James Mittra
@jmittra.bsky.social
Professor of Science, Technology and Innovation studies, University of Edinburgh: research interests in health-related aspects of the bioeconomy; posts reflect personal views not those of my employer. https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/james-mittra
Indeed. You're either an open society or you're not. This is an area where finely grained strategies fail because both the migrants you desire and those you don't desire change their behaviour depending on that general signal. Young, skilled people are attracted to open and vibrant economies.
November 28, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Indeed. You're either an open society or you're not. This is an area where finely grained strategies fail because both the migrants you desire and those you don't desire change their behaviour depending on that general signal. Young, skilled people are attracted to open and vibrant economies.
They think they can balance the country being totally hostile to a relatively small number of asylum seekers; marginally hostile to migrants needed to fill work in key sectors (health, care etc) and international students; and very attractive to high skilled migrants in high pay sectors. They can't.
November 28, 2025 at 8:32 AM
They think they can balance the country being totally hostile to a relatively small number of asylum seekers; marginally hostile to migrants needed to fill work in key sectors (health, care etc) and international students; and very attractive to high skilled migrants in high pay sectors. They can't.
And if you’re complaining about the lowering of the tax free element of ISAs you‘ve probably exhausted your limit of premium bonds too, so certainly can afford to pay a bit more tax!
November 27, 2025 at 8:41 PM
And if you’re complaining about the lowering of the tax free element of ISAs you‘ve probably exhausted your limit of premium bonds too, so certainly can afford to pay a bit more tax!
This is a great article. Just what I needed for a first year undergrauate course on Technology and Society I'm teaching next semester. Always looking out for examples of what seem like quite mundane technologies, or not technologies at all. Will use this!
November 27, 2025 at 10:12 AM
This is a great article. Just what I needed for a first year undergrauate course on Technology and Society I'm teaching next semester. Always looking out for examples of what seem like quite mundane technologies, or not technologies at all. Will use this!
And I’d wager none of the people wielding pitchforks actually understand how the motability system works.
November 26, 2025 at 4:20 PM
And I’d wager none of the people wielding pitchforks actually understand how the motability system works.
True, but given universities set international fees at a level they believe is the maximum they can get away with before recruitment drops, I imagine they will add the fee but project lower intakes, which will do nothing for job security.
November 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
True, but given universities set international fees at a level they believe is the maximum they can get away with before recruitment drops, I imagine they will add the fee but project lower intakes, which will do nothing for job security.
UCL will be relieved as I recall seeing a table where they were most exposed to a 6% levy. But this is still very bad news for the sector as it is extracting more of very limited unrestricted cash from the sector.
November 26, 2025 at 2:11 PM
UCL will be relieved as I recall seeing a table where they were most exposed to a 6% levy. But this is still very bad news for the sector as it is extracting more of very limited unrestricted cash from the sector.
the expected productivity gains from AI are a mirage.
November 26, 2025 at 1:39 PM
the expected productivity gains from AI are a mirage.
It’s like they’ve decided their core mission is not only to open the doors to a fascist regime, but to lay the institutional groundwork so when they get into power the job of locking up dissidents and deporting brown people will require little effort.
November 25, 2025 at 8:33 PM
It’s like they’ve decided their core mission is not only to open the doors to a fascist regime, but to lay the institutional groundwork so when they get into power the job of locking up dissidents and deporting brown people will require little effort.
Which raises the question of whether anybody is doing technocracy well at the moment.
November 25, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Which raises the question of whether anybody is doing technocracy well at the moment.
So they are going to potentially push some universities across the financial precipice as they seek to extract £500million from the sector through an international fee levy, but will happily incur the administrative cost of £1.3billion to punish some refugees. Make it make sense.
November 24, 2025 at 3:46 PM
So they are going to potentially push some universities across the financial precipice as they seek to extract £500million from the sector through an international fee levy, but will happily incur the administrative cost of £1.3billion to punish some refugees. Make it make sense.
We have a culture that not only permits but seems to actively encourage and support people to fail upwards. We see it in every sector, and it is so destructive. The bad apples metaphor is apt because it takes only a few people promoted to a level of incompetence to swamp the many competent people.
November 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM
We have a culture that not only permits but seems to actively encourage and support people to fail upwards. We see it in every sector, and it is so destructive. The bad apples metaphor is apt because it takes only a few people promoted to a level of incompetence to swamp the many competent people.
Just waiting for the shameless mediocrities to crow that the pay is needed to attract the best of the best, the top guns of univerity leadership! Irony is reducing pay might actually attract better leaders that embody the values of what are charitable organisations.
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Just waiting for the shameless mediocrities to crow that the pay is needed to attract the best of the best, the top guns of univerity leadership! Irony is reducing pay might actually attract better leaders that embody the values of what are charitable organisations.
At this point, the biggest risk of joining the single market and reintroducing free movement might actually be that the UK loses a lot of its workforce as people try to leave a nation perceived to be in perpetual decline. Why assume Europeans will want to flock here?
November 21, 2025 at 4:44 PM
At this point, the biggest risk of joining the single market and reintroducing free movement might actually be that the UK loses a lot of its workforce as people try to leave a nation perceived to be in perpetual decline. Why assume Europeans will want to flock here?
We had one in the Russia Report. Shame so much of it was redacted.
November 21, 2025 at 3:24 PM
We had one in the Russia Report. Shame so much of it was redacted.
It's the kind of plan you would expect from a drunk in a pub who had no knowledge or understanding of the HE sector but suddenly decided they had the answer to getting more working class kids into STEM. This is the level of thinking from our political leaders.
November 21, 2025 at 12:01 PM
It's the kind of plan you would expect from a drunk in a pub who had no knowledge or understanding of the HE sector but suddenly decided they had the answer to getting more working class kids into STEM. This is the level of thinking from our political leaders.
why do they hate universities so much? There is something seriously wrong with these people.
November 20, 2025 at 10:25 AM
why do they hate universities so much? There is something seriously wrong with these people.
They’re vandalising not only their own institutions but their local communities, yet still no real accountability.
November 17, 2025 at 4:39 PM
They’re vandalising not only their own institutions but their local communities, yet still no real accountability.
so strategy is suggest a truly horrific policy, alienate left/liberal voters even further, push the populist right to another extreme, pull back when you realise everyone hates you and your policy, and end up worse off than when you first suggested it. Rinse and repeat. Mcsweeney is a genius!
November 17, 2025 at 11:21 AM
so strategy is suggest a truly horrific policy, alienate left/liberal voters even further, push the populist right to another extreme, pull back when you realise everyone hates you and your policy, and end up worse off than when you first suggested it. Rinse and repeat. Mcsweeney is a genius!
Surely they must realise that going hard on immigration and actively harming your most successful sectors will only precipitate economic and social decline? Or do they genuinely believe there is still a route to growth through these policies?
November 17, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Surely they must realise that going hard on immigration and actively harming your most successful sectors will only precipitate economic and social decline? Or do they genuinely believe there is still a route to growth through these policies?
Reposted by James Mittra
We have a crisis of governance across all our institutions. Few have leaders willing to fight for basic values.
November 11, 2025 at 8:59 AM
We have a crisis of governance across all our institutions. Few have leaders willing to fight for basic values.
Yes, it was disappointing, but not surprising, that BBC radio 4 didn’t mention it in their report on the delay. Instead focused on Rockstar’s perfectionist approach.
November 8, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Yes, it was disappointing, but not surprising, that BBC radio 4 didn’t mention it in their report on the delay. Instead focused on Rockstar’s perfectionist approach.