Maria Sobolewska
profsob.bsky.social
Maria Sobolewska
@profsob.bsky.social

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

Political science 70%
Sociology 23%
“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...

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

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

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.

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 🥰
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
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
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.
A total and utter hero

Sadly the direction of travel for all of our countries despite the lack of public understanding or any proper economic benefit.

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

Actually food seems cheaper in the UK than in many places too… wonder what makes overall ‘cost of living’ so much more then…

I actually think housing and energy is not that much higher than elsewhere (though London and housing are another matter), in my-admittedly non scholarly- perception food and transport are the shockingly more expensive areas
How on earth can Rachel Reeves balance the books? Well, maybe there is a bit of room for taxes to go up, given the vast majority of OECD countries have higher - and in some cases much much higher - taxes on average incomes www.oecd.org/content/dam/...
Re-reading @colmpm.bsky.social’s marvellous “Futures of Socialism”. A very different experience to reading the proof in 2023 and having a horrible feeling of dread, as opposed to now where you go “well, yeah, my worst fears have been realised and exceeded”.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WEALTH CREATORS
Looks like extraordinary cowardice. "...following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation law suit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Weirdly so similar to what is happening in the UK rn, despite all the differences in context
The support for the three ideological “blocs” (Left-Right-Far Right) in the Netherlands is remarkably STABLE.

In this election, again, almost all of the (aggregate) change is between parties WITHIN THE SAME BLOC.
The support for the three ideological “blocs” (Left-Right-Far Right) in the Netherlands is remarkably STABLE.

In this election, again, almost all of the (aggregate) change is between parties WITHIN THE SAME BLOC.
Further updates on the ignominious end to Lam's ignominious policy. Good to hear Badenoch say "But we have a principle. We don’t believe in making things retrospective." Let's hope all Britain's parties follow that principle. And for a less punitive & vindictive approach to immigration more broadly
Tories will not deport legally settled people, Badenoch clarifies
Katie Lam spoke ‘imprecisely’ in stating large number of people would ‘need to go home’, says Conservative leader
www.theguardian.com

And that is the correct use of AI, but ‘made up’ evidence like quotes and references is sadly how we spot AI generated essays at Uni, so it really looks like some of these have made their way to journalism too

I honestly feel these are classic AI blunders… are they actually using AI to write for them now?

Oh dear. Basically the end for humanities and social sciences as these have impacts much more ‘down the line’.
Although I wonder how cancer research will be able to demonstrate this 🤷🏼‍♀️
Soz government if you can’t deliver economic growth it’s on you, it is not the role of research 🙈
'On 29 October, Research England revealed that a shake-up in the purpose of HEIF will see the programme—which distributes £280 million annually towards knowledge exchange activities in universities—narrow its funding focus towards activities that can be proven to drive economic growth.' 1/3
HEIF funding ‘refreshed’ to drive government’s growth mission.

Funding formula to be changed as part of shake-up, while institutions will demonstrate EDI commitments.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
'On 29 October, Research England revealed that a shake-up in the purpose of HEIF will see the programme—which distributes £280 million annually towards knowledge exchange activities in universities—narrow its funding focus towards activities that can be proven to drive economic growth.' 1/3
Election day also means a quick round up of my comments in the international media that have been published today. Pick your favorite language 🙂

www.bbc.com/news/article...
Tight race in Dutch election as anti-Islam populist Wilders' hope of power declines - BBC News
Wilders was the clear winner last time Dutch voters went to the polls in November 2023, but this time the race is far tighter.
www.bbc.com

What an excellent piece - I honestly loved so many quotes I could re-sky all, but this in particular stayed with me
“To understand the flaws of the Keir Starmer administration, you have to understand that it’s a reaction to the Johnson government”

‘There must be plans, right?’
Famous last words?

Reposted by Maria Sobolewska

Boris’s Children: my SKETCH of Today in subjects he loves to forget.
Boris’s children | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine
“My memory is now contaminated.” It was one of the more accurate statements we heard from Boris Johnson on Tuesday morning, though this is never a high bar. He was speaking, again…
thecritic.co.uk
Peston tells Lam that she said something that he "genuinely didn't understand". "But who are these people who came legally who should leave?"

This does not look like faux naivety.
He should know the answer!

She misleads in her answer to him.
So he gives a misleading summary of her policy on air.