Ben Ansell
banner
benansell.bsky.social
Ben Ansell
@benansell.bsky.social

Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions, Nuffield & University of Oxford, FBA. http://benansell.substack.com. BBC Reith Lecturer 2023. Host BBC Radio 4 Rethink. Columnist for Prospect. Director, Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods (CASSM). .. more

Ben W. Ansell is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, University of Oxford and, with David Samuels, editor of Comparative Political Studies.

Source: Wikipedia
Political science 47%
Economics 40%

I think we are missing a rather important distinction between Germany and the UK here which is the UK is a nuclear power!

Reposted by Jack Stilgoe

The UK is in a dark place right now, where anti-asylum attitudes have spilled over into racism from the 1970s or earlier. These types of comments are not 'the result of' higher migration. They are the personal responsibility of the person who wrote them.
Who Counts?
The increasing extremism in British commentary about race
benansell.substack.com
GB News now broadcasting calls to remove the ethnic minority MPs from parliament

These posts cover a wide array of today's racism in Britain: telling British-born people to 'get back to their country', saying immigrants shouldn't be able to run for office, mocking people's names, denying minorities can be English, and hating Sadiq Khan

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform council leader accused of racism after alleged remarks about Sadiq Khan
Ian Cooper allegedly called Khan ‘narcissistic Pakistani’ and made comments about lawyer Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
www.theguardian.com

Always too late to keep my lines for my column
Agents in Key Largo, Florida ripped this woman wearing medical scrubs out of her car as she screamed she is a US citizen. Agents cuffed her and put her in one of their cars.

She was eventually let go, per David Goodhue of the Miami Herald, who also took this footage:

Looks like I just wrote the last line of my Prospect column for next month at least

Labour’s ‘red lines’ holding up strongly.

The ‘red line’ on vote intention graphs? Not so much.
Starmer rules out rejoining EU customs union but steps up ‘reset’ efforts on.ft.com/4oxgApm
Starmer rules out rejoining EU customs union but steps up ‘reset’ efforts
UK prime minister has given two speeches this week promising closer ties with Brussels
on.ft.com

So sorry Tim. Incredibly sad.

1:2 Radiohead / BCNR ratio

I did get Dominic Sandbrook’s personalised thanks at least, using the same tone as for advertising Better Health

In German or English though?

Tweedmas

Am I that much of a parody of myself?
No, it’s the Spotify Wrapped that must be wrong

When I was at the University of Minnesota political science department the Daily Mail was constantly contacting us for scoops on Nick Clegg’s Masters thesis…

DEADLINE APPROACHING

The first position with the Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods at the University of Oxford has a deadline this Friday at noon UK time. Come be the first member of the team who are going to revolutionise methods training at Oxford!

www.politics.ox.ac.uk/opportunity/...

Hard to think of any union that has failed more miserably in its goals over past decade. Only success (on pensions) has largely come from higher interest rates bailing USS out.

My view has long been the resting point is ‘more annoying Switzerland’, which implies some carve outs that are frustrating from EU (and indeed UK) side.

Fascinating study that makes its own case and doesn’t need cheerleading IMO. Good luck with it!

Can’t disagree with the manager here

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell

Wes thinking about becoming PM while saying things like this:

Regardless of whether Reform are part of the next government it would help universities to stress test their current model, to figure out if they have over-hired (in admin particularly), whether building projects really need to go ahead etc. Before it is forced on them.

Well quite.

Not all solidarity is helpful

One thing I mentioned in my lengthy immigration Substack is that there has been an omertà in the sector on criticising bad actors so the consequences have ended up falling on good and bad actors alike.

Yep staff to student ratio is too high I think compared to other countries

Agree with all this