Martin Myers
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martinmyers.bsky.social
Martin Myers
@martinmyers.bsky.social
88 followers 97 following 81 posts
Sociologist of education, writer, researcher, poet.
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martinmyers.bsky.social
Martin Myers @martinmyers.bsky.social · Mar 17
Reposted by Martin Myers
ucu.org.uk
“We were absolutely gobsmacked.”

48 courses axed, music, languages, mental health care, childcare.
No consultation. No vision.

This is why we’re voting YES, to stop the destruction of our universities.
#WeAreTheUniversity #VoteYES
@uonucu.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Terry Eagleton on Andrew 'surplus to the needs of humanity' Windsor:

"Andrew doesn’t know very much. No doubt he has some knowledge of ships, horses and dubious commercial dealing, but like almost all of the rest of his family, he’s probably never read a book."

unherd.com/2025/11/the-...
Andrew: the half-buffoon prince
unherd.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Martin Myers
qmucu.bsky.social
More of that blogpost on protected conversations in slide form: qmucu.org/2024/08/30/m...

⭐ACAS guidance: acas.org.uk/sites/defaul...
⭐Unite information sheet: learnwithunite.org/assets/Uploa...
WHAT? A protected conversation is a conversation usually about negotiating the termination of employment by settlement agreement. It is an ‘off the record’ conversation. Whatever is said by either party in a protected conversation cannot normally be referred to as evidence in an unfair dismissal claim. Your decision needs to be respected. The employer cannot terminate the employment without having a valid reason and following statutory policies. RISK? Existing law & practice of protected conversations most often benefit the employer. An employee might feel disempowered & uncertain in a conversation about settlement agreements. When a protected conversation is offered in lieu of transparent processes there is no EDI assessment. Protected conversations can be used to avoid longer HR processes or in place of open, collective consultation. EMPLOYEE POWER When invited to a meeting with HR or a line manager, ask for an agenda. You can always speak to colleagues, and email ucu-coordinator@qmul.ac.uk to ask a rep for advice. You can ask if you can be accompanied by a colleague or your union rep. If you do not feel prepared to have the conversation you can end the meeting. Take notes, and clarify the status of the conversation in relation to any future settlement agreement. LEGAL PROTECTION The conversation can lose protected status... ...if there has been “improper behaviour” (e.g. bullying, harassment and discrimination) by the employer or employee during the protected conversation. ... if an employer threatens an employee to take an agreement. ... if the settlement offered is discriminatory (e.g. because of a protected characteristic such as age, or disability)
September 4, 2024 at 12:36 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Darker times ahead
www.bbc.com/news/article...
University of Nottingham students fight 'insane' cull of courses
Traitors composer Sam Watts is among those against plans to cut University of Nottingham courses.
www.bbc.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:40 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
This is ridiculous. Sky journo interviewing suspect before and during arrest. Performative policing. Performative news coverage.
November 7, 2025 at 1:16 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Counter-terror police investigate claim UK university halted research after Chinese pressure
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Counter-terror police investigate claim UK university halted research after Chinese pressure
Sheffield Hallam University ordered professor to cease human rights study into Uyghurs forced labour in China
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 10:50 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Raising a glass to Dave Ball tonight 🍷
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
Dave Ball, synth-pop hitmaker as one half of Soft Cell, dies aged 66
Synth player and producer had huge success with Tainted Love and other Soft Cell hits, and later returned to UK Top 10 with dance project the Grid
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:53 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Pursued by the ghost of Gene Hackman
October 17, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Martin Myers
uonucu.bsky.social
Strike action is BACK ON this week and we have plenty of events to show solidarity and learn from each other:

RALLIES will be held on Tues and Thurs at 12:40, starting in the Trent Courtyard.

We also have 3 TEACH OUTS during the week: uonucu.org/teachouts/

See you there!
TEACHOUTS Lecturers are on strike. Come learn. Upcoming teachouts: What is Chaos: Martin Richter, 10am 14/10/25, Mrs B’s catering cafe Exposing Empire: War, Capital & Palestine: Victor Kattan & Andreas Bieler, 6pm 14/10/25, Coates Road Auditorium The social construction of mental illness: Ella Guerin, 12pm 20/10/25, Online
October 13, 2025 at 9:02 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Samuel Beckett went into hiding following the news he won the Nobel prize. Tracked down by Swedish journalists he agreed to give an interview only if they did not ask any questions 🤣
Congrats to László Krasznahorkai. Well deserved!

