Saio Gradin
@saiogradin.bsky.social
Part-time lecturer in Global Politics at King’s College London (UK), part-time organiser, writer, workshop facilitator. Co-author Prefigurative Politics (2020). https://saiogradin.net
Vote yes to industrial action!
How are the national UCU and local KCL UCU ballots connected? Insights from our KCL UCU health and safety Officer @saiogradin.bsky.social #wearekcl #wearetheuniversity
November 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Vote yes to industrial action!
Reposted by Saio Gradin
“I think there’s a collective amnesia right now about COVID-19”
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been rising in the past month, and limited surveillance is hampering health strategies
go.nature.com/3Lspwi0
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been rising in the past month, and limited surveillance is hampering health strategies
go.nature.com/3Lspwi0
COVID-19 is spreading again — how serious is it and what are the symptoms?
Nature - Limited COVID-19 surveillance data are hampering vaccination and health strategies, researchers say.
go.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:21 PM
“I think there’s a collective amnesia right now about COVID-19”
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been rising in the past month, and limited surveillance is hampering health strategies
go.nature.com/3Lspwi0
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been rising in the past month, and limited surveillance is hampering health strategies
go.nature.com/3Lspwi0
Reposted by Saio Gradin
Have you posted yours yet? 📮
We’re loving all the red post boxes and “I’ve voted” pics, keep them coming and make sure your vote is in by the deadline!
#WeAreTheUniversity
We’re loving all the red post boxes and “I’ve voted” pics, keep them coming and make sure your vote is in by the deadline!
#WeAreTheUniversity
November 9, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Have you posted yours yet? 📮
We’re loving all the red post boxes and “I’ve voted” pics, keep them coming and make sure your vote is in by the deadline!
#WeAreTheUniversity
We’re loving all the red post boxes and “I’ve voted” pics, keep them coming and make sure your vote is in by the deadline!
#WeAreTheUniversity
Reposted by Saio Gradin
This weekend be sure to get your vote in, chat to a colleague about getting their vote in! Together we can change the future of higher education! #wearetheuniversity
November 8, 2025 at 6:51 PM
This weekend be sure to get your vote in, chat to a colleague about getting their vote in! Together we can change the future of higher education! #wearetheuniversity
Reposted by Saio Gradin
Reposted by Saio Gradin
NEW: ‘Nigel Farage is not my friend…he’s just a handsome & stylish English gentleman’
The wife of the Russian agent who Nathan Gill has admitted to accepting bribes from says Nigel Farage is not her ‘good friend’ after saying that he was her ‘good friend’
1/
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
The wife of the Russian agent who Nathan Gill has admitted to accepting bribes from says Nigel Farage is not her ‘good friend’ after saying that he was her ‘good friend’
1/
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
'Nigel Farage is Not My Friend...He's Just a Very Handsome Man'
The wife of a Russian spy gets in touch...
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:52 PM
NEW: ‘Nigel Farage is not my friend…he’s just a handsome & stylish English gentleman’
The wife of the Russian agent who Nathan Gill has admitted to accepting bribes from says Nigel Farage is not her ‘good friend’ after saying that he was her ‘good friend’
1/
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
The wife of the Russian agent who Nathan Gill has admitted to accepting bribes from says Nigel Farage is not her ‘good friend’ after saying that he was her ‘good friend’
1/
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Saio Gradin
A mass slaughter of civilians is taking place in Sudan after the city of El Fasher fell to the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces.
Mass Killings Reported in Sudan as RSF Seizes El Fasher; 460 Killed at Hospital
Sudan’s military is accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of killing at least 2,000 people since seizing control of El Fasher in the Darfur region, including some 460 at the Saudi Maternity H...
www.democracynow.org
October 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM
A mass slaughter of civilians is taking place in Sudan after the city of El Fasher fell to the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces.
Vote yes in both ballots ✊
October 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Vote yes in both ballots ✊
Reposted by Saio Gradin
❗️📝 ❗️KCL UCU has written to management expressing our outrage at the disciplinary action being pursued against multiple students who have protested the presence of pro-Israeli lobbyists on our campus and the university’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza
⬇️
⬇️
October 27, 2025 at 12:55 PM
❗️📝 ❗️KCL UCU has written to management expressing our outrage at the disciplinary action being pursued against multiple students who have protested the presence of pro-Israeli lobbyists on our campus and the university’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza
⬇️
⬇️
Reposted by Saio Gradin
1. It's fascinating to see, as you can from the responses to the post below, how many daft things people believe, to justify their continued meat eating. So let's examine a few of the common myths in the following thread. 🧵
For years, there's been a massive over-emphasis on food miles, and a massive under-emphasis on food type.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
Remember this, whenever someone says "alternative proteins - yuck!"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
October 22, 2025 at 7:22 AM
1. It's fascinating to see, as you can from the responses to the post below, how many daft things people believe, to justify their continued meat eating. So let's examine a few of the common myths in the following thread. 🧵
Reposted by Saio Gradin
Prof Catherine Noakes
On the route of transmission
"So we know it is a respiratory transmission at the early days of the pandemic the specific mechanisms were unclear, but it was still early days"
" respiratory transmission means the virus is emitted from people's exhalation"
#CleanAir
On the route of transmission
"So we know it is a respiratory transmission at the early days of the pandemic the specific mechanisms were unclear, but it was still early days"
" respiratory transmission means the virus is emitted from people's exhalation"
#CleanAir
October 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Prof Catherine Noakes
On the route of transmission
"So we know it is a respiratory transmission at the early days of the pandemic the specific mechanisms were unclear, but it was still early days"
" respiratory transmission means the virus is emitted from people's exhalation"
#CleanAir
On the route of transmission
"So we know it is a respiratory transmission at the early days of the pandemic the specific mechanisms were unclear, but it was still early days"
" respiratory transmission means the virus is emitted from people's exhalation"
#CleanAir
Reposted by Saio Gradin
Our barrister Sangeetha Iengar questions Mark Drakeford - Former 1st Minister of Wales
Q - Would you agree, and I think it follows that from the end of 2020 onwards - the impact of Long COVID on children should have been factored into the Welsh Governments pandemic response?
