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murraysimpson.bsky.social

@murraysimpson.bsky.social
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Alex Prichard @profalexp.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A thread on the dispute at Exeter Uni. #ucu #defendexeteruni @ucu.org.uk On 15 June HR called Exeter UCU into a confidential meeting and informed us they would be putting over 500 colleagues at risk of redundancy and expected to loose around 200 staff. The number of c.150 you’ll have seen is FTE.
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 24/08/2026
The scale of the crisis facing staff at Dundee University laid bare. Around 190 more jobs have been threatened and compulsory redundancies remain on the table. Dundee is a brilliant university It should be protected, not hollowed out. www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dund...
thecourier.co.uk
6 key questions as worried Dundee University staff wait to learn if jobs are being axed
Dundee University bosses are poised to detail a revised savings plan this week.
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Dundee UCU warns: Dundee could be left poorer and millions in emergency funding squandered as interim Principal pushes ahead with more wide-reaching and devastating job cuts. Fundamental financial questions remain unresolved as serious governance failures continue. sites.dundee.ac.uk/ducu/
sites.dundee.ac.uk
Dundee University and College Union – Welcome to University and College Union (UCU) University of Dundee Branch home page.
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 03/07/2026
£485m extra for further education. @drjogrady.bsky.social calls it what it is: a good start, but not good enough. Won by UCU members. And we're not stopping here. Watch the full update on what the announcement means for members 👇 youtu.be/JxLXkXxwB2I?...
youtu.be
FE funding announcement: UCU update for members and branch
YouTube video by UCU - University and College Union
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
First they came for the languages. In the hope that no one would have the words to say what was happening. 1/9🧵
bbc.co.uk
University of Aberdeen's plans to cut modern language degrees were 'rushed' - review
The University of Aberdeen says it accepts there were "missteps" in its process in 2023.
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
International students are supported by the fantastic people in the English for International Students team at the University of Dundee. The team is at risk of redundancy. Listen to our student talking about how the team helped them. Then sign this petition. www.change.org/p/save-engli...
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Starmer’s goodbye gift to Britain: a US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid “This shadowy treaty on medicine imports will cost the NHS billions and take funding away from doctors, nurses, cancer scans and the rest” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Starmer’s goodbye gift to Britain: a US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid | Aditya Chakrabortty
The deal on medicine imports will cost the NHS billions and take funding away from doctors, nurses, cancer scans and the rest, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Andy Burnham is set to ban Palantir from the NHS if he becomes Prime Minister 👏 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
telegraph.co.uk
Burnham set to ditch Palantir from NHS
Left-wing critics have called for deal to be axed over US tech giant’s work with Israeli Defense Forces and US immigration
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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
"Burnham will need to recognise the deliberate, systematic character of Israel’s destruction of the whole Palestinian society in Gaza – in short, he will need to acknowledge the genocide." ✍️ @martinshaw.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/07/03/w...
bylinetimes.com
'Why Andy Burnham Must Break With Israel'
The likely incoming Prime Minister must break with Keir Starmer's "morally bankrupt" legacy on Gaza in order to restore his party's reputation with the public, argues genocide scholar Martin Shaw
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
The Scottish Funding Council waved through the University of Dundee's Strategy to Recovery, even though it broke their funding conditions. The Scottish Gov need to ACT NOW and ask the SFC to reverse their decision, and stop the redundancy process TODAY. www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/...
thecourier.co.uk
EXCLUSIVE: Funding council waved through Dundee University £20m cuts plan despite own concerns
The strategy is crucial to the university unlocking another £20 million in rescue funds.
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ebisback.bsky.social @ebisback.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Mamdani for President 💥
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The interim Principal of the University of Dundee has just sent an email to staff outlining staff headcount and FTE. The data that he shares shows that data given to the Gillies report and Scottish Parliament on staff numbers was wildly inaccurate. And that more FTE than headcount have left!!!
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2... "I've started a war and you're all invited."
theguardian.com
Middle East crisis live: Trump calls on China, France, UK and others to send ships to keep strait of Hormuz open
US president earlier warned strikes on Kharg Island oil facilities would follow hit on military targets if Tehran did not allow maritime traffic through key channel
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
Israeli rockets kill 12 healthcare workers in southern Lebanon
The facility was attacked on Friday night, bringing the toll of medical staff to 31 killed in past 12 days
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 14/03/2026
The obvious result of a Justice Department co-opted by a corrupt president was always going to be a department that judges cannot trust
motherjones.com
A federal judge just called out the DOJ for politically motivated prosecutions
The Justice Department's sullied reputation is finally catching up to it.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 14/03/2026
The America250 revisionism is coming for your pocket change
motherjones.com
First Trump scrapped “DEI” coins. Now the new dime is losing the olive branch.
The America250 revisionism is coming for your pocket change.
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UCU Solidarity Movement @ucu-solidarity.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Sheffield UCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social has been taking strike action in defence of jobs this term. But in an alarming escalation, Sheffield management has threatened to "lock out", ie. deduct pay at 100% for each day, if members refuse to reschedule marking, beginning with the start of 2026. 🧵1/7
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
A great write up about how the branch supported students and tutors to resolve a shortage of professionally-based tutors.
