Paul C(innamon) Kirby
@paulcinnamon.bsky.social
International theory, feminist political thought, “Women, Peace and Security”, masculinities and the governing of them, critical war studies, statecraft, pop cultures, another university might still be possible. Gender detective.
What a mess. Absurd if a regulator couldn’t enforce standards because HMG forgot to overwrite medieval common law. But Kafkaesque to still not know whether Sussex’s guidelines are permissible. And OfS seem to have acted not as a neutral body but in revenge for Stock.
wonkhe.com/blogs/eight-...
wonkhe.com/blogs/eight-...
Eight things to look for when we get the judgement on University of Sussex vs OfS
David Kernohan watched Sussex vs OfS proceedings in the high court and was surprised by just how big some of the implications may be for the whole English HE sector
wonkhe.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:19 PM
What a mess. Absurd if a regulator couldn’t enforce standards because HMG forgot to overwrite medieval common law. But Kafkaesque to still not know whether Sussex’s guidelines are permissible. And OfS seem to have acted not as a neutral body but in revenge for Stock.
wonkhe.com/blogs/eight-...
wonkhe.com/blogs/eight-...
The Home (now Foreign) Secretary went on TV and told us Palestine Action were so intent on violence towards people they had to be proscribed tout suite. She couldn’t discuss details but they were akin to Nazi militias and jihadi beheaders, honest. No wonder the evidence has to be kept from juries.
a woman is wearing a black shirt and a necklace with a disney logo on it .
ALT: a woman is wearing a black shirt and a necklace with a disney logo on it .
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:54 AM
The Home (now Foreign) Secretary went on TV and told us Palestine Action were so intent on violence towards people they had to be proscribed tout suite. She couldn’t discuss details but they were akin to Nazi militias and jihadi beheaders, honest. No wonder the evidence has to be kept from juries.
Since many Reform voters used to be Tories, they may not see politicians following their lead as a problem. Also underpriced that Nigel is a poundshop Trump, and some portion of his base will relish the debasement of defectors.
SW1: 'The Keminaissance! That More in Common poll that definitely wasn't an outlier!'
Actual public: 'The party that has people joining it and a clear message is doing better than the one that doesn't'.
Actual public: 'The party that has people joining it and a clear message is doing better than the one that doesn't'.
Voters think defections help Reform UK – and not the Tories
February 4, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Since many Reform voters used to be Tories, they may not see politicians following their lead as a problem. Also underpriced that Nigel is a poundshop Trump, and some portion of his base will relish the debasement of defectors.
Every official US government claim about its campaign of terror should be treated as a lie until proven otherwise.
DHS said that the woman CBP shot in the chest in Portland was “involved” in a gang shooting.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
Her ~involvement~ was that suspected gang members sexually assaulted and robbed her.
After Border Patrol shot two people in Portland, DHS claimed they were "vicious gang members" tied to a past shooting.
But records I obtained reveal a US prosecutor has since directly contradicted DHS, saying, "We're not suggesting he is a gang member." My dive into how DHS' claims have collapsed:
But records I obtained reveal a US prosecutor has since directly contradicted DHS, saying, "We're not suggesting he is a gang member." My dive into how DHS' claims have collapsed:
February 3, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Every official US government claim about its campaign of terror should be treated as a lie until proven otherwise.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Colleagues were interviewed on BBC Radio 4 about @qmul.bsky.social's sudden escalation in taking down posters & threatening disciplinary action.
It is a great explanation of what's happening & its dangers.
Listen from 22min in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or clipped: youtu.be/SJGnCrDaCf0?...
It is a great explanation of what's happening & its dangers.
Listen from 22min in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or clipped: youtu.be/SJGnCrDaCf0?...
February 2, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Colleagues were interviewed on BBC Radio 4 about @qmul.bsky.social's sudden escalation in taking down posters & threatening disciplinary action.
It is a great explanation of what's happening & its dangers.
Listen from 22min in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or clipped: youtu.be/SJGnCrDaCf0?...
It is a great explanation of what's happening & its dangers.
Listen from 22min in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or clipped: youtu.be/SJGnCrDaCf0?...
Let us bracket for a moment whether you or I would forget whether we had received £140,000 in today’s money from a rich pal who turned out to be a rampant paedophile. The confusion is surely enough to warrant a searching inquiry of who else may have paid him and for what.
www.ft.com/content/1728...
www.ft.com/content/1728...
Jeffrey Epstein sent Peter Mandelson $75,000, documents show
Newly released files include three payments from disgraced financier’s JPMorgan account to former UK power broker
www.ft.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Let us bracket for a moment whether you or I would forget whether we had received £140,000 in today’s money from a rich pal who turned out to be a rampant paedophile. The confusion is surely enough to warrant a searching inquiry of who else may have paid him and for what.
www.ft.com/content/1728...
www.ft.com/content/1728...
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
This ought to have been the main UK news story from the DoJ’s latest Jeffrey Epstein data dump.
Peter Mandelson told Epstein he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses at his request, months after Epstein paid thousands of pounds to the then Business Secretary’s husband.