share.google/qp00nYfAhrfQ...
share.google
October 13, 2025 at 9:19 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Brooding over Jambinai’s performance last night. Absolutely stunning. Reminds me of Th’ Faith Healers, MBV, JAMC, Mahler all wrapped into one. A new happy noisy place for sure 😎
youtu.be/fWvUzkAXOMw?...
Jambinai - "Time of Extinction", live @ OFF-Fest 2015
YouTube video by skopjejazzfest
youtu.be
October 6, 2025 at 3:45 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Jambinai & London Contemporary Orchestra at the Barbican
Overwhelming and massively noisy.
October 5, 2025 at 10:12 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Keir Starmer's narrative that Farage and Reform are 'not racist' just pursuing racist policies underline the Labour Party's longstanding, ingrained racism (and willingness to appeal to racist voters).
October 1, 2025 at 9:20 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Worth noting a lot of funded research in my field i.e. sociology of education/reproduction of race & class inequality seems funded on the basis it produces knowledge that sits comfortably with the status quo. Unfunded research is often the only option to challenge conformity.
lopa.bsky.social LopaLeach @lopa.bsky.social · Sep 28
Excellent points ! Hope "shrink and shape" people are listening. @astromikemerri.bsky.social @stuartreeves.bsky.social
September 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Leigh Bowery @tatemodern.bsky.social is terrific. The fashion and Freud paintings all obviously stunning. But its the archive of memorabilia and random odd stuff, mountains of it, that really stand out
August 5, 2025 at 10:49 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
UK academics studying topics sensitive to China face harassment, survey finds
Exclusive: university staff report being pressured to change teaching and are told that Chinese surveillance is rife
www.theguardian.com
August 4, 2025 at 8:43 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
The Man from Mar A Lago
July 29, 2025 at 2:30 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Horace Andy still cutting the mustard
July 26, 2025 at 9:10 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
This calls into question Harvard's scholarship and credentials as a serious university.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Revealed: Harvard publisher cancels entire journal issue on Palestine shortly before publication
As Harvard’s feud with Trump escalated, so did tensions over an ‘education and Palestine’ issue of a prestigious journal. Scholars blame the ‘Palestine exception’ to academic freedom
www.theguardian.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Martin Myers
michae.lv
Self-inflicted embarrassment for the University of Warwick — first it rebrands hyper-generically, then someone totally unhinged decides the *front page of the uni website* should say ‘Learn more about our Brand’.
Front page of Warwick.ac.uk
July 22, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by Martin Myers
sandeepbak.bsky.social
Appended to FR text of *A Dying Colonialism* is Fanon's address in Accra, 1960. Fanon clearly argues why deploying violence in anticolonial struggle is essential. A system founded on violence (i.e colonialism) inevitably reproduces it.
The appendix puts paid to dubious assertions re. Fanon's legacy.
L'An V de la révolution algérienne 1959 A Dying Colonialism Text in French: Je voudrais aujourd'hui vous faire part des réflexions suscitées par certains passages. Le problème de la violence et celui du racisme des États africains seront aujourd'hui des questions que j'aimerais fraternellement débattre devant vous. Je ne vex pas, vous le pensez bien, procéder aujourd'hui à une critique du système colonial. Je ne veux pas, moi qui suis un colo- nisé, parlant à des colonisés, démontrer que l'État colonial est un État anormal, inhuman et condamnable. Il serait grotesque de ma part de vouloir vous convaincre du caractère inacceptable de 'oppression coloniale. Toutefois, je voudrais centrer mes réflexions sur la violence consubstantielle à l'oppression colo- niale. Un régime fondé sur la violence Le régime colonial est un régime instauré par la violence. C'est toujours par la force que le régime colonial s'est implanté. 'est contre la volonté des peuples que d'autres peuples Plus avancés dans les techniques de destruction ou numérique- ment plus puissants se sont imposes. Je dis qu'un tel système établi par la violence ne peut logique- ment qu'être fidèle à Jui-même, et sa durée dans le temps est fonc- ion du matntien de la violence. Text: Footnote on first page of Why we use Violence, speech by Fanon. Fanon here provides a more nuanced and historicized justification of the use of violence in anticolonial struggle that that found in the opening first chapter of The Wretched of the Earth, 'Concerning Violence' (pp. 1-62). Text: The colonial regime is a regime instituted by violence. It is always by force that the colonial regime is established. .. I say that such a system established by violence can logically only be faithful to itself, and its duration in time depends on the continuation of violence.
July 20, 2025 at 8:32 AM
martinmyers.bsky.social
I also despair of the Labour left defending Abbott's claim she is only talking about lived experience.

She has no lived experience of being a Traveller. Or a Jew for that matter. But she effectively claims her knowledge of Traveller or Jewish lived experience somehow trumps actual lived experience.
July 17, 2025 at 9:41 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
I despair of Diane Abbott.

After the original comments it was uncomfortable to make case that given her past record she deserved a little leeway for saying something stupid and offensive.

And then today she made it clear she stands by anti-Black racism is worse than racism towards Travellers...
July 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
martinmyers.bsky.social
Met an art dealer cum tax avoidance advisor (seriously) at exhibition opening. He agreed taxation in principal is a good thing because it funds 'normal schools'...

Gawd bless normal people and their normal schools and normal hospitals😎
July 17, 2025 at 9:31 AM