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 08/01/2026
In just under a week, we head into action. Back in November, FE members voted 90% YES for action. Since then, over 17 colleges have already won pay awards and 28 colleges will take strike action. 🔗 Full list of colleges involved: tr.ee/7b9M2lu8n5
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 08/01/2026
On Tuesday, the Israeli military invaded Birzeit University, attacking students with live ammunition. Israel's scholasticide is a core part of its attempt to obliterate the collective life of the Palestinian people. We have written to Yvette Cooper urging the British government to take action.
Letter from the University and College Union (UCU), dated 8 January 2026, from general secretary Dr Jo Grady to the UK foreign secretary. The letter condemns Israeli military attacks on Palestinian education, including a raid on Birzeit University, calls these actions “scholasticide,” and urges the UK government to hold Israel to account through diplomatic, military and economic sanctions.
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Jeez. This just gets worse. Minister now admits jury trials would be curbed regardless of courts crisis www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/ministe...
lawgazette.co.uk
Minister admits jury trials would be curbed regardless of courts crisis
MPs call out comment by courts minister Sackman during fiery debate on jury reforms.
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 08/01/2026
Staff shortages put Dundee’s architecture course at risk, students organised and won. Teaching has been reinstated in full. Collective action works.
architectsjournal.co.uk
Dundee architecture students win fight against course-threatening staff shortages
University of Dundee architecture students have successfully campaigned to address a shortage of teaching staff which threatened accreditation of courses
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 08/01/2026
Staff at Durham University are balloting to strike over workloads and job insecurity. “Goodwill is not limitless.” @drjogrady.bsky.social
ucu.org.uk
Strike ballot looms at Durham University over workloads and job insecurity
Staff at Durham University are moving towards a strike ballot after senior management refused to engage constructively with the union over untenable workloads and worsening job insecurity, UCU announc...
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
The US Senate has voted for legislation that would bar Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without authorisation from Congress news.sky.com/story/us-sen...
news.sky.com
US senators vote to curb Trump's ability to take more Venezuela military action
Republicans are among those backing a resolution to stop the US president using more force in the South American country without Congress approval.
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
As we begin 2026 a good time to remember that Human rights are universal - politicians may not always find them politically convenient but it shouldn’t fall to any government to say who those rights should and should not apply to youtu.be/bl0Lm7v_T18?...
youtu.be
The government won’t achieve ‘decency’ over ‘division’ by trying to be Reform Lite
YouTube video by Peter Stefanovic
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
BREAKING: Changes to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok only serve to make creating deepfakes a “premium service” and are “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence, Downing Street has said www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
No 10: Grok changes ‘insulting’ and make deepfake creation a ‘premium service’
The changes to Grok come after regulator Ofcom said it made ‘urgent contact’ with X.
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottis... I just supported this case!
crowdjustice.com
Scottish Challenge to the Proscription of Palestine Action
None
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
@jamboskickback.bsky.social Even auto captioning can predict Rangers' season
Ruhle on winning the "chickens". Prescient auto caption on bbc
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
@thejamtarts.bsky.social
Ruhle on winning the "chickens" bad auto caption
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
'Are your chances of leading the country diminishing?' PM: 'No, no, no' Keir Starmer says he doesn't want to talk about 'internal politics of the Labour party' as questions over his leadership ramp up
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
open.substack.com/pub/craigmur...
open.substack.com
The Filton Trial
“The policewoman attacked by a sledgehammer” has been the constant refrain of the government against Palestine Action.
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Our members have been voting all week. Get your ballots in as soon as you can. #SaveHE #WeAreTheUniversity
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Robin Skyer @robinskyer.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Published yesterday with The Sociological Review: 'Research failure, crip temporalities and bipolar time in UK higher education' I'm honoured to be co-author of this article with wonderful first author @lizziereed.bsky.social ☺️ Available to read here, open access: doi.org/10.1177/0038...
doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
I think this is dismissive - many people have curiosity removed from them through childhood - leaving school believing science , poetry, art - are not things they are allowed to be part of and terrified that if they try to engage they will be admonished for not understanding things the “right” way
"The only reason people do not know much is because they do not care to know. They are incurious.
Incuriosity is the oddest and most foolish failing there is."
-Stephen Fry
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Our members have voted to support industrial action to fight against job cuts passed today! In the ballot our 72% of members were in favour of strike action, and 90% in favour of action short of strike. Turnout was 58%. Thank you to all members, reps and officials for helping us get the vote out.
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Dundee UCU @ducuuo.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Visit our website, and read about our strong opposition to the recently rejected University Recovery Plan: a plan created by the short-term team in charge at University of Dundee. sites.dundee.ac.uk/ducu/ #SaveHE #SaveDundeeUni
sites.dundee.ac.uk
Dundee University and College Union
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Cat Hughes @celticqueen13.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
#books are awesome.
