Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Colm Murphy

Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 1d

Genuinely think the concept of the tech tree has done a lot of damage.

Tech-Based Teaching @edutecheditor.bsky.social · 1d

“Since 1991, the video game Civilization, now in its seventh installment, has become one of the most successful game franchises ever. That means millions of kids have grown up with Civ as one of their formative ways of thinking about history.” (via @jstor.bsky.social) #AcademicSky

History and Civilization - JSTOR Daily

The Civilization video games may not convey actual history very well, but they’ve encouraged generations of young people to learn more about the past.

buff.ly

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Heather Stewart @guardianheather.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: the chancellor will target more headroom against her fiscal rules in the 26 November Budget as a buffer against volatile bond markets - www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Rachel Reeves looks for extra headroom in budget to insulate UK economy against bond market

Chancellor hopes to raise enough funds to stop damaging speculation about breaching fiscal rules

www.theguardian.com

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 2d

"if anything employment outcomes are worsening more rapidly for those with fewer skills looking for blue-collar jobs than the highly skilled seeking knowledge work"

on.ft.com/43eYeRZ

@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.

It's not just AI. And education still matters

What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong

People with a degree are faring better, not worse than their non-graduate counterparts

on.ft.com

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Peter Mandler @petermandler.bsky.social · 2d

Join us for a roundtable on 'The Modern British City' in January at Senate House, London, with Simon Gunn, Erika Hanna, Owen Hatherley, Peter Mandler, Otto Saumarez Smith and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, followed by wine! www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Roundtable: 'The Modern British City'

www.history.ac.uk

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Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 2d

It was an honour to give the Hennessy Lecture at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on Wednesday. I assessed the commitments Western countries have made to Ukraine’s security and what might happen after a ceasefire. This is the text (and this post is free). samf.substack.com/p/as-long-as...

‘As Long as it Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine’s security?

This post was originally a lecture given in honour of Peter Hennessy at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London.

samf.substack.com

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

A reminder: people say "guru" because it uses fewer characters than "charlatan". But still, do come along...

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 2d

We'll be exploring the Thatcher legacy & her impact on British politics today at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on 20 Oct.

With former Thatcher minister, Gillian Shephard; Conservative peer Simone Finn; legendary politics guru @philipjcowley.bsky.social & me.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/still-that...

Still “Thatcher’s Britain”? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025

Join the Mile End Institute to explore why Margaret Thatcher continues to cast such a shadow across British politics!

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 3d

Innumerable times

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 4d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 4d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 4d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 4d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Reposted by Colm Murphy

Imogen Shaw @imogenshaw.bsky.social · 4d

“Some people say choosing judges based on their political beliefs makes them politicians’ puppets - what do you think of that?”

“Rubbish!”

Andrew Graystone @andrewgraystone.bsky.social · 5d

The Wigs and the Tories.

Shadow Home Secretary Robert Jenrick is holding up a judge’s wig during a speech

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Reposted by Colm Murphy

Sacha Hilhorst @sachahilhorst.bsky.social · 4d

I noticed that too. A disgraceful way to cover it tbh

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 4d

Read this, if for nothing else than the phrase "the unbearable tightness of credit spreads".

Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 4d

I'm not saying it makes a huge amount of sense, but I am saying a market melt-up is a distinct possibility. The bad stuff just isn't sticking - on.ft.com/48PHt3p

Brace for a market melt-up

[FREE TO READ] Some say this is a ‘good’ bubble, but investors should remember that all bubbles burst in the end

on.ft.com

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 4d

If the SW1-focused media doesn't take radicalisation and racism seriously, why should the power seekers who read it?

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 4d

One of my issues with Politico is that its jaunty, gossipy tone jars with the dangerous turn in UK politics.

A "mostly clanger free conference"? A recording of the Shadow Justice Secretary complaining about seeing "no white faces" surfaced and was the talking point in interviews and coverage...

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 5d

*Calling PhD students of modern British and imperial history in London*

The @ihrbritainseminar.bsky.social's first session this Thursday (9 Oct.) is dedicated to PhDs, at any stage, for elevator pitches and meet-and-greet. Do come along! Details in the link.

www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

New PhD Student Session

For the first session of term we will be hosting a meet and greet at the IHR for all PhD students in modern British and imperial history.

www.history.ac.uk

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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 5d

I have a lot of sympathy with @adamtooze.bsky.social's argument here.

Huw Pill's minority vote to maintain QT at existing levels last month did not get the attention that it should have outside of finance circles. An astonishing political choice.

www.ft.com/content/7615...

Britain needs a ‘whatever it takes’ moment

The Bank of England must acknowledge the priority of reviving investment-led growth and stop quantitative tightening

www.ft.com

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 5d

New post just out:

"Staying alive vs taking control"

Labour's big choice at the budget is whether they just want to try and survive it or whether they're willing to take some bigger risks that would have future payoffs.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...

Staying alive vs taking control

Labour's budget choices

open.substack.com

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5d

ft @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social's @colmpm.bsky.social

How did net zero get so politically toxic?

The cross-party consensus on net zero has shattered. What does that mean for the climate – and for the next election?

www.bigissue.com

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Reposted by Colm Murphy

Karl Pike @karlpike.bsky.social · 6d

Reform in local govt, latest:
www.ft.com/content/277c...

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

www.ft.com

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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 6d

🚨 BREAKING: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his government have resigned.

Read the developing story: ow.ly/6uzZ50X6TAz

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Reposted by Colm Murphy

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 7d

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters on.ft.com/4pTvJ62

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

on.ft.com

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 9d

This Israeli government decision to host Tommy Robinson will widen the growing gulf between the Netanyahu government and the British public, including the broad majority of Jews in Britain (3/4 of whom dsapproved of Netanyahu, before this new link to this anti-Muslim racist UK far right convict).

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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 13d

"'As Long As It Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine's security?"

We are delighted to be welcoming Sir Lawrence Freedman to the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on 8 Oct, 18:30, for this term's distinguished Hennessy Lecture.

Book your free ticket here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/as-long-as...

'As Long As It Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine's security?

Join the Mile End Institute for our fourth distinguished Hennessy Lecture by the legendary Professor of War Studies, Sir Lawrence Freedman!

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Reposted by Colm Murphy

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 10d

I spoke to a few people, including journalists, at Labour conference who had seen and believed claims on X that Multiverse – Tony Blair's son's company – had been chosen to run the government’s new digital ID scheme

@fullfact.org have checked this claim and it is untrue

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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 13d

One of those weeks where I find it hard to square the quite stark Economist leader - Britain is slowly going bust
economist.com/leaders/2025...

With the story in the Britain section -

Why British bond yields are higher than elsewhere
economist.com/britain/2025...

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 13d

The Times reported that some Labour MPs are sharing an anonymous memo, characterising an 'ungovernable' country + the polarisation of our times as "whites against whites fighting over the future character of a multi-ethnic nation". My @renewaljournal.bsky.social blog attempts to make sense of it.

Renewal @renewaljournal.bsky.social · 13d

"In the twenty-first century, the success of social democracy depends on narrowing differences between groups"

@sundersays.bsky.social responds to the anonymous essay that @patrickmaguire.bsky.social has reported is being shared around by Labour MPs

False prophecies

What did you manage to read on your summer holidays? I found myself in the early phases of the 14 volume CP Snow Strangers and Brothers series – covering 20th century Britain from the first world war ...

renewal.org.uk

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