Prof Colin Talbot
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colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot
@colintalbot.bsky.social
19K followers 920 following 660 posts

Prof of Government (Emeritus) Manchester ▪️co-ops and cooperation ▪️progressive pluralism▪️ex Aikidoka ▪️Arsenal ▪️Born Dover (that's my Castle)

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Colin Ronald Talbot is a British political scientist. He was until August 2017 a professor at the University of Manchester and held the Chair of Government in the School of Social Sciences. He is now Professor Emeritus at Manchester and a research associate at the University of Cambridge. He has also been an adviser to UK Parliamentary Committees on HM Treasury and on Public Administration. .. more

Political science 54%
Business 17%
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colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 15d
Withe abolition of Police & Crime Commissioners, who will
Police the Police?

consoc.org.uk/the-abolitio...
With PCCs abolished, who polices the police?  - The Constitution Society
Colin Talbot explores the unanswered questions arising from the government's decision to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners.
consoc.org.uk

Reposted by David S. Cohen, Colin Talbot

phillewis.bsky.social
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 7d
The name of the building is set by law. The board is likely to see legal pushback to any attempt to unilaterally rename it.
The Kennedy Center will become the Trump-Kennedy Center: Leavitt
Leavitt said the the board unanimously voted to rename the performing arts venue.
www.axios.com

Reposted by Colin Talbot

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 7d
Journalists condemn surprise shake-up of No 10 lobby briefings
Journalists condemn surprise shake-up of No 10 lobby briefings
Scrapping of afternoon press conferences could limit scrutiny and transparency, say reporters Sweeping changes to Downing Street’s press lobby system have been criticised by journalists. No 10 normally holds two briefings on most days that parliament sits to allow the lobby – political journalists that cover Westminster – to question the prime minister’s official spokesperson. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Colin Talbot

robertsaunders.bsky.social
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 8d
Rejoining Erasmus is unambiguously good news - and a rare example of a policy that particularly benefits the young.

And no, it is a not a "betrayal" of Brexit. It's the kind of sensible, grown-up arrangement between the UK & the EU that many Brexiters said they wanted.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK will rejoin Erasmus student scheme in 2027
The UK left in December 2020 as part of the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU negotiated by Boris Johnson.
www.bbc.co.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 9d
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Stelvio national park: Thousands of dinosaur footprints found on Italian mountain
The footprints date back some 210 million years and show traces of toes and claws.
www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Richard S.J. Tol, Steve Peers , and 4 more

matthewholehouse.bsky.social
Matthew Holehouse @matthewholehouse.bsky.social · 9d
Britain could have joined Erasmus five years ago; an agreement on funding was completed between negotiators but vetoed “at the very last minute” by Boris Johnson. From Stefaan de Rynck’s book

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 9d
This is cowardly nonsense from the Labour Govt. Giving the appearance of action without actually doing the job properly. Which includes looking at what’s actually happened?

Reposted by Colin Talbot

patrickdunleavy.bsky.social
Patrick Dunleavy @patrickdunleavy.bsky.social · 10d
More Tory incompetence surfaces. Supposedly cracking down on immigration, in fact they wrecked UK’s only system for key data.
“The government can't say with accuracy how many visa overstayers there are in Britain - no data has been collated for 5.5 years.”
news.sky.com/story/the-go...
The government doesn't know how many people are overstaying their visas - here's why
The Home Office's old method of tracking visa overstayers wasn't perfect, but now there's no such system in place at all.
news.sky.com

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 12d
Our allotment in winter

