Interesting piece by ex-Spad and journalist Peter Cardwell. I'd agree it makes policy Spads look second class. It's a risk having non-specialist media Spads (only) explain complex policies. Burnham's ban on spads speaking to journalists is absurd and unworkable www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Burnham's ban on spads speaking to journalists is absurd and unworkable

The tone of a new administration is set early.

politicshome.com

Not again. This is a safety issue. Travelodge letting a stranger into sleeping guests rooms in the early hours, staff not being at front desk, Police being called to a disturbance at the hotel, then Travelodge not engaging with a complaint about it for a fortnight! 👀 😠 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Couple woke to find shirtless intruder in Dundee Travelodge room

Kim Hutchison says she was "petrified" to see a man in just shorts at the end of her bed in a Dundee Travelodge.

bbc.co.uk

UK Government to strip back public procurement rules to focus on job creation It means businesses won't have to show how they meet "a whole gamut of conditions around net zero, the environment, [... and] like tackling domestic abuse and improving high streets." 👀 giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

UK to strip back procurement rules to focus on job creation, says Louise Haigh

Andy Burnham’s de facto deputy PM says requirements for businesses vying for Whitehall contracts will be streamlined

giftarticle.ft.com

Scottish Government is #hiring #social #researchers. B2 is our entry level grade, for masters or PhD with an interest in applied social research. 2x 4yr posts initially, but with a reserve list. Apply by 20/08/2026 Pls share to folks! fa-evxn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Social Researcher

Want to help shape Scotland’s Census, informing the decisions that improve public services and capture the story of Scotland for generations to come?

fa-evxn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com

CYCJ Webinar: 'Reflections on the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission: Decarceration and Changing Scottish Justice for the Next Generation' 📆 1pm, Tues 29 September 2026. 💻 Online on Teams. Four of us who are former Commissioners will be speaking. Free 🎟 👇 www.tickettailor.com/events/child...

Select tickets – Reflections on the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission: Decarceration and Changing Scottish Justice for the Next Gene – Teams

Reflections on the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission: Decarceration and Changing Scottish Justice for the Next Gene – Teams, Tue 29 Sep 2026 - Reflections on the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commi...

tickettailor.com

“A growing number of Britain’s top universities are trapped in a crisis which seems to have no end in sight. As funding shortfalls lead to staff cuts and strike action, morale is low and goodwill exhausted.” Important read 👇

Peter Geoghegan@petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 2d ago

Behind the bewildering transformation of British universities, are management consultants being paid millions Really proud to have this vital piece on our unis are being gutted from the inside by @jheathershaw.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale. Do read democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-bri...

Scotland's prison population forecast to go over 9,000 by next year (*an upper estimate). Our independent Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission set out many recommendations to reduce the prison population, focusing on communities while ensuring victim support. www.aberdeenlive.news/news/scottis...

Scotland's prison population forecast to go over 9,000 by next year

New figures which were released by the Scottish Government on Thursday suggest that the population is likely to rise from the 8,466 people housed on July 1 to over 9,000.

aberdeenlive.news

Job vacancy: Research Fellow, University of Stirling 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Part-time (0.5FTE), fixed-term post in School of Law, Politics and Social Sciences, with ‘Evaluating the impact of casework for the whole Armed Forces community in a changing world’ study. #Sociology #SocialPolicy www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSL164/r...

Research Fellow at University of Stirling

Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Research Fellow on jobs.ac.uk!

jobs.ac.uk

‘More than just objects’: Australian book sellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI

‘More than just objects’: Australian book sellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI

Secondhand booksellers believe they may have been caught up in the AI supply chain that sees old books scanned then destroyed

theguardian.com

🟢 JOB: Lecturer in Law, University of Stirling 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 A full-time, permanent Teaching & Research Lectureship at Grade 7 or Grade 8. The successful candidate will join our School of Law, Politics and Social Sciences. #Law #ScotsLaw #AcademicJob #Academia www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSF021/l...

Lecturer in Law at University of Stirling

Recruiting now: Lecturer in Law on jobs.ac.uk. Click for details and explore more academic job opportunities on the top job board

jobs.ac.uk

A man who made a Nazi salute at a far-right anti-immigration rally purporting to "protect women and children" is a serial stalker and violent domestic abuser. Credit to the Daily Record and others in Scottish news media for continuing to cover these issues. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottis...

Vile Nazi salute thug exposed as serial stalker and abuser

Ryan Marshall was pictured making the “sieg heil” gesture at the Unite the Clans rally in Glasgow last Saturday, which resulted in at least 15 arrests.

dailyrecord.co.uk

Prime Minister Andy Burham's account posts a video on how "we need to be more ambitious for all parts of the country", "devolution" and "every postcode in Britain", where he names Derby, Manchester, and Liverpool. The PM's socials may have drastically improved, but the anglocentrism? Still the same

Reporting for duty at #CommonwealthGames in #Glasgow to cheer on Australia in the netball 💛💚🇦🇺💎💪 @glasgow2026.bsky.social At half time, the hosts are asking Aussie fans for favourite Aussie phrases, and the Aussies aren't answering on camera because they're trying not to swear! #AussieAussieAussie

There are people who object to the way we reporters use the term “far right” and to be fair the term has been abused. But don’t kid yourself on, the Glasgow “protests” on Sat were explicitly white nationalist with openly fascistic and neo-nazi elements. www.thetimes.com/article/a766...

Arrests and mixed messages as far right clash with antiracists

Rival protesters gathered in Glasgow on Saturday in a jarring hotch-potch of rhetoric and symbols, as mounted police had to help keep order

thetimes.com

And she's standing. There'll be no coronation in Scotland. * I have no skin in this party political game, but I am glad that someone more liberal and capable is standing.

