Peter Martin
@pjmartin.bsky.social
Stay at home Dad. Fan of NFL, GAA & other footballs. Irish, living in Belfast. Historian and gamer. Christian internationalist.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Labour coming up with immigration policies which don't work politically or practically is where Blue Labour leads. Not surprising that MPs increasingly want to see change.
November 16, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Labour coming up with immigration policies which don't work politically or practically is where Blue Labour leads. Not surprising that MPs increasingly want to see change.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Six months on and AI has gotten even worse at bibliographies (last summer probably there would have been two real ones and two hallucinated; none of these exist).
October 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Six months on and AI has gotten even worse at bibliographies (last summer probably there would have been two real ones and two hallucinated; none of these exist).
Reposted by Peter Martin
More evidence that the UK Government not only forgets that NI exists, it also forgets that the Common Travel Area exists. This is just a remarkable story of benefits being withdrawn from hundreds of families for using the CTA amid a performative benefit crackdown:
share.google/NSWTG5JNYMrz...
share.google/NSWTG5JNYMrz...
NI parents caught in UK crackdown lose child benefit after travelling via Dublin
Exclusive: new anti-fraud system fails to account for fact many return to country via airport in Irish capital
share.google
October 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
More evidence that the UK Government not only forgets that NI exists, it also forgets that the Common Travel Area exists. This is just a remarkable story of benefits being withdrawn from hundreds of families for using the CTA amid a performative benefit crackdown:
share.google/NSWTG5JNYMrz...
share.google/NSWTG5JNYMrz...
Reposted by Peter Martin
The advice I give young people on choice of degree programme. Choose something you love. You’ve got the rest of your life to be frustrated and miserable.
October 9, 2025 at 7:59 PM
The advice I give young people on choice of degree programme. Choose something you love. You’ve got the rest of your life to be frustrated and miserable.
Reposted by Peter Martin
What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.
October 4, 2025 at 8:33 PM
What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Kemi Badenoch saying “the last time I checked, Northern Ireland did vote to leave” is so on-brand it hurts. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Kemi Badenoch mistakenly says NI voted in favour of Brexit
In a BBC NI interview, the Tory leader said the
www.bbc.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Kemi Badenoch saying “the last time I checked, Northern Ireland did vote to leave” is so on-brand it hurts. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Peter Martin
On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
October 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.
At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Just to be clear:
- Paracetamol does not cause autism.
- Sadiq Khan is not introducing Sharia law in the UK
- We do not have a massive free speech problem here.
- Britain is not on the verge of civil war.
These are not controversial subjects or contested, they're just not true.
- Paracetamol does not cause autism.
- Sadiq Khan is not introducing Sharia law in the UK
- We do not have a massive free speech problem here.
- Britain is not on the verge of civil war.
These are not controversial subjects or contested, they're just not true.
September 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Just to be clear:
- Paracetamol does not cause autism.
- Sadiq Khan is not introducing Sharia law in the UK
- We do not have a massive free speech problem here.
- Britain is not on the verge of civil war.
These are not controversial subjects or contested, they're just not true.
- Paracetamol does not cause autism.
- Sadiq Khan is not introducing Sharia law in the UK
- We do not have a massive free speech problem here.
- Britain is not on the verge of civil war.
These are not controversial subjects or contested, they're just not true.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
September 19, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
Reposted by Peter Martin
A new Explainer out from @aoifemod.bsky.social and me detailing the UK's ECHR commitments under the 1998 Agreement in response to recent speculation. It is short, because there is very little to say - the UK's obligations are evident on the B/GFA's plain text:
caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
September 16, 2025 at 10:51 AM
A new Explainer out from @aoifemod.bsky.social and me detailing the UK's ECHR commitments under the 1998 Agreement in response to recent speculation. It is short, because there is very little to say - the UK's obligations are evident on the B/GFA's plain text:
caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Peter Martin
Unprecedented declaration by @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu on Gaza at #Sotu
“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold.
We will stop all payments in these areas - without affecting our work with Israeli civil society
or Yad Vashem.”
“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold.
We will stop all payments in these areas - without affecting our work with Israeli civil society
or Yad Vashem.”
September 10, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Unprecedented declaration by @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu on Gaza at #Sotu
“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold.
We will stop all payments in these areas - without affecting our work with Israeli civil society
or Yad Vashem.”
