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Tim Oliver

@tjoliver.bsky.social
294 followers 112 following 86 posts

Lecturer, British Politics. University of Manchester.

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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 11h
It is remarkably difficult from some university websites to work out what modules are taught there, and which member of staff is responsible for teaching them. Sometimes they make it super transparent - and sometimes it feels like you have to frack the information out of the website.
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Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Do you wonder about how women in the UK are known to be ‘more traditionalist’ and yet vote more progressive? Well, wonder no more! @cerifowler.bsky.social and I have a new paper in @electoralstudies.bsky.social on how this supposed paradox is a measurement artefact 1/ 8
sciencedirect.com
Theories and measurement of political values and under-represented groups: the case of women in the UK
This paper argues that the primary divide in values (Inglehart, 1977; 1990) between safety and self-expression lies in a different place for discrimin…
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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
“But there would be no Minecraft without maths. And gamers would be waiting much longer for GTA without the world-leading mathematical sciences that are vital to bringing it to life.”
ft.com
There will be no more games like Minecraft without maths
Cuts to UK higher education courses are a danger to our tech industries
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
It's very easy to find out the stats on who uses buses in Greater Manchester. Perhaps Camilla Long could put that very expensive education to work and see that it is the poorest in this region who use buses most? share.google/69fERUxuDCuZ...
share.google
Greater Manchester Travel Diary Survey
The TRADS survey collects transport and travel information from all residents of 2,000 households per year
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
I've put together some thoughts, with the help of friends, on Andy Burnham and Northerness, for the Sunday Times. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
thetimes.com
Will Andy Burnham appeal beyond M62 if he becomes PM?
The new MP for Makerfield has become an expert at using his regional identity as a political tool. He would be the first ‘proper’ northerner in No 10 for 50 years
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Lawrence McKay @lawrencemckay.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
⏰ CALL FOR PAPERS - EPSS PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP ON PLACE, POLITICS AND EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY ⏰ Submit by Weds 20 May! For all those interested in politics of geographic divides and keen to explore impact potential of their work. More info/submit here: shorturl.at/xS0iS @twanhuijsmans.bsky.social
shorturl.at
EPSS pre-conference: “Place, Politics, and Evidence-Based Policy”
In this pre-conference workshop we bring together researchers who study the role of place in politics, and we want to focus particularly on how we (can) make impact on policies and public debates with...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
In the context of today's headlines around the University of Sussex and the Office for Students, sharing my article from last year - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Learning to Stand on its own Two Feet: The Office for Students and the Crisis in Higher Education in England
In order to address an ever-growing crisis in higher education in England, policy makers need tools capable of meeting the challenge. Yet the Office for Students has been roundly criticised for its s...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Finally had confirmation that @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social are going to pay me the £80 they owe from November last year for reviewing 10 chapters for an upcoming textbook. Academic publishing really is a joke!
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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
The workload facing MPs and their staff is growing, in ways that aren't visible to the public: casework and the inbox. For @thehousemag.bsky.social, I delved into what the workload looks like, why it's growing, and what this means for how MPs can balance the different aspects of their role
politicshome.com
Casework Crisis: Increase In Constituency Caseload Takes Its Toll
The inexorable growth in casework is stopping MPs from fulfilling their other roles. Alice Lilly sifts through the inbox looking for what might be ...
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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
New Swingometer! The Gorton and Denton By-election: A tale of Two Manchesters open.substack.com/pub/swingome...
open.substack.com
The Gorton and Denton by-election: a tale of two Manchesters?
Unpopular incumbent + fragmented opposition + unusual seat = unpredictable contest
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Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · 05/09/2025
Radical right accommodation really does not work. New paper out with this exceptionally talented team @katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk doi.org/10.31235/osf...
