Flora Alexander
@florainthesouth.bsky.social
Retired academic (English Literature), feminist, politically left.
I come from the north, but I don’t live there now.
I come from the north, but I don’t live there now.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
It's not the only reason to oppose the language of takers and shirkers and all that, but people have been warning with good reason: when you establish the existence of a subclass of despised, worthless people it's acceptable to hate and abuse, everyone ends up in there eventually.
The “Labour” Party finds itself arguing ordinary workers, carers and others are “takers”.
Hey everyone, here's the news, if you aren't a high earner, entrepreneur or a "skilled frontline worker" (whatever the fuck that means) the "Labour" Party says you aren't contributing, you're a taker!
December 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
It's not the only reason to oppose the language of takers and shirkers and all that, but people have been warning with good reason: when you establish the existence of a subclass of despised, worthless people it's acceptable to hate and abuse, everyone ends up in there eventually.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Good (also as the article says but the headline obscures, this is part of a wider and co-ordinated response which also involves the Baptists, the Methodists, and the URC)
December 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Good (also as the article says but the headline obscures, this is part of a wider and co-ordinated response which also involves the Baptists, the Methodists, and the URC)
Reposted by Flora Alexander
There we have it. All your "I'm not racist, just realist" posturing crashes to the ground.
Nigel Farage won't apologise for his history of racism because "if he apologised, he would be turning to his own support base and saying, ‘You’re all guilty too,'" a Reform source tells the Times.
So essentially he was a racist and he believes his supporters are racists too
So essentially he was a racist and he believes his supporters are racists too
December 7, 2025 at 12:01 PM
There we have it. All your "I'm not racist, just realist" posturing crashes to the ground.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
my great-grandparents arrived in the UK in the 1890s with nothing.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
December 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
my great-grandparents arrived in the UK in the 1890s with nothing.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Today, we remember the fourteen young women whose lives were stolen at Polytechnique Montréal 36 years ago.
Their names are a solemn reminder of the devastating toll of gender-based violence — and the responsibility that comes with our remembrance.
Their names are a solemn reminder of the devastating toll of gender-based violence — and the responsibility that comes with our remembrance.
December 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Today, we remember the fourteen young women whose lives were stolen at Polytechnique Montréal 36 years ago.
Their names are a solemn reminder of the devastating toll of gender-based violence — and the responsibility that comes with our remembrance.
Their names are a solemn reminder of the devastating toll of gender-based violence — and the responsibility that comes with our remembrance.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
I am ratcheting down my social media, but let me just say that all European leaders except on the far Right should note that the U.S. now seeks regime change in their country; basically seeks to depose them. US strategy is to support the political forces that threaten liberal democracy in Europe.
Trump Administration Says Europe Faces ‘Civilizational Erasure’
www.nytimes.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I am ratcheting down my social media, but let me just say that all European leaders except on the far Right should note that the U.S. now seeks regime change in their country; basically seeks to depose them. US strategy is to support the political forces that threaten liberal democracy in Europe.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Weep for the world we once knew
Exactly. The new U.S. National Security Strategy is much worse for Europe than most people had imagined. Europe is described as a bigger threat than both China and Russia, and they outline the need for regime change in Western European countries as part of a civilizational struggle.
I assumed the NSS would just ignore/deprioritize Europe (It did that on defense/NATO).
But the actual message was: Europe matters to us, we must save it from itself, the EU and its wokeness. Thus, the USG is going all in on foreign interference to help the far-right win a civilizational war.
But the actual message was: Europe matters to us, we must save it from itself, the EU and its wokeness. Thus, the USG is going all in on foreign interference to help the far-right win a civilizational war.
December 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Weep for the world we once knew
So sensible!
⏰ It's time for change on immigration policy - We all agree on that much!
Labour so far have got it all wrong, chasing hostile headlines that will only make our system crueller, society more divided & immigrants easier to exploit.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!!
My 9-point plan for a system that works👇
Labour so far have got it all wrong, chasing hostile headlines that will only make our system crueller, society more divided & immigrants easier to exploit.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!!
My 9-point plan for a system that works👇
December 5, 2025 at 3:22 PM
So sensible!
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Me when she was a little kitten: "Oh my god what if we lose you in the house? You are so small. How will we know where you are?
Me now: "Could I have one minute without you trying to either trip me up or hammering on the door".
