Louise Hawley
@louiseah.bsky.social
Returned to Uni - now European Studies MA (KCL). Euro integration Political Economy UK and EU Career Qual researcher, listening ears on. Very sensitive to pronouncements based on single focus groups
History is about interrogating documents and questioning narratives; and law is about the rules that bind us and the rights that protect us. Neither are STEM; both are essential.
Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d agoA cheery message from the new minister responsible for research funding for the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences (and the subjects that the majority of UK taught undergraduate and Masters students study).
Honestly, might be better if government ministers kept their half-baked views on education to themselves
Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d agoA cheery message from the new minister responsible for research funding for the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences (and the subjects that the majority of UK taught undergraduate and Masters students study).
Watching this Apple event tout how iPhones will soon be able to record ambient audio/conversations and transcribe "high level notes" for you. It's billed as private and end-to-end encrypted, but I think the bigger harm is the normalization of always-listening devices. It's creepy and not normal.
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 6d agoSiri recap takes “high level notes” for you.
It might be a good idea for a senior politician to talk about the AI alignment risk at some point given I suspect the vast majority of the population have no idea it exists, except maybe in a jokey sci-fi sort of way.
Trouble is, I suspect, many of those Conservative and Reform voters see Brexit in the same way as some on the far left used to see Communism (and maybe still do) - namely, a failure, but only because it was never properly tried.
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 7d agoBrexit more success/failure by voting intention
Trey Parker & Matt Stone announce that ‘SOUTH PARK’ will be renamed to ‘SOUTH AMERICA’. “Inspired by the bravery & patriotism of Apple & Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount -- a Skydance Capitulation.”
Since its foundation in 1824 the bravery of Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers has saved more than 146,700 lives at sea. Hundreds of those volunteers have died attempting to save others. They are the best of us.
Not long now.....
UK in a Changing Europe@ukandeu.bsky.social · last wk.🚨 TOMORROW 🚨 Join us and @resolutionfoundation.org for the launch of our Policy Landscape 2026 It provides a comprehensive analysis of the policy challenges confronting the UK and the difficult choices that lie ahead 📍London & online 🕤 9:30am Sign up👉 www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/the-e...
🇳🇴"These states are living an experiment in rethinking societal security and in retooling government for an environment of competitive geopolitics." ✍️ @rynning.bsky.social & Anne Ingemann Johansen on the work being done by Norway to counter the threat posed by Russia 🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/not-one-inch...
Not one inch: keeping Russia at bay - UK in a changing Europe
Sten Rynning and Anne Ingemann Johansen look at the day-to-day work being done in Norway as a frontline state to counter the threat posed by Russia and how this contributes to European security.
ukandeu.ac.uk
This is interesting and informative on how public attitudes can conflict with public policy.
The Policy Institute@policyatkings.bsky.social · last wk."This is not new. Back in 2010, eight in ten people wrongly thought crime was increasing, exactly the same as today" @bobbyduffy.bsky.social writes for @theconversation.com about our recent study into public misperceptions of crime ➡️ theconversation.com/crime-is-fal...
My first cartoon for adults for a while, on the Dover business
The scary thing is the extent to which Reform could do this under our current constitutional arrangements.
Andrew Sparrow@andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social · 2w agoReform UK says it would declare 'national emergency' on day one in power, not letting judges or officials 'get in our way' - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Exactly. Polling is not a neutral activity that simply records public opinion. It plays a significant role in shaping it, and political actors consciously use it for that purpose.
Will Jennings📉🗳️@drjennings.bsky.social · 2w agoOne of the interesting aspects of all this footage is it reveals that parties/strategists firmly believe that opinion polls can be used for significant political advantage.
Again - they boasted that they had done it before As for "entrapment" - they could just have said no
Politics UK@politicsuk.com · 2w ago🚨 NEW: Nigel Farage says he’s “not happy” about the Verbatim and Channel 4 investigation and says Reform have been the victim of “entrapment”
Since that is how a lot of voters that Burnham needs on his side assess the state of society what might seem economically irrational is politically logical
Jim Pickard@pickardje.bsky.social · 2w agoBurnham falling into the trap of gauging the economic and social health of Britain by the state of its high streets when they are instead mostly a gauge of its increasingly online shopping habits which is not the same thing at all
Good news though shouldn't be overblown, third countries often attend EU events as guests, and UK engagement with Brussels remains generally weak. www.politico.eu/article/ed-m...
Ed Miliband to attend EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland
Britain’s top diplomat wants to prioritize relations with European neighbors.
politico.eu
Sam muscling into my patch. I may have to start writing about council elections in response.
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w agoNew post: "Madmen and realists" In which I look at the disaster of Trump's foreign policy. And options for what it could look like under a president who is a bully in obvious cognitive decline. (Free to read) samf.substack.com/p/madmen-and...
So much @samfr.bsky.social says here in this excellent post applies also to Trump’s approach to litigation.
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w agoNew post: "Madmen and realists" In which I look at the disaster of Trump's foreign policy. And options for what it could look like under a president who is a bully in obvious cognitive decline. (Free to read) samf.substack.com/p/madmen-and...
Probably more difficult to get an EEA/EFTA state to vote for full membership than for societies locked out of Single Market rights that benefit individuals. It's why I think Norway will not join in my lifetime, and why the paradox of UK getting in the EEA is it would kill momentum to full Rejoin
Europe Elects@europeelects.bsky.social · 2w agoIceland: European Union membership negotiations referendum 🇮🇸 Yes: 47.46% (-2.44%) No: 52.52% (+2.44%) 99% reporting +/- vs. 80% reporting Explore our dashboard: europeelects.eu/2026/08/28/e... #Iceland #EU
Spirit Airlines went under and left behind 500 million Teams messages. Google bid $10m. A startup building AI agents to work inside simulated companies bid $12.5m. Ten years of telling people to work out loud, and here we are. By me for @reworked.bsky.social www.reworked.co/collaboratio...
Everything You've Ever Typed at Work Just Became an Asset
We spent 10 years pushing people to work out loud. Spirit's data sale is teaching everyone a good reason to stop.
reworked.co
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: BBC Four is about to show Dolly Parton's 2014 Glastonbury set
Girls dressed in brown in a ring - literal choreo à la #totp
Genuinely one of the most brilliant crowdsourced platforms imaginable. I had a quiet moment early in the morning before my recent wedding and stepped out onto the deck to use it. This image will always remind me of the joy of that day...
The backlash against tech (coming for driverless cars as much as data centres) seems to have surprised governments as much as the changes caused by it in the first place... begging the question as to whether policy makers need to be getting out more www.ft.com/content/a30e...
Launch date for London robotaxis slips amid TfL uncertainty
Operators play down chance of starting this year
ft.com
It’s a shift up a half-step from G major to A flat major, which injects a burst of energy into the performance. At this point, Westlife may stand up from their stools, which should not be attempted when the seatbelt sign is illuminated.