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Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
📣 NEW PAPER ALERT! 🚨 "School subject choices in adolescence affect political party support" Just published in @wepsocial.bsky.social with @nspmartin.bsky.social and @rolandkappe.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1080/0140... 🧵👇
Article abstract, which says:

The educational cleavage is restructuring electoral competition in many democracies, yet there has been insufficient attention on how variation in educational content affects this. In order to address this, this article combines English administrative school records with a unique representative panel of adolescents to estimate the within-individual effect of studying different subjects at school on political party preference. This analysis finds that studying arts and humanities subjects leads to greater support for socially liberal parties, whilst studying business and economics increases support for economically right-wing parties. Students who study technical subjects become more likely to support socially conservative and economically right-wing parties. These relationships between particular subjects and party support also persist into adulthood. As such, this article provides new evidence on the importance of subjects taken in secondary school for political socialisation, during the impressionable years of adolescence.
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Kenn Rushworth @kennrushworth.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Mine and @profsob.bsky.social paper Comparing registration systems using the International Difficulty of Registration Index (IDORI). How difficult is electoral registration in the UK? has been published. Please read it here, url: academic.oup.com/pa/article/d...
academic.oup.com
Comparing registration systems using the International Difficulty of Registration Index (IDORI). How difficult is electoral registration in the UK?
Abstract. Electoral registration in the UK is often critiqued for making it hard for voters to participate in elections. However, without a tool for a syst
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Good, solid local journalism from @manchestermill.bsky.social on mental health care in Greater Manchester. A salient reminder of what local journalism is meant to be manchestermill.co.uk/a-murder-of-...
manchestermill.co.uk
A murder of crows: how a blog post deepened the conflict inside Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust
The board says it’s committed to transparency, critics say it prefers ambiguity
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Alex Hartland @alexhartland.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
🛎️ New Publication 🛎️ How did public and party priorities interact during the 2024 European Parliament elections? In our new @wepsocial.bsky.social article, Daniela Braun, @giucarny.bsky.social @rosanavarrete.bsky.social @annreinl.bsky.social and I find some connections tinyurl.com/yhc4ae8m 🧵
tandfonline.com
The role of key European issues in the 2024 election campaign
International crises and Euroscepticism have made European issues prominent in citizens’ lives. This article studies the role of three key European issues – migration, the environment, and EU integ...
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James David Griffiths @jamesdgriffiths.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
🚨NEW PUBLICATION 🚨 Though people have moved on from Brexit, they still vote in line with their Brexit preferences - with age/education still separating voters. Voters now back party blocs, which matters greatly for Labour's current appeals to Reform voters. 🧵 academic.oup.com/pa/advance-a...
academic.oup.com
The Brexit realignment amid electoral volatility: The role of party blocs in the 2024 General Election
Abstract. Brexit accelerated the long-term realignment of how demographic groups vote in Britain. However, Europe is no longer salient to voters, support f
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Kenn Rushworth @kennrushworth.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
UK has a comparatively difficult registration process. Our comparative analysis of registration difficulty in 62 countries is timely as Labour consider introducing automatic voter registration. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Britain has one of most difficult voter registration processes, report finds
UK system makes it a ‘real outlier’ among liberal democracies, according to study examining 62 countries
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
To propose taxing the income stream that is essentially keeping UK higher education from widescale collapse is the sign of a government that has given up trying to understand the country it is meant to lead.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
The failure of our public service broadcaster to actually engage with evidence is really quite staggering, sometimes. I recall, with a chill, their constant coding of any actual discussion of policy during Brexit as "nerd stuff".
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Marta Miori @martamiori.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
Yes, there are only 6 Labour seats where the Lib Dems are 2nd. This is because the 2024 Labour vote was propped up by tactical voting between the two parties. Allowing Labour to win seats in Conservative areas... seats they won't be able to keep if their left-wing coalition crumbles
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Lawrence McKay @lawrencemckay.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Out now (OA) in @electoralstudies.bsky.social. Do people in rural areas want politicians offering stronger representation to rural areas - as opposed to just their local area? Yes - based an original conjoint experiment in the UK (1/5) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Prospect Magazine @prospectmagazine.co.uk · 12/04/2025
“No single decision is to blame” for UK universities' dire financial situations, writes @rostaylor.bsky.social. “But many trace [the crisis] back to a decision made by chancellor George Osborne in December 2013.” www.prospectmagazine...
prospectmagazine.co.uk
How universities were sent over the edge
UK higher education institutions did as the government asked and took on more students. Now many face collapse
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 10/04/2025
Hey this seems sensible! I wrote a while ago about how crazy it is British election infrastructure relies on a bunch of volunteer nerds. (takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/its-mad-th...) Now the electoral commission is bringing it in-house! democracyclub.org.uk/blog/2025/04...
democracyclub.org.uk
A new home for the polling station finder
Big news from the Electoral Commission's five-year plan.
