Joel Kesterton
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joelkes.bsky.social
Joel Kesterton
@joelkes.bsky.social
Higher Education, Outdoor City / Peak District fan. Active travel advocate.

Student Engagement Manager at Sheffield Hallam and Spotlight Practitioner. My views.
Just had the closest of close passes. The kind you hear a fraction of a second before it happens, the clench despite being able to do nothing about it. The kind that tips you into the vehicles wake. 20mph zone but driver clearly speeding. Caught them up barely 100m later, driver totally oblivious 😔
September 29, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
UK and EU reportedly negotiating British return to Erasmus programme
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
UK students get chance to study in Europe from January 2027 under new Erasmus deal
The EU is pushing for a rapid agreement for Britain to rejoin the student exchange scheme
inews.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
I've set up a starter pack for student engagement and partnership - in all its myriad forms! Fire away if you can suggest someone I should add (or have embarrassingly failed to add you!). go.bsky.app/5jFu51s
February 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Support for a ‘rejoin referendum’ swells as Brexit flounders
After almost a decade of trying to make Brexit work, it seems like the public have given up on it before our politicians have...
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/sup...
Support for a 'rejoin referendum' swells as Brexit flounders
After almost a decade of trying to make Brexit work, it seems like the public have given up on it before our politicians have...
www.thelondoneconomic.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Swim in The Don anyone? #NationaliseWater
August 10, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Brexit dividend: our swimming waters are MUCH more polluted than any EU country's because we no longer have to follow EU environmental law since Brexit so water companies can get away with just about anything.

(Just one of many pesky EU rules Brexiters hated.)
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
August 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Imagine going out and railing against a common sense evidence-informed policy decision that has already saved more than 100 lives. Imagine the devastation and grief that all those families have been spared. Imagine ignoring all that because you want to get somewhere 2 mins quicker. Wild.
August 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
“Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic fatality in the past 12 months, city and police officials confirmed this week.”

City engineer credits lower speed limits and smart design.

I agree. #Helsinki #VisionZero
Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.
yle.fi
July 30, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Gorgeous few days in #Filey
July 24, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Government could get us out of our flatlining economy, but it is prioritising balancing the books over feeding kids or fixing the NHS.

Prof Richard Murphy suggests solutions, and asks why government is not trying.
Economically dead: what is wrong with our economy?
The Resolution Foundation says UK incomes will flatline until 2030. This isn't an accident – it's by design; we need change
eastangliabylines.co.uk
July 7, 2025 at 6:20 AM
As a constituent, you have my support, Olivia. Keep pushing back. We cannot balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable in society. #WelfareBill

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Disabled Labour MP says welfare U-turn would create ‘unethical two-tier system’
Olivia Blake dismisses Starmer’s welfare bill changes as ‘plucked from the air’ and urges rebels to stand firm
www.theguardian.com
June 28, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
John Major has given quite the speech:
• Aid cuts are "callous"
• Trump and Xi are destabilising the world
• On Trump: "This is not America as I have known her"
• Brexit benefits "are as elusive as Lord Lucan"
• UK should rejoin single market/customs union

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
John Major condemns ‘callous’ aid cuts and growing national self-interest
In wide-ranging lecture, former PM calls Trump and Xi destabilising and says benefits of Brexit remain elusive
www.theguardian.com
June 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Nine years ago the godfather of Brexit, Lord Daniel Hannan, predicted life in Brexit Britain in June 2025. Roll the tape…
(VO by @gavinesler.bsky.social. Part 2 below👇)
June 23, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Paris 2019 v. Today: I don’t think people realize how immense @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s legacy will be.
June 23, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
guy next to me in the café was quite dramatically sitting with his head in his hands so I glanced at his screen to see what he was working on, and it was a doc with "IDEAS:" written at the top and absolutely nothing else

my brother I hear you, I feel you, we are as one
June 9, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
I think everyone in Sheffield remembers the smog-ridden day that inspired this amazing research project. Can't wait to read the findings.

And it's not just air pollution - runoff from grouse moors causes water pollution. We all pay to clean it up.
Researchers create system to log air quality impacts of moorland fires
Peak District pilot scheme combines satellite data with sensors on the ground to measure particle pollution
www.theguardian.com
May 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
SHEFFIELD! Very honoured to be artist in residence for this Saturday’s Get Together Festival.
More info and free download of my celebratory Sheffield collage below👇👇👇
www.gettogetherfestival.com/line-up
May 13, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
An actual article in The Telegraph:

"Good riddance to universities... rampant wokeism, degrees in silly subjects, trivial research projects..."
May 18, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
An extremely busy day capped off with a visit to Sheffield Hallam University to hear the creative writing students perform as part of the Festival of Creativity 😍

We love supporting the next generation of writerly people, and there is some phenomenal talent coming through!
May 1, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
The incoherence and incompetence of the government’s universities policy is worthy of Gove.

It’s tragic.
May 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
1. Brexit does not stand up to scrutiny

2. The more scrutiny is placed on Brexit, the worse it looks

3. Strong majority already think Brexit is going badly

4. Immigration skyrocketed since Brexit

5. Labour can't fight Reform on immigration

6. So why not force Reform to defend Brexit?

Winnable!
May 8, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
‘Labour must start speaking about extent of Brexit damage’ – Andy Burnham

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/and...
'Labour must start speaking about extent of Brexit damage' - Andy Burnham
At a time when Labour needs more straight-talkers and clearer messaging, Andy Burnham has popped something in the suggestion box.
www.thelondoneconomic.com
May 3, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Labour is handing this country on a silver platter to Reform. People do not vote Labour because they hate immigrants and want Reform-lite. They vote Labour because they want it to make a positive difference to their lives.
May 2, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Reposted by Joel Kesterton
Hi Labour, rather than learning all the wrong lessons from this election defeat - what about taking some people out of poverty and improving some lives?
May 2, 2025 at 6:49 AM
“I realise that these new deep research tools seem to have nudged past the lower bound of undergraduate level during this term. I could not have planned for this.”

Interesting and pragmatic approach to assessment redesign in the #GenAI age.
April 29, 2025 at 10:20 AM