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Stuart Shields

@docstushi.bsky.social
1.2K followers 765 following 245 posts

Accidental International Political Economist, Deputy Associate Dean PGR Faculty of Humanities University of Manchester. Director Methods NorthWest Research: regional development banks, Gramsci Real life: Welsh Springer Spaniels, obscure 80s italo disco

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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I'm increasingly surprised at the absence of research or investigations connecting recent politics with the off the scale availability of cocaine.
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Steven Fielding @polprofsteve2024.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This person went on GBNews to attack Labour & call for tax cuts but it turns out her parents took out £2.5 million from the business and that is the cause of her problems. But of course, the BBC simply takes her claims at face value because it suits a certain narrative. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Bakery owner calls for Budget help for firms
Frankie Dyer has written to the prime minister urging Budget support for businesses.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Dolly Parton - Potential New Boyfriend www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVoo...
youtube.com
Dr Dunks - No P's
YouTube video by André Berthier
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The pace of development is amazing. It’s like a different city every time I visit but some things stay the same … nothing quite like a fraternal gift 😉
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
It's a been a while as we've both had other things going on in real life, but Alex Nunn and I have restarted our *Foundations of IPE* interview series. The first of two new interviews conducted earlier this year is with Chris May. It's on YouTube here www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLs...
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Barbarians www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Just had confirmation that the final published version of this is now out and open access so anyone can read it! The collective organic intellectual strikes back: the EBRD Transition Report, the state and the new state capitalism www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The collective organic intellectual strikes back: the EBRD Transition Report, the state and the new state capitalism
This article argues that the Gramscian notion of the collective organic intellectual offers a fruitful way to analyse the recent legitimisation of state intervention in Eastern Central Europe, fore...
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The media is full of Keegan and Healey. It's like my childhood all over again.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Has it finished yet?
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Ian Walker @fenlandgent.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Thw UKRI PhD students part of this podcast is important but so few people realise what’s happening and the implications. wonkhe.com/blogs/phd-st...
wonkhe.com
Podcast: PhD students, Burnham
This week on the podcast we ask why UKRI is spending more on PhD studentships while the number of funded starts falls.New analysis shows doctoral stipends have taken priority over the volume of studen...
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Yep
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
probably best not to bother then. We can't have too many nice things in the north www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Northern Rail Project risks repeating costly HS2 failures, MPs warn
The £45bn scheme to link cities across north of England with new or upgraded lines has no convincing or properly costed plan, committee says
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Alex Prichard @profalexp.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
#defendexeteruni c.org/sffZcfYxMw
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
“Entertaining” weekend reading secretacademic1.substack.com
secretacademic1.substack.com
The Form.
I filled in a form this week.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I'll be discussing the role of regional development banks in the global political economy tomorrow and hopefully setting the scene for the other three participants to focus on the New Development Bank. There's a Zoom link below. It's 7am UK time, get the coffee on.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
🙄 www.ft.com/content/e5b0...
ft.com
Several UK universities nearly ran out of cash last year, says report
Almost a quarter of higher education institutions were left with less than 70 days of cash to cover costs
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Back in London for 5 minutes and already fucked off with people standing on the wrong side of the escalator 🤯
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
My taxi driver is wearing leather driving gloves and it’s Friday #accidentalpatridge
static.klipy.com
Alan Partridge's Iconic AHHAAA!!
ALT: Alan Partridge's Iconic AHHAAA!!
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I do sometimes worry that all the worried headscratching about youth unemployment might be missing the point. Everyone is always talking about how it relates to the education or welfare systems, no one wants to say "well the economy just produces far fewer entry level jobs than it once did"
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I always wonder how many of the 'university is not for all' gang made sure their kids went to learn a trade rather than get a degree.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Much vaunted private sector turns out to be more interetsed in profit than efficient provision of service. No shit sherlock. though you'd obviously not be able to flush the toilet after even if they did give a shit www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘They’re a private company, run for profit!’: fury in Kent at South East Water’s outages
Water company blames increased demand in extreme heat, but customers want answers about lack of storage reservoirs
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Every time he opens his mouth Gordon Brown’s reputation gets enhanced
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
spent most of today without wifi access so managed to get some edits done. The 16000 word draft I was wrestling with to get down to 9,000 is currently at 21,805 words 🙄
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Let me guess 🤔 Is the answer because there are no jobs? The marketisation of UK HE has been the most dismal failure www.ft.com/content/8097...
ft.com
Why young academics are leaving academia
As more PhD holders compete for limited university jobs, many are reconsidering the appeal of industry careers
