Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 10d

Discussing 50 years of Spanish democracy featuring @edinburghpir.bsky.social’s @oliverescobar.bsky.social! Really interesting themes around change and continuity

In the foreground an audience watching and listening to a discussion on a stage with three people. In the background a large image with lots of hands in different colours and the letters “esff”

1 5

Reposted by Marc Geddes

PSA German Politics Specialist Group @psagermanpol.bsky.social · 12d

Excellent job opportunity in the SPARK project👇

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 12d

🚨 Job Opportunity! 🚨 Applications are now open for a new 2.5-year postdoc at @edinburghpir.bsky.social to examine how parliaments gather, analyse and use different types of knowledge - see the full job listing here: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (SPARK)

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with experience in the politics of the UK, Scottish, German or Bavarian parliaments to join the UKRI-funded research project, ‘Studying Parliaments an...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com

2 3

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 12d

For full information about the SPARK research project, please visit our website: www.project-spark.net. You can also send me or @ewanrobo.bsky.social a message or email if you have any questions!

Home | SPARK

www.project-spark.net

1

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 12d

The fellow may focus on:

🇩🇪 Qual and quant research on the German/Bavarian parliaments

🇬🇧 Qual and quant research on the UK/Scottish parliaments

🔢 Quant research on the UK, Scottish, German and Bavarian parliaments

🌟 Research in another combination as designed by you (inc. the cases above)

1 1

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 12d

🚨 Job Opportunity! 🚨 Applications are now open for a new 2.5-year postdoc at @edinburghpir.bsky.social to examine how parliaments gather, analyse and use different types of knowledge - see the full job listing here: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (SPARK)

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with experience in the politics of the UK, Scottish, German or Bavarian parliaments to join the UKRI-funded research project, ‘Studying Parliaments an...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com

1 22 23

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 24d

It was fascinating to listen to this lecture in the Scottish Parliament yesterday evening and grateful for the @studyofparl.bsky.social hosting the annual lecture in Scotland! Link to recording below - well worth listening for anybody interested in British politics

Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 24d

A huge thank you to Professor Sir John Curtice for delivering last night’s Michael Ryle Lecture on the theme of “Can Britain’s Two Party System Survive?” 👏

1 6

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Aug 27

Made it to #ecprgc25! Beautiful location amongst great discussions in the @sgparliaments.bsky.social panels! Looking forward to catching up with the SG on Knowledge and Governance later too!

The White Tower - a circular tower with the Greek flag at the top, trees to the left and right with grass in the foreground

Dawn at the shore - blue sky in the top half, water in the bottom half, shoreline in the middle

2

Reposted by Marc Geddes

ECPR Parliaments Standing Group @sgparliaments.bsky.social · Aug 26

👋🏻 Welcome to those attending the ECPR General Conference #ecprgr25! Our section this year is action-packed with panels every day of the conference - here is an outline of what to expect:

1 3 6

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · Aug 13

This moment never ceases to excite. Out in shops on 9 Sept...

3 22 100

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 28

Most parliaments have committees that work like this. Yes it would allow specialisation but it will create new problems. The magic of sel coms is their independence without limelight or interest from parties leaders. My fear is this would be destroyed if they were tasked with legislative scrutiny

1

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Christine Huebner @chuebner.bsky.social · Jul 17

The UK government proposes to lower the voting age to 16 #vote16 This is a landmark moment for all the young people (+ some older ones) who campaigned for this for years. It's been a privilege to work & do research with young people on #VotesAt16 in Scotland and Wales www.jrrt.org.uk/evidence-and...

