I am so old that my PhD was funded by a direct application by me to the British Academy for a doctoral award, which allowed me to hilariously claim that I was an “Academy Award Winner”.

It’s such an extraordinarily awful decision. Throughout my career every time the PhD funding landscape has changed I’ve thought they’d discovered the worst possible model but each time they manage to invent something even more destructive. I can’t even begin to imagine how the AHRC can defend it.

Great thread, Rob. Brilliantly put. And All so very true.

The new Pope didn't tweet once in 2024. In 2025, he's posted 5 times, in which he:

- Criticized JD Vance's views on Catholicism and Jesus
- Posted an article opposing Trump's immigration policies
- Retweeted twice about the Pope's health
- Retweeted a criticism of Trump & Bukele's laughter at KAG.

Others being do most Labour-Liberal-Democrat-Green voters continue to go 'yeah, I'll vote for one of the three?' - a strategic advantage that Labour's 'what are the focus groups screaming about today?' threatens to undermine, who leads on best PM (currently a big Starmer advantage).

I think one of the key political tests for Reform councils is how much voters enjoy seeing politicians punching down. Because that's what banning equalities initiatives and home working often does. My sense is the appetite for it in the UK might be less than in the US.

UK I think actually has a remarkably high birth rate, given it has been government policy for eight years that having children above replacement rate is extravagant, we heavily ration IVF and we have a housing shortage.