Maria Sobolewska
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profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska
@profsob.bsky.social
6.6K followers 1.3K following 480 posts

Professor of Political Science at Manchester University. British politics, race and ethnicity, representation.

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Political science 70%
Sociology 23%
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profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 4d
Gosh I’ve forgotten about this 🙈

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 4d
Given child poverty levels this feels a little ‘let them eat cake’
sarahowen.org.uk Sarah Owen MP @sarahowen.org.uk · 4d
A brilliant Labour announcement!

We know the difference money for decent playgrounds could make. It’s good for children, families and neighbourhoods.

From Stopsley to Lewsey and all the parks in between, there are playgrounds across Luton that need this funding.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reeves to plough millions into playgrounds after years of Tory neglect
A Treasury source told The Mirror: 'This funding will breathe new life into play areas across England, creating safe, exciting spaces for thousands of children'
www.mirror.co.uk

Reposted by Maria Sobolewska

sarahowen.org.uk
Sarah Owen MP @sarahowen.org.uk · 4d
A brilliant Labour announcement!

We know the difference money for decent playgrounds could make. It’s good for children, families and neighbourhoods.

From Stopsley to Lewsey and all the parks in between, there are playgrounds across Luton that need this funding.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reeves to plough millions into playgrounds after years of Tory neglect
A Treasury source told The Mirror: 'This funding will breathe new life into play areas across England, creating safe, exciting spaces for thousands of children'
www.mirror.co.uk

Reposted by Will Jennings, Tim Bale, Justin H. Kirkland , and 3 more

tabouchadi.bsky.social
Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 4d
Labour is desperately trying to appeal to Reform supporters. In October, we asked people in the UK if they perceive a party as a "party for someone like them". Only very few people say this for both Labour and Reform. The correlation is negative. Labour is chasing an electorate that does not exist.

Reposted by Philip Cowley, Maria Sobolewska

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Tim Bale , and 4 more

youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com
Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 5d
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself

it is also free to read

youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Steve Peers, Trevon D. Logan , and 8 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 6d
Simply to say we should also worry about girls on FSM

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 6d
Gender gap is similar size for boys and girls not eligible for FSM which makes me think this is more a story of poverty - on top of an already known story that what is now judged good at schools is severely biased towards girls possess earlier. But we also know gender gap closes while $ doesn’t

Reposted by Will Jennings, Tim Bale, Chris Hanretty , and 3 more

philipjcowley.bsky.social
Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 6d
Latest piece for the @thehousemag.bsky.social, on the island of strangers speech and similar. Also ft Bob Hawke.

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
The Professor Will See You Now: Island of strangers
Lessons in political science. This week: island of strangers
www.politicshome.com

Reposted by Maria Sobolewska

ottoenglish.bsky.social
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 6d
I'm sure the Londinistan guys will be delighted to read this... really good news... they'll be talking about something else altogether now... sure of it... because they were genuinely concerned weren't they
Teenage knife deaths 11 year low in London

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Leigh Sparks , and 7 more

volts.wtf
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 7d
Is it a threat to free speech when the President of the United States threatens to yank the broadcast license of a channel whose reporters are asking him challenging questions?

I ask because I feel like there used to be tons of pundits worried about free speech. Where'd they go?
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d
Trump in response to an Epstein question: "ABC, your company, your crappy company is one of the perpetrators. I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and so wrong. And we have a great commissioner, a chairman, who should take a look at that."

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers , and 14 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d
Trump in response to an Epstein question: "ABC, your company, your crappy company is one of the perpetrators. I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and so wrong. And we have a great commissioner, a chairman, who should take a look at that."

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings , and 2 more

georgeeaton.bsky.social
George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 8d
Net migration now estimated to have fallen from 944,000 to 345,000 in Dec ‘24.

Some projections even suggest David Cameron’s old target of “tens of thousands” could be met. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
The coming collapse in immigration to the United Kingdom - UK in a changing Europe
James Bowes analyses the fall in net migration to the UK as a result of government policies and explores some of the political and economic consequences.
ukandeu.ac.uk

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 8d
One hand of Labour: what can we do to keep liberal voters?
The other hand of Labour: lets out-Reform Reform
Voice of reason: you realise both sides have eyes and ears, right?

