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Simon Usherwood

@simonusherwood.bsky.social
13K followers 3.5K following 3K posts

Researcher of UK-EU relations, euroscepticism and learning & teaching. Open University and formerly UK in a Changing Europe. Renowned for my bubbly personality, I imagine.

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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 3h
Cue a full day of discussing whether 'national interest' is ever a useful concept, let alone one that can defined
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 5h
Today's exhibit in "making EU policy isn't easy" news www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Kenneth Armstrong @profkaarmstrong.bsky.social · 22h
NEW!!! How should Andy Burnham approach a longer term relationship with the EU? kaarmstrong.substack.com/p/domestic-p...
kaarmstrong.substack.com
Domestic Politics by Other Means – How Burnham Should Approach the EU-UK Summit
In a statement to the House of Commons on 12 October 2026, the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed that an EU-UK summit on 20 November would take forward the work developed by the Starmer governm...
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Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
🚨JOBS: Information influence campaigns are at the center of hybrid conflicts. As part of a new initiative on Hybrid War and Democracy that I lead at @d-ias.bsky.social, there are openings at post-doc and assistant professor (tenure track) levels. 🗓️: DL Nov 23 Share 🫶 🧵 www.sdu.dk/en/forskning...
sdu.dk
Vacant positions at the Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), University of Southern Denmark
Do you merge research excellence with immense curiosity and a sense of playfulness? We are currently hiring tenured DIAS Professors and tenure track DIAS Fellows across multiple disciplines - apply t...
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The election supercycle set to drag Europe right - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The election supercycle set to drag Europe right
In the space of 12 months, four of the five biggest EU member states will go to the ballot box. The bloc may never be the same
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Not what most of you are interested in, but struck by Burnham's language on Nov summit: only SPS and ETS get language of a 'deal', while rest (YEM, IEM, immigration) is 'progress', which speaks to difficulties of agreeing even this level of cooperation
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Reminder: this didn't carry the day in 2016, and no reason to think it would in 2026
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Seems to be slight conflation of "not prejudging outcomes" with "not prejudging process" Which in turn suggests process isn't pinned down at all
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Essential for anyone working on NI-related aspects of UK-EU relations
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I think he might have one, but by keeping it in background now, it will look more instrumental when he does produce it later
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
10/10 for commitment to an inclusive dialogue where he's not pre-judging process, but still only 5/10 on trying to set frames for the debate: mostly rational economics, plus a sprinkling of immigration control, but no clear emotional argument
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Note too that Burnham is absolutely not moving red lines now, nor taking offered opportunity to totally dunk on Made in Europe
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Burnham is lucky to have a LOTO who is going to stick with the 'this is an irrelevance', but worth noting that his decision to stick EU in with other important foreign policy points in this statement doesn't help in making the case
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Pfft Said all the things, but commitment to 'dialogue' means he can't set out his preference more explicitly
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
"Leaders will take stock of the progress made [...] including on their defence and security partnership, energy, agrifood rules, climate, people-to-people contacts, and migration and law enforcement" www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...
consilium.europa.eu
EU-UK summit to take place in Brussels on 20 November
The second annual EU-UK Summit after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will take place in Brussels on 20 November 2026.
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Georgina Wright (on leave) @georginaewright.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Seeing a flurry of articles on what it would take for UK to rejoin the EU. Some of them mention that a Le Pen presidency (which favours looser union) cd make it easier for the UK to rejoin. This is silly & wrong. 1/2
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Cousin. He's good
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Chris Prosser @caprosser.com · 09/10/2026
🚨Job alert! 🚨 Come work with us on the British Election Study! We are looking for a postdoc to join the new BES team: 5 year contract, starting in Jan 2027. Happy to chat if you've got any questions. Applications close 12 Nov, for details see: jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk
Job Opportunity at Royal Holloway University of London: British Election Study Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Full-Time, Fixed-Term for 5 yearsThe Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the British Election St...
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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
🚗 "Britain’s decline came in two Brexit stages: years of uncertainty post-referendum weakened the industry, before the trade arrangements that replaced EU membership did more lasting damage." @shepotylo.bsky.social explains how Brexit has damaged the UK car industry. ukandeu.ac.uk/from-pace-se...
A chart showing comparative levels of UK and German car production. UK performance was much stronger than Germany's from 2010-2016, slightly weaker from 2016 to 2021, and much weaker from 2021 onwards.
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Matt G, tying himself up in knots
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
An expert writes...
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
And off we go www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
🚨🚨🚨Publication alert: We can't really tell what is real and what is AI. Our just published study shows that most people struggle to detect AI-generated images. We are approximately as good as ... chance... @madshovethy.bsky.social led a team effort ⬇️ #OpenAccess 🧵 [1/4] doi.org/10.1177/2056...