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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
The core trilma here remains the same - the govt needs to accept one of three things: high student migration, higher domestic student fees (or higher taxes to fund universities) or university bankruptcies. Those are the only options, given where we are. Pick one.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Sussex's Vice-Chancellor states that the OfS investigation into that University was "flawed and politically motivated". The OfS's methodology was flawed, and its behaviour erratic - www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
politicshome.com
The Kafkaesque investigation into our university looks like political scapegoating
The Office for Students' so-called investigation into the University I represent was flawed and politically motivated. The implications for the hig...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
It is remarkable how little central government trusts local government. It is less remarkable, and more wearingly predictable, to see a new duty created for local government without specific money allocated to fulfil that duty.
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UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
📢 CALL FOR PAPERS 📢 🚨 Just over a week left to apply for this amazing opportunity with UKICE's @robfordmancs.bsky.social & @uniofmanchester.bsky.social 👇
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
@markzuckerberg pay up, mark x
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Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 18/03/2025
*Extremely* deep cut here, but I'm hoping the right nerds follow me. Does anyone know if French legislative elections between 1958-1966 had a threshold of 5% of *registered* voters or 5% of *votes cast*? I'm finding conflicting information (in English and in French!)
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Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Latest issue! With @colmpm.bsky.social @pjsloman.bsky.social @gerryhassan.bsky.social @profsob.bsky.social @tjoliver.bsky.social @jwfurlong.bsky.social @lawrencemckay.bsky.social @psurridge.bsky.social @martamiori.bsky.social @profrosiecamp.bsky.social   onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1467923x...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The Political Quarterly: Vol 96, No 1
Click on the title to browse this issue
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Chris Terry-Enescu @cjterry.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
The Ukrainian government has a list of places where you can donate to the war effort here. I personally just donated $100: war.ukraine.ua/donate/ Slava Ukraini.
war.ukraine.ua
Donate to Ukraine’s defenders
The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to open a special fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Local journalism is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society. @manchestermill.bsky.social's work on the University of Greater Manchester (formerly Bolton) is a reminder of just what we're missing as so many local papers become hollow shadows of themselves manchestermill.co.uk/the-universi...
manchestermill.co.uk
The Casablanca Deal: Secret contracts and unexplained payments at the University of Greater Manchester
EXCLUSIVE: Senior executives at the university tried to divert hundreds of thousands in tuition fees into a private company which one of them owns
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
As someone with a clear subject specialism; do not do this without serious critical thought. Google Search's AI has returned to me answers that are entirely 180 degrees from the truth, or entirely invented. LLMs are not fonts of all knowledge.
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Lotte Hargrave @lottehargrave.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
There are just TWO WEEKS left to apply for this PhD opportunity with me @robfordmancs.bsky.social @martinboon.bsky.social If you've ever wondered why polls get it wrong & want to spend three years fully funded (!) figuring out the answer, then apply now: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Polls Apart: Understanding and Reducing Vote Intention Polling Misses in Elections Around the World at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Polls Apart: Understanding and Reducing Vote Intention Polling Misses in Elections Around the World at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
This is a fascinating article. I have somewhere a mostly-drafted chapter of my PhD thesis on declinism, and Barnett features heavily. It's an almost medical account - we are diseased, we need radical treatment to save us.
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Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
At @politicsoxford.bsky.social we are launching the Centre for Democratic Resilience. Building on our expertise, we do not only want to produce cutting-edge research but we also want to connect research to important stakeholders. Democracy is under threat. We want to work together to protect it.