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
theguardian.com
‘We didn’t understand the goals of the war’: Israel’s inflated Hamas death toll shows lack of strategy in Gaza
‘War dashboard’ showing number of militants killed was objective in itself with no plan for how Gaza could be governed afterwards, say sources in elite Unit 8200
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Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Starmer’s Labour government says there’s no money to scrap the two-child benefit cap and lift 500,000 children out of poverty — but there is £2,000,000,000 for Elbit, Israel’s partner in genocide. This obscene deal must be stopped. They have Palestinian blood on their hands.
ALL SYSTEMS GO
ELBIT Systems, which as Israel's largest arms firm is a key cog in the Israeli war machine, is close to winning a £2bn contract that would make it a "strategic partner" of the Ministry of Defence, working on the training of 60,000 British soldiers every year.
Elbit Systems UK, its British arm, is bidding for the Army Collective Training Service contract. The chosen bidder will work with the MoD to transform military training "through digitalisation, simulation, a different relationship with industry, and by changing how and where the military trains"
Many defence giants put in bids, but in February the MoD reduced the bidders to two:
Elbit and Raytheon. The MoD paid the companies €2m each to develop their bids. The development period was supposed to run until mid-August, meaning the final decision is imminent.
Elbit has certainly done its best to get the inside track with the ministry, appointing two top former MoD figures to its UK board of directors:
Sir Simon Bollom (who made the move in June
- see Eye 1651) and Sir Mark Poffley.
The firm already has similar contracts with the MoD. Since 2023 it has run Project Vulcan, a €57m, ten-year contract of simulation-based training for tank crews. But the new deal would be a significant step up, both in value and in its relationship with the MoD. The Eye asked the MoD if it would be appropriate to give a company so involved in the Gaza war such a major contract, but it did not respond.
• Meanwhile, the anger across Europe over Israel's attacks on Gaza didn't prevent Serbia from agreeing a $1.64bn deal, announced last week, for Elbit to supply "a range of defence solutions" including artillery-rocket systems and attack drones.
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
theguardian.com
Revealed: Israeli military’s own data indicates civilian death rate of 83% in Gaza war
Figures from classified IDF database listed 8,900 named fighters as dead or probably dead in May, as overall death toll reached 53,000
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
www.theguardian.com/politics/202... Spineless Starmer shows once again his unlimited capacity to make an unprincipled principled stand. Why is recognising Palestine not an aim in itself?
theguardian.com
UK to recognise state of Palestine in September unless Israel holds to ceasefire
Cabinet agrees to support Middle East roadmap at emergency meeting called amid humanitarian crisis in Gaza
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murraysimpson.bsky.social @murraysimpson.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
theguardian.com
‘Man-made mass starvation’ in Gaza, WHO chief says
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issues warning, as more than 100 aid groups urge Israel to ease blockade
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 17/07/2025
📢 Palestine Fringe at @tolpuddlefest.bsky.social 🗓 Saturday 19 July 3:30-4:30pm 📍Main Fringe Tent End the genocide. Stop arming Israel. Trade union leaders and activists will be speaking out. Don’t miss it. #Tolpuddle2025 #FreePalestine
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
They mean to be as insulting to Black people, as dismissive of our lives, as resistance to our status as full citizens in this country as they can be. There is no common ground to be had at the expense of our sisters & daughters’ lives and our dignity as a people. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/u...
nytimes.com
Justice Dept. Asks for 1-Day Sentence for Ex-Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Raid
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Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Sen. Whitehouse explains why Dems walked out of Emil Bove hearing
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 17/07/2025
SCOOP: As Trump takes a beating from his own MAGA crowd for his handling of the case of Jeffrey Epstein, his State Department pulled a surprising move: It decimated its office combating human trafficking. “Everyone was caught off guard,” an insider told @pemalevy.bsky.social
motherjones.com
The State Department guts its office combating human trafficking
The cuts come as Trump reels from MAGA anger over sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
The gleeful doxing of someone cheating in public is bad even if they are a CEO and even if they are a Coldplay fan. It's bad because this kind of thing is happening to random people on TikTok for such crimes as "sitting silently on a plane" or "being attractive" www.404media.co/the-astronom...
404media.co
The Astronomer CEO's Coldplay Concert Fiasco Is Emblematic of Our Social Media Surveillance Dystopia
Facial recognition and crowdsourced social media investigations are constantly being used not just on cringe CEOs, but on random people who are simply existing in public.
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 17/07/2025
The White House's war on disabled Americans continues, going above and beyond Project 2025—now with attacks on a popular hiring program no one even lobbied against.
motherjones.com
Labor Department moves to end disability hiring goal for federal contractors
Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer plans to axe a longstanding, successful incentive program for disabled workers.
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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
There are huge barriers to creating new parties of the left, but it just might be possible, argues Neal Lawson
bylinetimes.com
The New Left: Could a Jeremy Corbyn Led Party Really Break the Duopoly?
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 17/07/2025
This displaced and starving Palestinian woman sheltering at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital says she hasn’t eaten in five days, as Israel continues its suffocating blockade on Gaza.
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