Peter Mandelson told Epstein he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses at his request, months after Epstein paid thousands of pounds to the then Business Secretary’s husband.
Mandelson told Epstein he was 'trying hard' to change bonus policy after payment to husband, files show
Emails released by the US Department of Justice shed new light on the closeness of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and former UK business secretary Peter Mandelson, who was sacked as British ...
news.sky.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:52 PM
This ought to have been the main UK news story from the DoJ’s latest Jeffrey Epstein data dump.
Peter Mandelson told Epstein he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses at his request, months after Epstein paid thousands of pounds to the then Business Secretary’s husband.
Peter Mandelson told Epstein he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses at his request, months after Epstein paid thousands of pounds to the then Business Secretary’s husband.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
We are Christopher Isherwood, watching neighbours inform on neighbours from our apartment above.
January 31, 2026 at 10:22 PM
We are Christopher Isherwood, watching neighbours inform on neighbours from our apartment above.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Chris Rufo is so upset about the Minneapolis protests that he is resorting to anti-Nordic racism christopherrufo.com/p/the-curse-...
January 30, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Chris Rufo is so upset about the Minneapolis protests that he is resorting to anti-Nordic racism christopherrufo.com/p/the-curse-...
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Another banger from Jonathan Guyer, who's been on the USAID-Gaza beat for a few years.
If anyone wonders why I really, really hate Joe Biden and his administration? It's because I had to work for them on Gaza. They're evil, evil people who deserve prison.
If anyone wonders why I really, really hate Joe Biden and his administration? It's because I had to work for them on Gaza. They're evil, evil people who deserve prison.
January 30, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Another banger from Jonathan Guyer, who's been on the USAID-Gaza beat for a few years.
If anyone wonders why I really, really hate Joe Biden and his administration? It's because I had to work for them on Gaza. They're evil, evil people who deserve prison.
If anyone wonders why I really, really hate Joe Biden and his administration? It's because I had to work for them on Gaza. They're evil, evil people who deserve prison.
The Women, Peace and Security UK Research Network is organising its first workshop. We invite submissions from researchers of all career stages and of any institutional affiliation (or none) based in the UK.
Workshop: 19 May
Deadline for abstracts: 2 March
thedisorderofthings.com/2026/01/30/c...
Workshop: 19 May
Deadline for abstracts: 2 March
thedisorderofthings.com/2026/01/30/c...
Call for Participation: Women, Peace and Security Research Network UK
Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026 Venue: Queen Mary University of London Format: A one-day event with 20-25 participants The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) UK Research Network, a community of researchers …
thedisorderofthings.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:40 PM
The Women, Peace and Security UK Research Network is organising its first workshop. We invite submissions from researchers of all career stages and of any institutional affiliation (or none) based in the UK.
Workshop: 19 May
Deadline for abstracts: 2 March
thedisorderofthings.com/2026/01/30/c...
Workshop: 19 May
Deadline for abstracts: 2 March
thedisorderofthings.com/2026/01/30/c...
Symptomatic of a deathspiral comms strategy to put out a line so bad that it implies a Labour government in favour of the nightwatchman state: defence spending, transport infrastructure and the electrical grid, everything else is for you to figure out you parasite.
Rachel Reeves: "It is not right that people who don't go to university bear the cost for others to." I don't use local leisure centres and I don't drive, so will I be made exempt for taxation that pays for all that stuff? Or is it only education we'll be going after
January 30, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Symptomatic of a deathspiral comms strategy to put out a line so bad that it implies a Labour government in favour of the nightwatchman state: defence spending, transport infrastructure and the electrical grid, everything else is for you to figure out you parasite.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Complete insanity. And it's a political choice. There should be interest-free student loans for at least a share of the population. That's the rule not the exception if you look at other countries. Graduates are the most important electoral group for Labour. They can demand more from this government
“I borrowed in total £55,000…”
“How much do you owe now?"
“£72,000”
@vicderbyshire.bsky.social speaks to Dr Arthur Joustra, a trainee paediatrician, about how his student loan debt has risen since he graduated in 2022 - despite making payments.
#Newsnight
“How much do you owe now?"
“£72,000”
@vicderbyshire.bsky.social speaks to Dr Arthur Joustra, a trainee paediatrician, about how his student loan debt has risen since he graduated in 2022 - despite making payments.
#Newsnight
January 29, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Complete insanity. And it's a political choice. There should be interest-free student loans for at least a share of the population. That's the rule not the exception if you look at other countries. Graduates are the most important electoral group for Labour. They can demand more from this government
60,000 US soldiers died in Vietnam over a decade, with huge political and cultural ramifications in a society of 216 million (1975).
325,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine in under four years, drawn from a society of 144 million (2024).
Really stress-testing authoritarian stability theory.
325,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine in under four years, drawn from a society of 144 million (2024).
Really stress-testing authoritarian stability theory.
January 28, 2026 at 2:11 PM
60,000 US soldiers died in Vietnam over a decade, with huge political and cultural ramifications in a society of 216 million (1975).
325,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine in under four years, drawn from a society of 144 million (2024).
Really stress-testing authoritarian stability theory.
