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Ben Thomas

@bennopt.bsky.social
104 followers 292 following 25 posts
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The new Prime Minister is writing a "10-year plan" for the UK. The arts & culture MUST be part of it. I've signed @campaignforthearts.org's petition urging @andyburnham.bsky.social to revitalise the arts – to revitalise the whole nation 🌱 Join me: www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/10-year-plan/
campaignforthearts.org
Prime Minister – put the arts in your 10-year plan for the UK | Campaign for the Arts
Sign our petition urging the UK Government to build a country where the arts are available from childhood, accessible to all and thriving everywhere.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
What possible interest could the world's first billionaire have in distracting us from this fact by inciting racial hatred? Call me cynical but...
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
There's a party that cares about people *and* about the planet. And it can win in 30 days time. This is your moment to join the Green Party. Join.greenparty.org.uk
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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Stunning and historic result in the Gordon and Denton parliamentary by-election in the UK. The anti-genocide Green Party led by Zack Polanski has won the seat from Keir Starmer's governing Labour Party. Nigel Farage's Reform UK and its odious candidate Matt Goodwin beaten.
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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 27/02/2026
Introducing Hannah Spencer MP 💚
INTRODUCING! 

Hannah Spencer 

The new Green MP for GORTON & DENTON 

Green Party 

Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Yes, and married to the home secretary. Hardly fair and balanced journalism.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Who's that guy sitting next to Suzanna?
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Society of RSE @society-rse.org · 20/01/2026
The 2026 International RSE Survey is now live! This survey will help us better understand what RSEs need and how we can advocate for the community with policymakers and funders. We'd really appreciate your input. Please share with your networks. #RSEng www.software.ac.uk/news/2026-in...
software.ac.uk
2026 International RSE Survey | Software Sustainability Institute
We have launched the 2026 International RSE Survey.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hopeishere
crowdfunder.co.uk
Hope is here: help us deliver it
Hope is here. In just 5 hours, we hit our £100,000 target. We're upping our target. Let's take the fight to Reform in May.
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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 04/12/2025
🚨"They want to take away your healthcare and sell it back to you" American doctor in the NHS raises alarm about underfunding and privatisation of the NHS. Share if you support our NHS. vist.ly/4h6vb
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
I made a video
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Hampshire & Isle of Wight Green Party @hantsiowgreens.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/green-mayo... Local Green voices in our community, Hampshire & Isle of Wight. Thank you for all donations so far! See link 💚
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Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Risk-averse universities ‘hindering own REF performance’. Hidden REF Festival: Institutions urged to “pull their socks up” and submit more non-traditional outputs. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
researchprofessionalnews.com
Risk-averse universities ‘hindering own REF performance’ - Research Professional News
Hidden REF Festival: Institutions urged to “pull their socks up” and submit more non-traditional outputs
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Carla Denyer @carladenyer.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Here's a better idea: every data centre you build, you build enough renewable energy to power it, and you supply the waste heat from your cooling system to power homes and businesses nearby. Simple. Common sense. And fair.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
I don’t think privatisation was just a ‘failed experiment’… it was planned theft from the public under the guise of whatever their stated reasons were. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Privatisation of UK industries is driving cost of living crisis, says Greens’ leader
Zack Polanski calls mass privatisation a ‘failed experiment’ as report finds it has cost UK households £250 a year more
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Lovely stuff m.youtube.com/shorts/wIPVZ...
m.youtube.com
How do we fix this mess? join.greenparty.org.uk
YouTube video by Zack Polanski
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Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Welcome to Rip-Off Britain. A country remade by privatisation. Our latest project — Who Owns Britain? — explores how a radical experiment transformed our society and shapes your life. 🧵
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
It's a 5 horse race with 4 'meh' to terrible options... But get behind the Greens and we can win! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/green-mayo...
crowdfunder.co.uk
💚 Get A Green Mayor Elected Hants & IOW 2026 💚
The Green Party needs your help to win in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Mayoral election 2026 💚
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Do you, or someone you know, work in sensitive data curation in the UK? Please have a read about this HDR UK-led, UKRI DRI-funded project on skills for sensitive data curation. Link to the survey in the article. Please share with your networks! www.hdruk.ac.uk/study-and-tr...
hdruk.ac.uk
Sensitive Data Curation Survey
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David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Absolutely dystopian juxtaposition from the Guardian front page. Difficult to understand how anyone of decency and conscience can defend this government at this point. Just sheer moral degeneracy to arm a state that does this and arrest people for objecting. Wtf are we doing as a country?
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Arielle Bennett @arielleb.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
✨Calling all academic coders! Share your views on open source in academia ✨ TL;DR 🚀Survey on contributing to open source projects in academia 👉 southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... ⏰ Approx 20 mins. 📅 Closes 30 September 🌍 Open to anyone in academia, anywhere in the world (1/6)
southampton.qualtrics.com
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
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OnlyBanz @protopigeonz.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
It’s an arms race. Courtesy of @darrencullen.bsky.social
KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE AND UNCRUSHED
INSIDE A BRAND NEW
CHILD-CRUSHING MACHINE
Pedestrians hit by a SUV are twice as likely to die than when hit by a normal car
YOUR CHILD
SUV
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Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Opinion: Vague rules will not dispel the REF’s climate of caution. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
researchprofessionalnews.com
Vague rules will not dispel the REF’s climate of caution - Research Professional News
Inclusive assessment needs stronger backing, say Gemma Derrick, Elizabeth Gadd, Simon Hettrick and James Baker