“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold.
We will stop all payments in these areas - without affecting our work with Israeli civil society
or Yad Vashem.”
Reposted by Peter Martin
Shifting skills into DWP is interesting & potentially really positive move: bringing together the support people need to get into good jobs.
Lots of chatter that Pat McFadden’s move means another push for welfare reform. We need it to be actual ‘reform’ - not just ‘cuts’. 1/3
Lots of chatter that Pat McFadden’s move means another push for welfare reform. We need it to be actual ‘reform’ - not just ‘cuts’. 1/3
September 6, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Shifting skills into DWP is interesting & potentially really positive move: bringing together the support people need to get into good jobs.
Lots of chatter that Pat McFadden’s move means another push for welfare reform. We need it to be actual ‘reform’ - not just ‘cuts’. 1/3
Lots of chatter that Pat McFadden’s move means another push for welfare reform. We need it to be actual ‘reform’ - not just ‘cuts’. 1/3
Reposted by Peter Martin
I don’t understand why we’re expected to agonize over the growth metrics of our favorite microblogging platform. I like Bluesky more than I ever liked Twitter. I can’t pretend to care what folks on X say about the whole thing.
September 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM
I don’t understand why we’re expected to agonize over the growth metrics of our favorite microblogging platform. I like Bluesky more than I ever liked Twitter. I can’t pretend to care what folks on X say about the whole thing.
Reposted by Peter Martin
This. Oh this...
September 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
This. Oh this...
Reposted by Peter Martin
I’m increasingly convinced that working out what school shoes are acceptable at secondary school is in fact some sort of MI6 recruitment puzzle
September 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
I’m increasingly convinced that working out what school shoes are acceptable at secondary school is in fact some sort of MI6 recruitment puzzle
Reposted by Peter Martin
Reminder that small boat migration is c.5% of all UK immigration.
And asylum-seeking generally is far lower per head of UK population than most other west European countries e.g. 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇦🇹 🇮🇪. Yes even Ireland takes way more.
Yet none have the same sense of crisis and moral panic as the UK.
And asylum-seeking generally is far lower per head of UK population than most other west European countries e.g. 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇦🇹 🇮🇪. Yes even Ireland takes way more.
Yet none have the same sense of crisis and moral panic as the UK.
August 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reminder that small boat migration is c.5% of all UK immigration.
And asylum-seeking generally is far lower per head of UK population than most other west European countries e.g. 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇦🇹 🇮🇪. Yes even Ireland takes way more.
Yet none have the same sense of crisis and moral panic as the UK.
And asylum-seeking generally is far lower per head of UK population than most other west European countries e.g. 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇦🇹 🇮🇪. Yes even Ireland takes way more.
Yet none have the same sense of crisis and moral panic as the UK.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Looking for members help. Dr Maria Luddy and Dr Judith Harford are writing a book on the experiences of Irish women national school teachers, 1890-1950. They would love to hear from anyone with material such as diaries, letters, photographs, or other artefacts. email judith.harford@ucd.ie.
August 28, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Looking for members help. Dr Maria Luddy and Dr Judith Harford are writing a book on the experiences of Irish women national school teachers, 1890-1950. They would love to hear from anyone with material such as diaries, letters, photographs, or other artefacts. email judith.harford@ucd.ie.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Since its founding, the UN’s world hunger monitoring group has confirmed only 4 official famines: Somalia 2011, South Sudan 2017, Sudan 2024, and Gaza City now. Entirely caused by Israel’s use of famine as a weapon of war. As a Jewish survivor of war myself, I’m ashamed of a country I once loved.
August 23, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Since its founding, the UN’s world hunger monitoring group has confirmed only 4 official famines: Somalia 2011, South Sudan 2017, Sudan 2024, and Gaza City now. Entirely caused by Israel’s use of famine as a weapon of war. As a Jewish survivor of war myself, I’m ashamed of a country I once loved.
Reposted by Peter Martin
2/2. Everyone using the phrase "land swap" should please specify which Russian territory Ukraine would be getting. So far it’s a euphemism for forcing Ukraine to give things up to Russia.
August 17, 2025 at 8:01 PM
2/2. Everyone using the phrase "land swap" should please specify which Russian territory Ukraine would be getting. So far it’s a euphemism for forcing Ukraine to give things up to Russia.
