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Sherrill Stroschein

@sherrillstroschein.bsky.social

3.6K followers 3.5K following 730 posts

Political Science and other things

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · Feb 23

In response to a suggestion, here are screenshots of my lecture on non-democracies / authoritarian regimes / hybrid regimes from October 2024. Class is Democracy and Constitutional Design, core class for masters in Democracy and Comparative Politics, UCL.

Syllabus list of readings on authoritarian regimes

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 1h

The Truth about Panics
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

The Truth about Panics

One is being generated right now

open.substack.com

Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 2h

It is pretty clear from this that Williamson's categorical hatred of unions got in the way of any possibility of a sensible response on schools and Covid.
Infuriating, upsetting. But important to have the Inquiry.

Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 16h

🚨Gavin Williamson former Education Secretary

Sadly, there were no inquiry questions of CVF's children but we had 8 mins of questioning. However, Gavin did raise them - without prompting.

Do watch the highlights!

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 12h

SK "It's got nothing to do with whether it is possible to have contingency plans. It had everything to do with keeping the sector in the dark."

GW "There were certain trade unions such as the NEU that were working... to ensure schools wouldn't reopen...."

20/

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 12h

SK "As we have seen, it is precisely the opposite of what happened... the decision was that plans would not be shared with schools.

...you offer the lesson... contingency planning does need to be shared.... is that because you recognise... the approach in Covid was wrong?"

19/

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 16h

CTI "Hadn't one of the lessons... been that not letting schools know that they might have to close... put them in the terrible position of having to pivot to providing an education to children in their homes without being able to plan for it?"

13/

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Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 16h

Children in Clinically Vulnerable families faced fines and prosecutions for absences due to Covid risks,

AW "Were you aware that such a strict approach was being taken?"

GW "I was aware we had a stricter approach... It felt... it seemed to be the right policy."

7/

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 2h

How Crypto Became a Trump Trade
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

How Crypto Became a Trump Trade

It’s primarily a vehicle for crony capitalism now

open.substack.com

Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 3h

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US news outlets refuse to sign new Pentagon rules to report only official information

Defense department policy requires outlets to vow not to obtain unauthorized files and restricts access to some areas

www.theguardian.com

Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 3h

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

‘Your basis to live is checked at each and every step’: India’s ID system divides opinion

Keir Starmer is considering Aadhaar as model for UK, but detractors warn of ‘digital coercion’ and security breaches

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 16h

Gavin Williamson has described the decision to open, then close, primary schools on 4 January 2021 as “panicked”.

I would describe it as idiotic.

Boris Johnson gave parents 'false hope' over schools reopening, Gavin Williamson tells Covid inquiry

Watch as the former education secretary gives evidence at the inquiry, which is focusing on the impact of the pandemic on children and young people.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 3h

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...

They Helped Topple Roe v. Wade. Now Their Sights Are Set on Britain.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 20h

Lots of comments saying Bezos did this on purpose, which is absolutely part of it. But billionaires also have insane egos and think they're smarter than everyone else and assume everyone agrees with their viewpoints, so there's some of that in here too

karl rove knausgård @uhactually.bsky.social · 1d

Lmao WaPo has fewer than 100K circulation now. It turns out “alienate your liberal subscriber base” is not a good strategy when the Republicans also hate you. www.forbes.com/sites/andyme...

The Washington Post Is Running Out Of Readers Willing To Pay

Once a titan of American journalism, The Washington Post now struggles to reach even 100,000 print subscribers most days.

www.forbes.com

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 5d

👉 Please watch Lives Interrupted to hear directly from young people living with Long Covid. Their voices, with their message, deserve to be heard.
(also on our YouTube)
vm.tiktok.com/ZNdnq5UmG/
#TikTok #CharityFilm #LivesInterrupted

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 20h

Infuriating day at thr CI, thank you for summarising it professionally.

From my end though: @£%#!!!!

Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 20h

Keeping children, young people and their educators safe at school was an obstacle that should have been taken seriously - and still needs addressing. Clean air - Ventilation, Monitoring and Filtration all still needed along with guidance on when and how to use each. #CovidInquiry #LongCovidKids

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 20h

Other evidence doesn’t support this. The belief was that this was a respiratory virus and the focus was on the acute disease, not morbidity. Research is only now beginning to unpick which children and young people are really at risk of #LongCovid #CovidInquiry

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Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · 20h

Hope that you feel better soon.

Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 22h

Cabinet meeting document -

“schools should not be told of fall back plan as it would allow them to have an excuse not to open in September”

#Schools #Pandemic #Education #LongCovidKids

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 23h

Q - Was there a reticence on the part of your department to seek advice for fear that it would be published and deal with it as amunission for not opening schools.

Sir Gavin Williamson denies not seeking SAGE advice for fear it would be published.

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 23h

Q - You are the Secretary of State for Education - are you suggesting you have to wait for No 10 to give you a steer?
A - We were probably over focused on the mission to keep schools open because that was both the political steer that we had and the policy steers we were getting

#Education #Schools

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Long Covid Kids @longcovidkids.bsky.social · 1d

Module 8, UK COVID Inquiry, Sir Gavin Williamson.

"there were failures"

Talking about the pandemic
"the government not really grasping the enormity of that"

#Education #CovidInquiry #

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Reposted by Sherrill Stroschein

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

13 hrs later the answer has occurred to me. “What I’m afraid of is not getting old.”

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 1d

Back in A&E (kidney problems this time).

A woman turned to me earlier and said - out of nowhere - "are you afraid of getting old"?

I'm in a Beckett play.