Author | Lightnews

Judith Fairbairn

@judithfairbairn.bsky.social

1.7K followers 1.2K following 1.6K posts

Enjoy discussing public service, education and urban planning issues. PhD from UCL Institute of Education. Career in language testing. Co-author https://api.equinoxpub.com/books/2874 and https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1210080 🇬🇧 🇨🇦

api.equinoxpub.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 8h

I would love to ask the new editor of Question Time how booking Goodwin, an extreme racist who openly fosters division and civil unrest, fits into his vision of “community and shared expression”

Julian Vaccari said: "I'm thrilled to be joining Question Time at such a fascinating moment in British politics.
The show's appeal over the decades is a testament to the power and simplicity of the format. At its best, Question Time is a celebration of community and shared experience. I want people from every part of the UK and every walk of life to feel like they can take part and hear their views expressed."

10 130 470

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 17h

The FT reported a "Budget tax raid on the owners of expensive homes", expected to raise around £4bn.

But 80% of that comes from the homes in the *second* highest council tax band.

As with many tax increases, most of the burden falls on the not-so-rich.

Here's why:

7 26 70

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 10h

Or avoid the snow.

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Sasseymills @sasseymills.bsky.social · 10h

This just seems like a win win no brainer, clean energy production plus vehicle gets to sit in the shade.

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 11h

“Starting at the end of November this year, public parking lots with more than 80 spaces will be required to install solar power generation facilities. This applies not only to newly constructed parking lots but also to existing ones.”

South Korea (click the globe)
www.asiae.co.kr/article/2025...

공공주차장에 태양광 의무 설치해야…기존 주차장도 소급적용 - 아시아경제

올해 11월 말부턴 80면 이상 규모의 공공주차장에는 태양광 발전설비를 의무적으로 설치해야 한다. 신규로 조성되는 주차장은 물론 기존 주차장도 의무설치 대상...

www.asiae.co.kr

3 9 37

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 19h

But STV better than AV?

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Warren Oates @warrenoates1.bsky.social · 21h

Reform are Tories

Tories are Reform

As more people move (either way) between the 2 parties, it becomes harder to argue there is anything different between them.

We've just kicked the Tories out of power - do we really want them back in again but with the only difference being a lighter blue?

Reform councillor defects to Tories after party’s policies left him ‘uncomfortable’

Dartford representative James Buchan says ‘devastating’ immigration plans had created a lot of fear and anxiety

www.theguardian.com

11 58 170

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

AdyBee 🐝 @adybee.bsky.social · 20h

🎯

All because of BBC …. balance 😔

2 7

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 20h

They might be learning. MAGA red hat “build baby build” by Labour MP Steve Reed. ‘DOGE’ list of savings by Labour MP Luke Charters.

List of Labour savings (e.g., £180m+ clawback on PPE fraud) referred to as DOGE.

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 21h

What about STV, like we had for English mayors?

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 21h

I hate it but if he’d put out a list of savings, no one would read it. Same with Steve Reed’s red Maga hat for ‘build baby build’.

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Cornish/Manc Advisor in Parallel Realities (Worldwide) @leftymuso.bsky.social · 1d

4 48 81

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 22h

Which PR system do you recommend?

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 22h

That would be appalling if the test made children hate reading. The best tests do the opposite and lead to behaviour we want to encourage.

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 22h

For someone who does not follow baseball, you engaged me in this World Series (and a few sleepless nights - UK). Love the interviews with star players in foreign languages. Condolences on your loss - maybe in all their gloom, the US people need something positive to celebrate.

1 6

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Ethan Henry @ehenry.bsky.social · 1d

It is truly the most American thing that the World Series MVP needs a translator to take his post game interview

6 120 760

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 22h

I’m fairly certain they haven’t got that far. I have no issue with testing things to have data, but what is being tested and why needs to be carefully answered. To develop a good test takes years.

1 1

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 1d

After a week of faffing around the @dailymail.co.uk have agreed to apologise. Here it is. Fingers crossed for fewer lies/smears dressed up as news in future

35 240 760

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 1d

Which makes a reading test even more interesting. What do we want/need to test?

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 1d

The referendum was for AV, which was difficult to explain. STV is more common in the UK (mayors) and seems easier and fairer to me (fewer complicated strategic and tactical gaming issues compared to AV).

1 1

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 1d

We in the UK will work out far too late that this is a bad thing.

John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 2d

NEW from me:

Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.

That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀

14 130 400

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 1d

Curious to know how they will test reading. Speed reading? Careful reading? Vocabulary? Main points? What will the topics be? How do students prepare? Who will write the tests? Are the texts authentic or manufactured?

1 1 3

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 1d

And would be very easy to implement. Other PR systems would be more difficult.

1 1 5

Judith Fairbairn @judithfairbairn.bsky.social · 1d

It really is “manufactured panic”. Scary what people can be convinced to believe.

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 2d

A woman is killed by a man every 3 days in the UK...

78% are murdered by a partner/ex

Yet not once have I heard Reform talk about this

Not once have I heard them back measures to protect women’s safety

In fact, they voted against them...

190 1.9K 5.4K

Reposted by Judith Fairbairn

Warren Oates @warrenoates1.bsky.social · 2d

Well said Lisa Nandy!

Reform have no real answers to anything.

They just create fear, distrust and chaos!

www.instagram.com/reel/DQc5Aot...

20 140 410