Me now: "Could I have one minute without you trying to either trip me up or hammering on the door".
December 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Me when she was a little kitten: "Oh my god what if we lose you in the house? You are so small. How will we know where you are?
Me now: "Could I have one minute without you trying to either trip me up or hammering on the door".
Me now: "Could I have one minute without you trying to either trip me up or hammering on the door".
Reposted by Flora Alexander
A delightful 11th Century Christ in Majesty at St John the Baptist, Barnack, Hunts. Possibly part of a Saxon altar piece.
December 4, 2025 at 8:21 PM
A delightful 11th Century Christ in Majesty at St John the Baptist, Barnack, Hunts. Possibly part of a Saxon altar piece.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
The fact that four hostile drones tried to hit Zelenskyy’s plane & it’s barely a blip in the news cycle should terrify everyone. We’ve been dragged so deep into the chaos era that an attempted strike on a world leader doesn’t even break through. When this becomes normal, the world is in real danger.
Christ on a cracker — these seemingly hostile drones only missed Zelensky’s plane because he was unexpectedly early www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The fact that four hostile drones tried to hit Zelenskyy’s plane & it’s barely a blip in the news cycle should terrify everyone. We’ve been dragged so deep into the chaos era that an attempted strike on a world leader doesn’t even break through. When this becomes normal, the world is in real danger.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
So, Mr Farage is attacking multilingualism now.
If he weren't such an evil little creep I'd feel sorry for him. Imagine being so scared of everything that speaks of human potential and variety.
What a miserable gray cardboard soul the man must have.
If he weren't such an evil little creep I'd feel sorry for him. Imagine being so scared of everything that speaks of human potential and variety.
What a miserable gray cardboard soul the man must have.
December 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM
So, Mr Farage is attacking multilingualism now.
If he weren't such an evil little creep I'd feel sorry for him. Imagine being so scared of everything that speaks of human potential and variety.
What a miserable gray cardboard soul the man must have.
If he weren't such an evil little creep I'd feel sorry for him. Imagine being so scared of everything that speaks of human potential and variety.
What a miserable gray cardboard soul the man must have.
Good news about In Our Time.
Brilliant choice of Misha Glenny for In Our Time! He interviewed me at the Vienna Humanities festival a few weeks ago and he had the perfect wide-ranging interests and intelligence. As a fan of IOT I am cheering. www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
Misha Glenny to present BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time
The much loved series returns on 15 January 2026
www.bbc.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Good news about In Our Time.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Mind you, with enough organisation you could put together a very good programme of carols for a counter protest, many of them familiar, in their original non-English language. Infant Holy in the original Polish. Stille Nacht. The Angel Gabriel in Basque. Etc.
December 3, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Mind you, with enough organisation you could put together a very good programme of carols for a counter protest, many of them familiar, in their original non-English language. Infant Holy in the original Polish. Stille Nacht. The Angel Gabriel in Basque. Etc.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
I gather that the British fash are playing the "Christmas is for white people" game.
As a small (but perhaps not meaningless) form of resistance, anyone who's looking for Advent and Christmas imagery might like to consider the Ethiopian manuscript tradition.
As a small (but perhaps not meaningless) form of resistance, anyone who's looking for Advent and Christmas imagery might like to consider the Ethiopian manuscript tradition.
December 3, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I gather that the British fash are playing the "Christmas is for white people" game.
As a small (but perhaps not meaningless) form of resistance, anyone who's looking for Advent and Christmas imagery might like to consider the Ethiopian manuscript tradition.
As a small (but perhaps not meaningless) form of resistance, anyone who's looking for Advent and Christmas imagery might like to consider the Ethiopian manuscript tradition.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
A colleague who has applied for a small grant to fund a maths/art project has been asked to explain how the project will ensure that the general public don't draw incorrect conclusions from the art.
Honestly not sure where to start with this one.
Honestly not sure where to start with this one.
December 3, 2025 at 11:12 AM
A colleague who has applied for a small grant to fund a maths/art project has been asked to explain how the project will ensure that the general public don't draw incorrect conclusions from the art.
Honestly not sure where to start with this one.
Honestly not sure where to start with this one.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
This is amazing
December 2, 2025 at 8:57 AM
This is amazing
Reposted by Flora Alexander
This is why it's important to have Arts/Humanities courses AND STEM courses. It all fits together, they compliment each other.