Breaking news from the BBC: voting age to be lowered to 16 across UK by next general election

With @eichhornjan.bsky.social at an event with young campaigners

1 5 21

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Jan Eichhorn @eichhornjan.bsky.social · Jul 17

Having researched #Vote16 for 13 years, knowing the evidence and, crucially, meeting so many fantastic young people, I am very happy that #VotesAt16 will become reality across the UK! I hope that our research (@chuebner.bsky.social) has been useful to some.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Voting age to be lowered to 16 in UK by next general election

16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in all elections as part of changes including easier voter registration and a crackdown on foreign interference

www.theguardian.com

1 15 26

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Ailsa Henderson @ailsahenderson.bsky.social · Jul 17

For folks newly interested in 16 year olds voting can I recommend years of scholarship by @eichhornjan.bsky.social in Scottish setting

Also, in 2014 indyref the risk survey showed youngest members of electorate were our ideal deliberative citizens, most open minded in their info sources

13 21

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Daniel Gover @danielgover.bsky.social · Jul 14

I was interviewed on Today in Parliament on Radio 4 on Friday, discussing how the assisted dying bill might fare in the House of Lords.

Listen here (around 7 mins in): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

1 9 10

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 10

Congratulations to all our Politics and International Relations (and dual Honours) graduates! It was great to celebrate with you!

A group of academics stand in 1-2 rows in a range of different coloured robes in a wood panelled room with a worn out red carpet

1 8

Reposted by Marc Geddes

ECPR Parliaments Standing Group @sgparliaments.bsky.social · Jul 9

Thank you to everybody that attended our #sgop25 conference last week - here are some of the highlights:

Conference presentation with rows in the foreground with people listening to a presenter towards the back of the picture

A group of political scientists are standing under the cover of trees at a wine reception on a concrete concourse

A presenter is pointing at slides while giving an overview of her research, with lots of people in the audience sitting in rows to listen and make notes

An auditorium with lots of people in the audience listening to a panel at the front of the room talking

7 24

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 7

Do you know who the statue is depicting? I took a pic of it too but then realised I have no idea who it is or what it represents!

1

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 7

It’s been a while since I visited a new one… #lovinglegislatures

Man (me) on left in dark green shirt taking ridiculous selfie in front of bushes, a white fountain, trees and the Catalan Parliament building.

Parliament building - arches at the bottom, balcony and tall windows in the middle, and two round windows towards the top. Building is reddish/sandstone in colour. Blue sky.

Bronze statue of someone that looks a bit like Peter Pan, in a robe holding a shield

Plenary chamber of the Catalan parliament, with lots of red/wooden rows in the foreground, marble pillars and arches to the side, and a podium in the centre. Catalan and Spanish flags at the back of the hall. Two massive chandeliers provide lighting in the middle.

9

Reposted by Marc Geddes

ECPR Parliaments Standing Group @sgparliaments.bsky.social · Jul 3

Our 2pm panels will focus on accountability, youth representation, the role of the opposition and moral/religious issues in parliaments #sgop25

3 3

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 1

Months of planning finally coming to fruition and so excited for all the discussions from tomorrow onwards about all things parliaments 🥰 #sgop25

ECPR Parliaments Standing Group @sgparliaments.bsky.social · Jul 1

Our 9th ECPR Parliaments Conference begins tomorrow! We hope all participants are arriving or have arrived safely! 🥳 #sgop25

11

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jul 1

This was only 9 months ago:

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · Sep 9

Me, in the i...
link.news.inews.co.uk/view/5fd23df...

1 3

Reposted by Marc Geddes

Robin Bisson @robinbisson.bsky.social · Jun 25

Quite a statement from the author of the last govt review on post-18 education

“The sector is going through emergency redundancy programme[s] that proper planning could have avoided...the governance errors in the [2010s] have led to the problems in the 20s”

Interview by @fionamcintyre.bsky.social

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Jun 25

Better governance ‘could have avoided mass university job cuts’.

Philip Augar proposes union representation on governing boards and vice-chancellor pay reforms.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

4 5

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jun 20

I disabled all my news alerts after I got some inconsequential “breaking” story about some celebrity from three news apps www.theguardian.com/media/2025/j...

Rise in ‘alert fatigue’ risks phone users disabling news notifications, study finds

Publishers could see audiences uninstall apps, as some users receive up to 50 alerts a day, analysis shows

www.theguardian.com

2 11 49

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jun 12

Fair point, I think you’re right! But it’s not like she’s using the absences to learn/improve…

1

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · Jun 12

Is Kemi Badenoch getting worse? She’s been so absent, her #r4today interview is the first I’ve heard in a long time and it was … not good.

1 1 3