Reposted by Peter Martin
1/ Why is your foreign policy friend mad about Trump/Putin?
A lot of how international relations and diplomacy work in practice sounds cringe or fawning when you say it out loud.
One example is that for a foreign leader, a meeting with the US President is a privilege you must negotiate for.
A lot of how international relations and diplomacy work in practice sounds cringe or fawning when you say it out loud.
One example is that for a foreign leader, a meeting with the US President is a privilege you must negotiate for.
August 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
1/ Why is your foreign policy friend mad about Trump/Putin?
A lot of how international relations and diplomacy work in practice sounds cringe or fawning when you say it out loud.
One example is that for a foreign leader, a meeting with the US President is a privilege you must negotiate for.
A lot of how international relations and diplomacy work in practice sounds cringe or fawning when you say it out loud.
One example is that for a foreign leader, a meeting with the US President is a privilege you must negotiate for.
Reposted by Peter Martin
As an old lecturer of mine said: "Opinion is generally free because no one in their right mind would pay for it"
August 15, 2025 at 7:01 AM
As an old lecturer of mine said: "Opinion is generally free because no one in their right mind would pay for it"
Reposted by Peter Martin
Goths Against Fascism sticker
August 15, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Goths Against Fascism sticker
Reposted by Peter Martin
1/ - Trade Policy in 2025 -
Step 1. Donald Trump invents threatened new tariff rates on your country based on some combination of the trade balance, vibes, personal grievance, vibes, how much he likes you, vibes, or a Peter Navarro formula so stupid it made Lesotho enemy #1.
Also vibes.
Step 1. Donald Trump invents threatened new tariff rates on your country based on some combination of the trade balance, vibes, personal grievance, vibes, how much he likes you, vibes, or a Peter Navarro formula so stupid it made Lesotho enemy #1.
Also vibes.
August 7, 2025 at 11:10 AM
1/ - Trade Policy in 2025 -
Step 1. Donald Trump invents threatened new tariff rates on your country based on some combination of the trade balance, vibes, personal grievance, vibes, how much he likes you, vibes, or a Peter Navarro formula so stupid it made Lesotho enemy #1.
Also vibes.
Step 1. Donald Trump invents threatened new tariff rates on your country based on some combination of the trade balance, vibes, personal grievance, vibes, how much he likes you, vibes, or a Peter Navarro formula so stupid it made Lesotho enemy #1.
Also vibes.
Reposted by Peter Martin
Anyone who thinks historians and mathematicians will be among the top 40 most affected professions by AI has not used AI and has no clue what those jobs involved. AI constantly hallucinates sources which it presents authoritatively and can’t do basic arithmetic.
Generative AI is the biggest bubble for some time. It can help with certain tasks, but my experience is that it cannot do even the most basic things unsupervised and regularly fabricates its work.
August 5, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Anyone who thinks historians and mathematicians will be among the top 40 most affected professions by AI has not used AI and has no clue what those jobs involved. AI constantly hallucinates sources which it presents authoritatively and can’t do basic arithmetic.
Reposted by Peter Martin
A useful reminder that how we "remember" the past is always shaped by contemporary politics.
In the 80s/90s, Tories needed an age of "crisis", from which the UK was rescued by Thatcher.
Today, Reform needs a nostalgic period that neither main party claims, as a carrier for "how things used to be".
In the 80s/90s, Tories needed an age of "crisis", from which the UK was rescued by Thatcher.
Today, Reform needs a nostalgic period that neither main party claims, as a carrier for "how things used to be".
This is interesting because it's yet another indicator of the 1970s being memorialised in political culture nostalgically and positively, not as the years of "crisis".
@lisebutler.bsky.social spotted this in a Starmer speech from a few years back and now we see it on the radical right.
@lisebutler.bsky.social spotted this in a Starmer speech from a few years back and now we see it on the radical right.
Man of the people!
July 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM
A useful reminder that how we "remember" the past is always shaped by contemporary politics.
In the 80s/90s, Tories needed an age of "crisis", from which the UK was rescued by Thatcher.
Today, Reform needs a nostalgic period that neither main party claims, as a carrier for "how things used to be".
In the 80s/90s, Tories needed an age of "crisis", from which the UK was rescued by Thatcher.
Today, Reform needs a nostalgic period that neither main party claims, as a carrier for "how things used to be".