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Kenn Rushworth @kennrushworth.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
I'm assisting @robfordmancs.bsky.social in organising this ECR event for UK in a Changing Europe. Get your papers in, come to Manchester, enjoy the rain, have a drink, go home, tell your mates how good it was.
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Politics @ UoM @uompols.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
New article by tjoliver.bsky.social in @politicalquarterly.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
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Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Have you finished your PhD? Have you got a project you want to work on for the next three years? Do you want to live in a vibrant, diverse, cosmopolitan city? Then apply for this unique opportunity at the University of Manchester! Pls RT @psaepop.bsky.social
jobs.manchester.ac.uk
Bicentenary Research Fellowships in Humanities:Oxford Road
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Just had an article published in Political Quarterly on the Office for Students. As regulator of Higher Education, it has a key role to play in the future of the sector - yet it lacks independence, or clear direction. Without these, it is a hinderance, not a help, to fixing HE's many issues -
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Learning to Stand on its own Two Feet: The Office for Students and the Crisis in Higher Education in England
In order to address an ever-growing crisis in higher education in England, policy makers need tools capable of meeting the challenge. Yet the Office for Students has been roundly criticised for its s...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Excellent funded PhD opportunity at Manchester coming up for anyone interested in polling, and particularly why it understates the right so often. With the splendid @robfordmancs.bsky.social @lottehargrave.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Polls Apart: Understanding and Reducing Vote Intention Polling Misses in Elections Around the World at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Polls Apart: Understanding and Reducing Vote Intention Polling Misses in Elections Around the World at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Disappointed to see this burdensome law, which does not add new freedoms, but does impose steep new costs on an already fragile sector, will go into action www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Government to implement university free speech law
Labour paused implementation of the act after taking power, due to concerns over student welfare.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
With Kemi Badenoch calling for a review into something already reviewed yesterday, and now the government setting up a review into something already reviewed today, is the UK suffering from inquiritis? An inflammatory condition where the number of inquiries grows, but policy does not occur.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
The English Devolution White Paper has landed - assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676028...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 13/09/2024
Exciting times at EPOP yesterday, fascinating and stimulating discussions and papers. Many new things learned about this summer's general election. Future Tim is going to resent having to update all those lecture slides, the poor sod.
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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 05/09/2024
NEW: We’ve just launched the IfG Ministers Database as a public resource What’s that, you ask? It’s a record of all ministerial appointments back to 1979 – we use it in research on ministerial churn, gender balance and lots more Check it out here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-da...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
IfG Ministers Database | Institute for Government
Search our database of all government ministers since 1979.
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Rowan Hall @rowaninlondon.bsky.social · 07/08/2024
Join the Constitution Unit as a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow! There is frequently chocolate. Find out more 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution....
ucl.ac.uk
Constitution Unit welcomes Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship
The Constitution Unit is welcoming applicants to the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship scheme for September 2025 to May 2026 entry, with an internal deadline of 26 August 2024.
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 07/08/2024
Fantastic post by colleagues at the Scottish Election Study on what happened in Scotland in the UK's most recent general election, including how Yes voters are now the ones making the greater constitutional compromise: scottishelections.ac.uk/2024/08/05/g...
scottishelections.ac.uk
GE2024 in Scotland: Indy an Era?
Do the results of the 2024 UK general election signal a decisive break from the constitutionally-aligned voting behaviour of the last decade? While we will only know the true extent of this shift when...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 02/07/2024
Interesting post by @cerifowler.bsky.social and Anna Sanders on gender gaps we might see on Thursday - ukandeu.ac.uk/will-there-b...
ukandeu.ac.uk
Will there be a gender gap in the 2024 General Election? - UK in a changing Europe
Ceri Fowler and Anna Sanders look at polling data and party policy offers to understand if recent trends in gender voting patterns...
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Tim Oliver @tjoliver.bsky.social · 29/05/2024
First shoutout with a Bsky handle from @chanret.bsky.social at the Democracy & Elections workshop today!
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