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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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Fine, I guess, but won't help with the line that he's really only interested in undoing the "Will of the People", rather than moving on from 2016 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham says it is clear Russia interfered in Brexit referendum
PM says he asked question upon entering No 10 but does not reveal who gave him ‘clear answer’ that Russia meddled
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Yep
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Useful explainer on accession process, if at the optimistic end on timelines. UK in 2026 is not Finland in 1992, in many ways
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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Our Innovation Fellowships Scheme – Route B: Policy-led (FCDO) are one-year fellowships for UK-based researchers embedded in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office or the Cabinet Office, enabling close interaction with policymakers. Apply now: bit.ly/3Vi5StQ
Innovation Fellowships Scheme – Route B: Policy-led (FCDO).
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Today's cuppa
The Whitworth cafe, Manchester
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Since I'm well located to lobby senior politicians on this, currently loitering
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Very sad that @ukandeu.bsky.social can't continue, especially at the moment when evidence-led insights on UK-EU relations might be of particular use It's been a pleasure to work with all the excellent members of this team over the last decade
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Andrej Matisak @matisaksk.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
#Brexit: Is the UK ready to rejoin the #EU? My 🎙 #podcast, #TheGlobalAgora, with @simonusherwood.bsky.social. ▶️ #Apple podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/and... ▶️ #Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/2rjT... #politics
podcasters.spotify.com
Brexit: Is the UK ready to rejoin the EU? by The Global Agora
It has now been more than ten years since citizens of the United Kingdom made the decision in a referendum to leave the European Union, Yet, the latest public opinion polls show that as many as 59% of...
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Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I generally agree with this. It’s politically sensible for KB to appeal to wealthier liberal voters with tax cuts. But the proposition needs to be coherent. Leaving the ECHR and reversing any Labour accommodations with the EU makes it incoherent. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Kemi Badenoch’s European nightmare
The biggest threat to this potential prime minister is that she defends an unpopular hard Brexit
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
[Coughs pointedly in Open University] giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
University students will have to meet minimum entry standards to access loans
Move comes as UK government seeks to deal with concerns about proliferation of underqualified people on poor-quality courses
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Another part of the reset is in place for the summit, so focus remains on Youth Mobility www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...
politico.eu
UK and EU reach Brexit agreement to link carbon emissions trading systems
The two sides are now just “tying a ribbon” on the agreement, according to one EU diplomat.
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Delighted to speak with @matisaksk.bsky.social about this @oupolitics.bsky.social @ou-gcsj.bsky.social
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
On a meeting and someone is demanding something happens "at pace" and I'm channelling my inner @aiannucci.bsky.social, while biting my lip
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Top work by organisers to communicate both what's happened and how they feel about it www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
European Broadcast Union ≠ EU, boringly
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
No idea: just listed in their budget savings
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Don't like current UK policy on the EU? Nor do any of the parties www.open.ac.uk/blogs/EUatOU...
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
We’ve opened the call for our Senior Research Fellowships giving a scholar in the humanities and social sciences a year to complete a significant piece of research www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
British
Academy/Leverhulme
Senior Research
Fellowships
The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships are intended to enable established scholars, needing relief from teaching and administration, to have the time to bring to completion a significant piece of research, through sustained period of leave for one year.
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
So we are discussing Made in Europe, or we're not? Last week the pitch was that this had been parked until EU had worked out its position on this
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
poorly?
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Badenoch on Brexit Can see that "Soooo boring/difficult" might resonate with many voters, but lack of substantive argument behind that (either on policy or process) leaves CON more exposed as and when Burnham does get going
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
And read it you should, not least for the responses that the book should generate
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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A note from Richard Barfield sets out why Matt Goodwin's projections of population & ethnic change are entirely unreliable, using simplistic + false premises that are not valid but have the impact & intent of exaggerating the rate of change rbas.co.uk/wp-content/u...
rbas.co.uk
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Consequential (in a good way) for the UK if it comes to pass
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"Britain is coming back. Maybe. If we can agree on what we want, and if the EU lets us" Useful piece from @rostaylor.bsky.social
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Today's constitutional
Towards Guildford
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Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Good thread on the EU side of the equation
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