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Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
"policies that drown people bad" excellently presented by @zoejardiniere.bsky.social Labour & Tories both tying themselves in knots trying to defend cruelty. There are alternatives to the hostile & failed policies currently in place, neither party seem willing to even consider
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Can your work be submitted to REF2029? The latest episode of What the REF for your listening pleasure.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Good stuff. Also important to point out that conflating the IDF with all jewish people is wrong and cynically being used to silence criticism of the Israeli state's armed forces' actions.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Report here 👉 zenodo.org/records/1506... 3/3
zenodo.org
Digital and Professional Skills for Industry: Understanding Employers and Graduates Experiences
This report provides analysis into skills gaps for UK graduates as they transition into software engineering and data science roles within industry and the public sector. Drawing on qualitative data f...
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
In this podcast, we explore the ways higher education can – and maybe cannot – develop the skills needed for working in industry, and the role that employers and universities' CPD offerings can play in complementing what HEIs do. 2/3
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
I recently spoke to Emily Bastable, FHEA about our Software Sustainability Institute report, 'Digital and Professional Skills for Industry: Understanding Employers and Graduates Experiences'. 1/3 shows.acast.com/the-work-fut...
shows.acast.com
Are universities equipping graduates with skills for industry? | The Work Futures Research Centre Podcast
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Episode 3 of What the REF?! Is out now on YouTube and your podcast app. youtu.be/uHRQjNqY6CY
youtu.be
Ep3. What the REF are our research incentives?
YouTube video by Hidden REF
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Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
Water industry lobbyists tried to inflate the value of failing firms. Now it’s clear: bringing them into public ownership could cost close to £0. There’s support across the spectrum for public ownership. Action is a matter of political will. @cmmonwealth.bsky.social @ewanmg.bsky.social
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Hidden REF @hiddenref.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
🎙️ Podcast episode 2 is out now What the REF should we call these outputs?! Listen to What the REF?! via our website hidden-ref.org/what-the-ref/, on YouTube or wherever you usually find your podcasts. Have a question about REF you'd like answered? 👉 WTreF@hidden-ref.org
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Episode 2 is out now! 'What the REF?!' is a podcast explaining everything you need to know about the UK's Research Excellence Framework, as well as promoting the value of 'non-traditionally submitted outputs' alongside traditional journal articles and books.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
I had fun producing this podcast. On YouTube and your podcast app now!
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
I had fun producing this podcast. On YouTube and your podcast app now!
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Hidden REF @hiddenref.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
📢 Registration is now open 📢 Join us on 7-8 October 2025 at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum for the second Festival of Hidden REF! Explore the indicative schedule, learn more on our website or head straight to the registration page to secure your place! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-festiv...
Image of Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum with Hidden REF Festival logo and text '7-8 October 2025 Thinktank Birmingham, Registration is open!'
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Dr Chris Noone @chris-noone.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
Just out! Our peer-reviewed critique of the Cass Review has been published by BMC Medical Research Methodology. Please read and share. We show that the Cass Review is fatally flawed and should not be the basis for policy or practice in transgender healthcare. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Want to know about the technical and professional skills that graduates (bachelors, masters, PhD and RSE) bring to software engineering and data science roles in industry? What about the skill gaps and the causes of those gaps? Evidence from employers, industry stakeholders and graduates. 👇
An image of a man's hands holding a report
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Our report on the technical and professional skills needed for software engineering in industry is now available! www.software.ac.uk/news/digital... 1/4
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Institute for Research Software @softwaresaved.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
📄 We are happy to announce the publication of out latest report titled Digital and Professional Skills for Industry: Understanding Employers and Graduates Experiences: www.software.ac.uk/news/digital...
Digital and Professional Skills for Industry: Understanding Employers and Graduates Experiences report
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Thanks too to Simon Hettrick and especially Rebecca Taylor for supporting me in the research process and writing, and thanks to Clare Jenner at the DiRAC High Performance Computing Facility for the support on the project. 4/4
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Off the back of this research, the SSI @softwaresaved.bsky.social are now developing a training pilot to support graduates and SMEs. Really pleased the research will have some impact in this way. Of course, thanks to all the participants for providing your time and all your insights. 3/4
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
It was great to work with industry and academic stakeholders to discover what recent software/computer science/STEM graduates bring to the workforce, what skills they can lack, the reasons for any skill gaps, and what we might do to support them, and to support industry. 2/4
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Our report on the technical and professional skills needed for software engineering in industry is now available! www.software.ac.uk/news/digital... 1/4
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Institute for Research Software @softwaresaved.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
🟥 We are happy to announce that the SSI has received £4.8m from @ukri.org to launch the Research Software Maintenance Fund. Find out more about this exciting opportunity at www.software.ac.uk/news/ukri-aw...
Software Sustainability Institute  Research Software Maintenance Fund logo, a grey wavy pattern
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
My father in law, Paul Harber painted this in a similar vein. You can see his similar work here paulharber.com/the-edge-of-...
A painting by Paul Harber. A regency style sitting by a window, with wind turbines in the background.
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Ben Thomas @bennopt.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
@labourlewis.bsky.social Thank you Clive for standing up for our natural world by supporting the climate and nature bill. Labour don’t deserve you.
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