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
The @manchestermill.bsky.social as ever doing great work. What's Andy Burnham good at? Being Andy Burnham. Lots of the content here rings true to my rather limited knowledge of the mayor. Stop looking for Burnhamism - in six years, I’ve never found it manchestermill.co.uk/stop-looking...
manchestermill.co.uk
Stop looking for Burnhamism - in six years, I’ve never found it
Watching the mayor up close in Manchester, I’ve seen his unusual gifts and glaring weaknesses. Would he make a good prime minister?
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Really good piece on Manchester's development success (TL;DR Burnham had little to do with it). I'd add - the BBC moving to Salford and Eamonn Boylan - Stockport's equivalent of Bernstein. Those two between them and Leese How Manchester Turned Its Economy Around open.substack.com/pub/jamesbre...
open.substack.com
How Manchester Turned Its Economy Around
From Gunchester to growth, from bombing to Burnham
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
He couldn't even end neoliberalism in Manchester www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Can Burnham turn ‘Manchesterism’ into a practical offer for government?
Roots of idea for ‘ending neoliberalism’ have been growing over many months – with many different influences
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
My life's ambition is to have an ego the size of Burnham's.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
As long as it's not his children ...
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Manchester and Salford are two different places 🙄
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Enjoying reading how little commentators know about Burnham & (Greater) Manchester. Best piece I've read is Jennifer Williams FT article www.ft.com/content/9dd4... btl comments illustrate why Andy will find Westminster very different from GM & that's if he can win Makerfield (fwiw I think he won't)
ft.com
Can Andy Burnham, Labour’s charismatic chameleon, reinvent himself again?
Greater Manchester mayor has earned public respect by going from insider to outsider, but economic doubts could undermine his bid for Downing Street
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
If Burnham’s the solution I’d rather Starmer just carried on.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
total coincidence I was watching this last night
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
There are three types of economist in this world: those who can count, and those who can't.
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 12/05/2026
Coincidentally, the number of staff currently at risk of redundancy (2700) at the University of Nottingham is the same as the number of jobs at risk at British Steel. Yesterday, the govt said they aren't neutral on job losses & so pledged to save those steel jobs. Watch as they blithely ignore HE.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
It's almost as if Smith doesn't really understand why universities are so keen on 'bums on seats'. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/smith-t...
timeshighereducation.com
Smith: Target quality over ‘bums on seats’ to win over Home Office
Skills minister acknowledges commitment to reducing net migration is causing ‘competing priorities’ in UK government
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
that tacking right strategy seems to be really effective 🤔
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
A UK university satellite campus next to the site the German Army surrendered Breslau in 1945. I may need to think about what that means for a while
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
In random life events I am staying at the same hotel as the exploited
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Wait till he finds out which government introduced school targets for GCSEs and primary tests 🙄 www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
‘Exam-obsessed’ schools leave pupils unready for work, Alan Milburn says
Former minister leading review into young people and work cites survey showing most teachers decry lack of ‘soft skills’
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Started messing with LLM as a search tool. Could it identify EBRD employees and their university education? looking for socialisation patterns relations, etc. not wholly convinced with the accuracy of the list 🤔
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
And season 1 of The Pitt had been so good 🙄
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Probably time to get some solar panels up on the roof?
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
This is out in the wild a little sooner than I'd anticipated! If you don't have institutional access - 50 free eprints here www.tandfonline.com/eprint/ZFHUM... or just email me.
The image shows the front page of an article in New Political Economy called The collective organic intellectual strikes back.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
I hope you all celebrated Good Friday in the traditional manner youtu.be/AGm2dvRK7Uw?...
youtu.be
The Long Good Friday - Abattoir scene (1980)
YouTube video by Ian Phillips: Classic TV-Interviews, Music & Films
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Academic year 2025-26 has been rather stressful so it was nice to be reminded why I started all this in the first place: research. Thanks to two great referees (peer review not broken) & anyone who sat through me trying to make sense of babayagas looming over cityscapes & tanks in fields.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Finally found a house that matches our Robin Day chairs 😆 themodernhouse.com/sales-list/f...
themodernhouse.com
For Sale: Farnley Hey II, Farnley Tyas, West Yorkshire
One of Britain’s most celebrated modern houses, Farnley Hey in West Yorkshire was designed by the architect Peter Womersley in 1954 as a wedding present to his brother.
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Every time I think things can't get worse ... the 51st state 🙄 www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/03/scho...
indexoncensorship.org
School book banning escalates in the UK as Greater Manchester secondary school censors scores of books - Index on Censorship
A school librarian faced a disciplinary hearing and scores of books were removed from her school library after she stocked Laura Bates’ Men Who Hate Women
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Stuart Shields @docstushi.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
nominative determinism www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Former Conservative MP Crispin Blunt charged with four drugs offences
Ex-MP for Reigate, 65, accused of one count of possessing a class A drug and three of possessing a class B drug
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