcome contributions from all ages, especially when they are recounting days as busy as this one! Find out more about how to submit your diary at massobs.org.uk/12th-may/
12th May - Mass Observation Archive
Our 12th May diary day is your chance to be part of recording everyday life. Sending us your dairy helps us record everyday life in the UK.
massobs.org.uk
Don't forget that it is @massobsarchive.bsky.social diary day. Anyone can contribute to this wonderful social history archive - anyone in the UK can submit massobs.org.uk/12th-may/
12th May - Mass Observation Archive
Our 12th May diary day is your chance to be part of recording everyday life. Sending us your dairy helps us record everyday life in the UK.
massobs.org.uk
One good thing you can say about the UK is that we're spoilt for metaphors
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3mo agoLorry gets stuck in hole it was sent to fix in Somerset
I spent way too long this weekend correlating 81 census variables with local election results, so you don't have to. Enjoy! datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QQQ3D/7/
Local elections 2026: aggregate-level correlations | Created with Datawrapper
Pearson correlation coefficients between aggregate-level census data and the 2026 local election vote share and swing for each party, for the electoral ward or County Electoral District.
datawrapper.de
You don't need to "unify the country" to win elections. You just need 35% of the vote & ignore everyone else - as Thatcher knew. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
These election results don’t mean tacking left or right, but delivering for the whole country | Keir Starmer
In the coming days I will be setting out our path to break with the status quo once and for all by building a stronger and fairer UK, says the prime minister, Keir Starmer
theguardian.com
Manchester's map looks a bit like Berlin's and Vienna's - green core with social democratic red ring around it, radical right in the poor suburbs, traditional right in the rich ones..
I fear Labour people risk falling into an ecological fallacy visible from space when reacting to these results. Here is what is very clear in results so far: Labour are losing *seats* to Reform, but... Labour are losing *votes* to the Greens Greens split the vote, Ref comes thru middle
Seven years in the making – @kurtiveson.bsky.social and I are thrilled to share that our book, People Power in Cities, is about to be released with Oxford University Press - out in print 3 June 2026. academic.oup.com/book/62529
Headline measures of wealth inequality haven't meaningfully changed since the 1980s, but it's harder to work and save your way up the ladder than it used to be. Meanwhile, inheritances are becoming ever more important. Me for this weekend's Observer: observer.co.uk/news/capital...
The way things are going it won’t be long before each academic has their own personal regulator.
Jim Dickinson@jimdickinson.bsky.social · 3mo agoOn 31 March 2025 the Office for Students employed 475 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff.
'Perhaps most damaging for the regulator meant to oversee freedom of speech, the accusation of bias in the process was also upheld. Mrs Justice Lieven said the OfS had "closed its mind" to anything that would lead to not finding failure to uphold freedom of speech and therefore fine the university.
University of Sussex wins landmark free speech case against universities regulator
A record fine had been issued by the Office for Students over the university's trans and non-binary inclusion policy.
bbc.co.uk
Loved writing this piece on drinking in Westminster. It's one of those topics that really highlights how our oral history project gets behind the scenes into the culture in parliament. There's so much on this in the archive, considering writing it up in a full article.
History of Parliament@histparl.bsky.social · 3mo agoFollowing recent debates about drinking in Parliament, @emmapeplow.bsky.social has delved into the oral history archive to find out what former MPs thought of Westminster's drinking culture, and how it has changed since the 1960s. historyofparliament.com/2026/04/28/d...