There's no such thing as useless education.
There's no such thing as useless education.
Adding alt text to this because this is fucking amazing and everyone deserves to read it.
December 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM
This is why it's important to have Arts/Humanities courses AND STEM courses. It all fits together, they compliment each other.
There's no such thing as useless education.
There's no such thing as useless education.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
"Brother Adelmo has come all this way just to illustrate you for his manuscript. _Please_ sit nicely for him."
Orange cat: "Nope."
(Aberdeen Bestiary, f. 23v; www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms2...)
Orange cat: "Nope."
(Aberdeen Bestiary, f. 23v; www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms2...)
December 1, 2025 at 7:12 PM
"Brother Adelmo has come all this way just to illustrate you for his manuscript. _Please_ sit nicely for him."
Orange cat: "Nope."
(Aberdeen Bestiary, f. 23v; www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms2...)
Orange cat: "Nope."
(Aberdeen Bestiary, f. 23v; www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms2...)
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Spring, summer and autumn are the party seasons for trees but winter is when you really get to know them as people.
November 30, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Spring, summer and autumn are the party seasons for trees but winter is when you really get to know them as people.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
#Prisoner951 is brilliant. I love the Iranian actors playing Nazanin's fellow women prisoners, one of whom sees Boris Johnson on TV and asks, "How can this man be important? He looks like he's fallen out of a bush." Perfect assessment.
November 30, 2025 at 9:48 PM
#Prisoner951 is brilliant. I love the Iranian actors playing Nazanin's fellow women prisoners, one of whom sees Boris Johnson on TV and asks, "How can this man be important? He looks like he's fallen out of a bush." Perfect assessment.
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Another example of how fascists win. By holding talks with Reform Party Cambridge performs an act of normalisation of the fascist takeover of the UK.
I can only hope that UCL is not among the universities who sell out their soul to the devil.
www.varsity.co.uk/news/30787
I can only hope that UCL is not among the universities who sell out their soul to the devil.
www.varsity.co.uk/news/30787
Cambridge cosies up to Reform UK
Leaked recordings of a University Council meeting, obtained by Varsity and The Sunday Times, show the VC fearful of Trump-style recriminations if Reform were to win power
www.varsity.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Another example of how fascists win. By holding talks with Reform Party Cambridge performs an act of normalisation of the fascist takeover of the UK.
I can only hope that UCL is not among the universities who sell out their soul to the devil.
www.varsity.co.uk/news/30787
I can only hope that UCL is not among the universities who sell out their soul to the devil.
www.varsity.co.uk/news/30787
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Mason declares that in his judgement we have been misled by Rachel Reeves.
It feels unprecedented that the BBC has made a "call" on a story, and is something that was absent throughout the terms of notorious liars such as Johnson.
There were certainly no "calls" about Brexit lies.
#r4today
It feels unprecedented that the BBC has made a "call" on a story, and is something that was absent throughout the terms of notorious liars such as Johnson.
There were certainly no "calls" about Brexit lies.
#r4today
December 1, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Mason declares that in his judgement we have been misled by Rachel Reeves.
It feels unprecedented that the BBC has made a "call" on a story, and is something that was absent throughout the terms of notorious liars such as Johnson.
There were certainly no "calls" about Brexit lies.
#r4today
It feels unprecedented that the BBC has made a "call" on a story, and is something that was absent throughout the terms of notorious liars such as Johnson.
There were certainly no "calls" about Brexit lies.
#r4today
Reposted by Flora Alexander
Protests in Falkirk started after an asylum seeker was jailed for rape. There were 82 other reports of rape or attempted rape in Falkirk that year. One of the protest organisers has convictions for violence, and another for domestic abuse
#BBCNews - An angry confrontation and online abuse: Inside the #asylum protests in a divided town
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#migration #migrants #refugees
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#migration #migrants #refugees
An angry confrontation and online abuse: Inside the asylum protests in a divided town
A Disclosure documentary uncovers the figures behind the protests around asylum hotels which have divided communities.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Protests in Falkirk started after an asylum seeker was jailed for rape. There were 82 other reports of rape or attempted rape in Falkirk that year. One of the protest organisers has convictions for violence, and another for domestic abuse