325,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine in under four years, drawn from a society of 144 million (2024).
Really stress-testing authoritarian stability theory.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Matt Goodwin's lies about his background have hopelessly confused Google AI 😉
January 27, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Matt Goodwin's lies about his background have hopelessly confused Google AI 😉
Further notes on realism and rearmament.
I'm pro-NATO obviously and I take the Russian threat seriously, but a lot of this borders on hysterionics.
Ukraine's military budget in 2021 was $5.8 billion. Germany's was 56. Russia ground to a halt.
Ukraine's troops are heroic and innovative, but they're not Space Marines.
Ukraine's military budget in 2021 was $5.8 billion. Germany's was 56. Russia ground to a halt.
Ukraine's troops are heroic and innovative, but they're not Space Marines.
January 27, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Further notes on realism and rearmament.
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Every morning I wake up with a hollow anger that I have been enrolled, as a university worker, into a long-term objective of “enhancing” AI integration (“where appropriate”) into my undergraduate teaching
January 27, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Every morning I wake up with a hollow anger that I have been enrolled, as a university worker, into a long-term objective of “enhancing” AI integration (“where appropriate”) into my undergraduate teaching
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
This Wednesday!! Come along 😊
I am so excited to be part of this event on the Global Politics of Abortion with the fabulous Dr Nayla Luz Vacarezza, Sarah of Ad’iyah Collective, Prof Sophie Harman & Dr Sydney Calkin
28th January. Be there! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/global-pol...
@qmulsse.bsky.social @profsophieharman.bsky.social
28th January. Be there! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/global-pol...
@qmulsse.bsky.social @profsophieharman.bsky.social
Global Politics of Abortion
A conversation with leading experts on abortion and politics across the globe, followed by a reception.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 3:21 PM
This Wednesday!! Come along 😊
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
Was this partly plagiarized from Elena Ceausescu?
January 25, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Was this partly plagiarized from Elena Ceausescu?
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
So we have figures now.
Grok created and shared 1.8m sexualised images of women between December 31 and January 8, after Elon Musk promoted the feature on X.
Overall, the Grok chatbot generated and posted 4.4m images — 41% were sexualised images of women
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Grok created and shared 1.8m sexualised images of women between December 31 and January 8, after Elon Musk promoted the feature on X.
Overall, the Grok chatbot generated and posted 4.4m images — 41% were sexualised images of women
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2026 at 12:58 PM
So we have figures now.
Grok created and shared 1.8m sexualised images of women between December 31 and January 8, after Elon Musk promoted the feature on X.
Overall, the Grok chatbot generated and posted 4.4m images — 41% were sexualised images of women
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Grok created and shared 1.8m sexualised images of women between December 31 and January 8, after Elon Musk promoted the feature on X.
Overall, the Grok chatbot generated and posted 4.4m images — 41% were sexualised images of women
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Reposted by Paul C(innamon) Kirby
This brings back bitter memories of when I was in the same position with colleagues at @qmucu.bsky.social a few years back.
Absolutely horrible behaviour from Sheffield management.
Absolutely horrible behaviour from Sheffield management.
Well that’s me locked out. No pay for the foreseeable future, all because I refuse to reschedule lost teaching, for which I have already lost pay as part of the strike. Please donate to support @sheffielducu.bsky.social members like me at www.gofundme.com/f/heubvb-sup...
January 20, 2026 at 1:07 PM
This brings back bitter memories of when I was in the same position with colleagues at @qmucu.bsky.social a few years back.
Absolutely horrible behaviour from Sheffield management.
Absolutely horrible behaviour from Sheffield management.
May have more to say later but just to trumpet that I’m in RENEWAL, and in the same double issue as the Labour Minister who resigned in part over the gendered impacts of the aid cuts and a Labour MP calling for an extra dose of feminism.
FREE TO READ: Paul Kirby traces the history of Labour's long-standing feminist ambitions in the international sphere, and laments their apparent death amidst swingeing aid cuts
The Strange Death of Feminist Internationalism
07 Renewal 33.3-33.4_Kirby07 Renewal 33.3-33.4_Kirby.pdf105 KBdownload-circle
The history of Labour’s international development policy has long been intertwined with its views and aims on gender eq...
renewal.org.uk
January 20, 2026 at 5:58 PM
May have more to say later but just to trumpet that I’m in RENEWAL, and in the same double issue as the Labour Minister who resigned in part over the gendered impacts of the aid cuts and a Labour MP calling for an extra dose of feminism.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore— and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore— and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
‘The world needs to know what’s happening’: families of protesters killed in Iran tell of heartbreak
As Tehran’s internet blackout means names of those killed in the uprising are only starting to emerge, the diaspora is reacting with shock, sadness and anger
www.theguardian.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:16 PM
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore— and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore— and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
30,000 jobs gone in three years. Before the national insurance increase and the international student levy hits.
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...
Pay-off spend up by two-thirds as universities shed 13,000 jobs
Analysis of UK sector accounts shows number of job losses well above predictions, with experts warning cuts are not over yet
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:23 AM
30,000 jobs gone in three years. Before the national insurance increase and the international student levy hits.
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...