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Bryan Fanning , and 3 more

jessicaelgot.bsky.social
Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 12d
My kids woke up so excited this morning for the first night of Hannukah and now yet again we have a festival where I’m very conflicted about whether it’s safe to take them to synagogue to celebrate. Communities shouldn’t have to live like this.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

nodpisigma.bsky.social
nodpisigma.bsky.social @nodpisigma.bsky.social · 13d
Ours was Previously Tory District Council Leader now seeking to be a Tory Mayor. He only ever seemed interested in directing the force in protecting thefts from rural farms.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 13d
Police Authorities. See article for details.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

davidwlkr0.bsky.social
David Walker @davidwlkr0.bsky.social · 13d
What is Labour’s game on service accountability? @colintalbot.bsky.social looks at the obscure fate of elected police commissioners. I ask about NHS trusts www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Reposted by Colin Talbot

cybersal.bsky.social
Sally Bean @cybersal.bsky.social · 13d
Interesting. As a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator I take an interest in PCC matters. Where I live, we had one who was unpleasant and thick, one who was quiet and diligent and one who seems competent, but is clearly using it as a stepping stone to a political career.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 13d
With PCCs abolished, who polices the police?

10th December 2025

By: Colin Talbot

consoc.org.uk/the-abolitio...
With PCCs abolished, who polices the police?  - The Constitution Society
Colin Talbot explores the unanswered questions arising from the government's decision to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners.
consoc.org.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 15d
The one I made was with treated timber from local merchants. Seems to be lasting.

I built it in segments/layers so easy to dismantle and turn/empty

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 15d
The answers in the article Charles.

Reposted by Michael Kenny, Colin Talbot

dianecoyle1859.bsky.social
Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · 16d
This looks a v good conference on geopolitical risk and lessons from the past at the @churchillcol.bsky.social Archives Centre archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/geopolitical...
Geopolitical Risk event - Churchill Archives Centre
A three-day residential conference from Churchill Archives Centre March 9-11, 2026: Cambridge, UK This conference is for leaders and aspiring leaders. It brings them together with historians, practiti...
archives.chu.cam.ac.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 17d
My “paper round” was epic. Morning bike round with nationals before school. Then selling local evening paper outside shipyard (Barrow) at 4.30pm. Then another bike round with local.

Swapped it for a milk round. 6-8am 6 days a week. But 50% more.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 17d
Indy agencies pre-date democracy in many countries. Mainly tex collection. To keep the monarch’s hand out of the till. And stop them using it to punish opponents or treat supporters.

See Putin’s Russia for when they don’t.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 17d
I learnt to cycle without using my hands most of the time. So I could sort papers with them.

Can’t even ride a bike now. At all.

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Paul Nightingale, Stuart McIntyre , and 2 more

bennettschool.cam.ac.uk
Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk · 18d
We're recruiting for a Research Assistant

We're looking for someone interested in one or more of the following - institutions; governance; devolution; place-based policy; and public administration.

📆 Apply by 5 January 2026

🔗https://www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/research-assistant-fixed-term-jb48083

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
And good software. I use Mind Node on my iPad and Mac

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
You always work clockwise from 1 o’clock. You can both prune as you go - ditch sub-branches or even whole ones if needed

And it’s easy to jump around

Lots of MM teaching in schools, colleges and Universities these days help.open.ac.uk/notetaking-t...
The Open University
How to use mind maps as a visual technique for revision.
help.open.ac.uk

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
For those who don’t know mind mapping is based on the simple idea that we think associatively, not linearly. Plus a few other tricks like colour and trigger words. It works for me.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
I got taught how to use them by BTs psychology folk back in the early 1980s and have been using them for all sorts of tasks ever since. Writing plans. Speeches. Being and doing Interviews. Taking notes.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
Here’s a simple one I used for an adult education session recently

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 18d
For public speaking (not lectures) I usually use mindmaps. Have done for about 40 years.

Easy to be flexible while making sure you cover what you need to.

colintalbot.bsky.social
Prof Colin Talbot @colintalbot.bsky.social · 22d
WHO POLICES THE POLICE?

Examination of the proposal to
abolish Police & Crime Commissioners (in England and Wales) suggests it’ll be an even worse mess than the current system. My article out next week.

Reposted by Colin Talbot

susansmith65.bsky.social
Susan Smith @susansmith65.bsky.social · 22d
My Spirits Animal