Hannah Graham@drhannahgraham.bsky.social · 2w ago

Monica Lennon getting back into Holyrood as an MSP for Glasgow is the best thing about Lord Sarwar taking a peerage to becoming a UK Government Minister under Burnham. Yes to a capable woman who gets things done and has empathy.

Most people arrested during Henry Nowak protests and far-right-linked violent disorder had been accused or convicted of domestic abuse. 22 of 37. It's unsurprising. Thinking of the bereaved family of victim Henry Nowak having to face this amid their own grief. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Most people arrested during Henry Nowak protests had been reported for domestic abuse

Exclusive: Hampshire police data reveals 22 of 37 detained had been accused or convicted of intimate partner violence

theguardian.com

Travelling with a friend who loves books and libraries, we visited some of Europe's most beautiful libraries in Prague. Einstein gave lectures and Mozart played in these. The Jesuits and Premonstratensians had ✨️fancy✨️ taste in their pursuit of knowledge 😍📚📖 #Praha #CzechRepublic #Czechia #Libraries

"That'll certainly put an end to suggestions Scottish Labour is a branch office."

Monica Lennon getting back into Holyrood as an MSP for Glasgow is the best thing about Lord Sarwar taking a peerage to becoming a UK Government Minister under Burnham. Yes to a capable woman who gets things done and has empathy.

Glowing Yassss Neon Sign

ALT: Glowing Yassss Neon Sign

static.klipy.com

✅️ Unapologetic political anorak ticking off seeing another Parliament and seat of Government, this time in the Czech Republic ☺️ 📍 Senát Parlamentu České republiky, Praha / Prague 🇨🇿 📍 Straka Academy 🇨🇿 #Legislatures #Parliament #Praha #Prague

David Lammy gone, too. What will become of the implementation of the Sentencing Act 2026? Watch this space...

Hannah Graham@drhannahgraham.bsky.social · 2w ago

Prisons & Probation Minister revolving door continues Blunt (2010-2012) Wright (2012-2014) Selous (2014-2016) Gyimah (2016-2018) Stewart (2018-2019) Buckland (2019) Frazer (2019-2021) Chalk (2021) Atkins (2021-2022) Andrew (2022) Butler (2022) Hinds (2022-2023) Argar (2023-2024) Timpson (2024-2026)

Prisons & Probation Minister revolving door continues Blunt (2010-2012) Wright (2012-2014) Selous (2014-2016) Gyimah (2016-2018) Stewart (2018-2019) Buckland (2019) Frazer (2019-2021) Chalk (2021) Atkins (2021-2022) Andrew (2022) Butler (2022) Hinds (2022-2023) Argar (2023-2024) Timpson (2024-2026)

The day’s first casualty: James Timpson resigns as prisons minister. This is a big surprise! Timpson had a long history as a prisons reformer before entering government and seen as one of Starmer’s more innovative & exciting appointments. He’s also delivered a big change programme in gov. So: why?

Prisons minister Lord Timpson quits government

The businessman said it was an "honour" to serve in the post, but the BBC understands he feels he has achieved all he can in the role.

bbc.co.uk

I am not sure that we appreciate how much hostility there is from the far right to the learning and speaking of languages. 1/2 www.thetimes.com/article/9a33...

Language centre closes after ‘far-right intimidation’

The director of the Language Hub in Glasgow claimed the premises were no longer safe for staff after a ‘surveillance’ campaign by anti-migration activists

thetimes.com

📰✉️📬 Quite a line-up of letters on the prisons crisis in England & Wales and finding long-term solutions published in The Guardian this evening: ✒️ Prof Ian Pickup ✒️ Henry Rossi ✒️ Andrew RC McLellan ✒️ Dr Rod Earle @theguardian.com #Prison #IPP #CrimSky #Criminology www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Long-term solutions to the Prison Service crisis | Letters

Letters: Prof Ian Pickup on prison education, Henry Rossi on resentencing IPP prisoners, Andrew RC McLellan on earlier release and Dr Rod Earle on a lesson from 1930s Red Vienna

theguardian.com

Same, pal, same. #PrairieDog #sploot #summer #EastKilbride

Board Member Vacancies (x4, £paid) The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body that protects and promotes the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia & other conditions fa-evxn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Only the other day I was listening to a fascinating DW Inside Europe podcast on Amsterdam's 'Night Mayor' and its equivalents in cities over the years... Now, Glasgow is getting one. Glasgow nightclub figure appointed new tsar for city's night time economy www.heraldscotland.com/news/2627691...

Glasgow nightclub figure appointed new tsar for city's night time economy

The managing director of a beloved Glasgow nightclub will chair a new commission aimed at improving the city's night time economy

heraldscotland.com

🔴 Reform UK Plans To Jail Candidates For Using Irish, Gaelic Or Cornish On Election Leaflets EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage’s party propose amendment to the Government’s elections Bill which would mean candidates using Irish and Scottish Gaelic would face up to six months in prison

Reform UK Plans To Jail Candidates For Using Irish, Gaelic Or Cornish On Election Leaflets

EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage's party propose amendment to the Government's elections Bill which would mean candidates using Irish and Scottish Gaelic would face up to six months in prison

bylinetimes.com

Found this interesting on Burnham’s focus on the ‘unaccountable state’. It’s fair to flag as it’s easy to feel modern society is Kafkaesque. But curious how he’ll rise to the challenge of it. Devolution can help a bit but only a bit… 🧵 www.thetimes.com/article/1167...