You actually have to stand for something… make a choice already otherwise none of these groups will vote for you.
adambienkov.bsky.social Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 8d
Today has been a massive victory for anti-migrant voices.

Not only is Labour doing 90% of what they want, but they're also making it much easier for them to get the remaining 10% later

Reposted by Benjamin Braun, Nicolai von Ondarza, Maria Sobolewska

hern.bsky.social
Alex Hern @hern.bsky.social · 8d
ONS is so bad. (This is about specifically British nationals.) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Reposted by Alan Manning, Christina Pagel, Maria Sobolewska

jburnmurdoch.ft.com
John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 8d
Excellent column from @stephenkb.bsky.social on what
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
Labour needs a way out of the infernal circle of immigration policy
Politics today is about ‘open vs closed’, but the UK government’s approach risks appeasing no one
www.ft.com

Reposted by Maria Sobolewska

adambienkov.bsky.social
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 8d
Today has been a massive victory for anti-migrant voices.

Not only is Labour doing 90% of what they want, but they're also making it much easier for them to get the remaining 10% later

Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Mark Robinson , and 2 more

colinyeo.bsky.social
Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 9d
Going to leave you with a Home Office chart from their most recent asylum stats so you can decide whether the UK is a magnet for asylum seekers with a uniquely generous asylum system www.gov.uk/government/s...

Reposted by Pauline Stafford, Heleen Mees, Maria Sobolewska

zeteo.com
Zeteo @zeteo.com · 17d
“We're seeing a level of proliferation of bodies & body piles from space that's unlike anything I've ever seen…”

Human rights investigator Nathaniel Raymond explains how more people could be killed within a week in Sudan, compared to the past two years in Gaza.

🔗 zeteo.com/p/sudans-dea...

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 17d
Ok- hear me out. I have a teenage daughter, so no judgement about what I watch pls. I’m just genuinely concerned about the shit we feed our kids about love. How is anyone who is team Conrad not sectioned and in therapy yet?! The emotionally manipulative man child. So glad I was there for her 😱

Reposted by Maria Sobolewska

crookedfootball.bsky.social
Chris Bertram @crookedfootball.bsky.social · 18d
It seems pretty risky to tell people they won't see the change they want if they vote Green, given that they already voted Labour and didn't see the change they wanted.
Greens’ ‘undeliverable’ promises will let voters down, says Labour minister
Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is ‘modern party of the future’
www.theguardian.com

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 19d
It is.
They are just so lovely and joyful.
Mine is also funny looking (not only in silly outfits, though this helps) so he puts a smile on strangers’ faces as we walk past. Always makes my day that.

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 19d
One of the most wondrous effects of dog ownership is that it seems like an entirely positive, constructive and socially acceptable use of my time to aimlessly wonder around and sit around- doing absolutely nothing, as long as I have my dog with me. I basically have no cortisol left. Loving it 🥰

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Stephen M. Walt, Michael E. Mann , and 69 more

newyorker.com
The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 19d
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Joanna Bryson, Ben H. Ansell , and 19 more

tabouchadi.bsky.social
Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 20d
We have just published the call for the Nuffield Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics. These are 3-year fully-funded postdocs that will allow you to focus on your research in a great academic environment. (And with excellent food)

www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/...
Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics - Nuffield College Oxford University
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk

Reposted by Steve Peers, Maria Sobolewska

ottoenglish.bsky.social
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 22d
The first thing Yaxley-Lennon did on leaving court was to thank Elon Musk for funding his legal costs.

That's Elon Musk who has repeatedly called for civil war in the UK.

As of typing this - all of the major politicians and platforms maintain a presence on X and it is time for them all to leave.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Henning Melber, Charles West , and 3 more

liamthorp.bsky.social
Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 22d
A total and utter hero

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 23d
Sadly the direction of travel for all of our countries despite the lack of public understanding or any proper economic benefit.

profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska @profsob.bsky.social · 23d
Perhaps. In personal interactions I often find that people who moan most about the prices are actually the richest of my friends, so perhaps our whole nation is like this. We’re fine and should pay more taxes and shut up about it. I know I would if it means better pavements and less child poverty