#Wales #COVIDInquiry
Q - Would you agree, and I think it follows that from the end of 2020 onwards - the impact of Long COVID on children should have been factored into the Welsh Governments pandemic response?
#Wales #COVIDInquiry
October 22, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Our barrister Sangeetha Iengar questions Mark Drakeford - Former 1st Minister of Wales
Q - Would you agree, and I think it follows that from the end of 2020 onwards - the impact of Long COVID on children should have been factored into the Welsh Governments pandemic response?
#Wales #COVIDInquiry
Q - Would you agree, and I think it follows that from the end of 2020 onwards - the impact of Long COVID on children should have been factored into the Welsh Governments pandemic response?
#Wales #COVIDInquiry
Reposted by Saio Gradin
For years, there's been a massive over-emphasis on food miles, and a massive under-emphasis on food type.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
Remember this, whenever someone says "alternative proteins - yuck!"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Beef, pork, chicken: the world loves cheap meat. If people knew what really goes in it, that love affair would be over | Devi Sridhar
Antibiotic use in farming is now rampant. How meat is produced in China may mean the drugs you need here won’t work, says Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburg...
www.theguardian.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
For years, there's been a massive over-emphasis on food miles, and a massive under-emphasis on food type.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
By far and away the best dietary decision you can make, for environmental, humanitarian and public health purposes, is to cut out animal products.
We are running a local Kings industrial action ballot at the same time as the national UCU one. Vote yes!!
KCL UCU’s ballot is running at the same time as the @ucu.org.uk national dispute on pay and jobs. It speaks to problems at KCL where working conditions are connected to a democratic deficit in governance and the institution’s untenable ‘values-based impartiality’ stance on genocide
October 22, 2025 at 1:12 PM
We are running a local Kings industrial action ballot at the same time as the national UCU one. Vote yes!!
Reposted by Saio Gradin
We need our members to come together and make this successful. Join the conversation and help us #GetTheVoteOut. We have our general meeting today at 2pm and a GTVO volunteers meeting at 11 on Friday. Come along or email ucu[at]kcl.ac.uk to get involved! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼✊
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
We need our members to come together and make this successful. Join the conversation and help us #GetTheVoteOut. We have our general meeting today at 2pm and a GTVO volunteers meeting at 11 on Friday. Come along or email ucu[at]kcl.ac.uk to get involved! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼✊
Reposted by Saio Gradin
A strong YES vote in this historic ballot would give our branch negotiators huge leverage with management to make progress on these demands. VOTE YES IN BOTH THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL BALLOTS!
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
A strong YES vote in this historic ballot would give our branch negotiators huge leverage with management to make progress on these demands. VOTE YES IN BOTH THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL BALLOTS!
Reposted by Saio Gradin
4. We are demanding a pause in the implementation of ‘King’s Strategy 2030’ so full consultation can take place. We demand commitment to no compulsory redundancies as a result of this strategy, and a commitment in the strategy for improvements in staff terms and conditions
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
4. We are demanding a pause in the implementation of ‘King’s Strategy 2030’ so full consultation can take place. We demand commitment to no compulsory redundancies as a result of this strategy, and a commitment in the strategy for improvements in staff terms and conditions
Reposted by Saio Gradin
3. Failures to protect staff and institutional complicity in war crimes are result of the democratic deficit in KCL’s governance. We are returning to the demand of our unresolved 2023 local dispute that KCL Council must have at least 50% of its members as elected staff
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
3. Failures to protect staff and institutional complicity in war crimes are result of the democratic deficit in KCL’s governance. We are returning to the demand of our unresolved 2023 local dispute that KCL Council must have at least 50% of its members as elected staff
Reposted by Saio Gradin
2. We demand reopening of negotiations on KCL divestment from companies enabling oppression in Palestine and a clause in contracts to allow employees to conscientiously object to participation in activity connected with the military, arms trade, fossil fuels or genocide
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
2. We demand reopening of negotiations on KCL divestment from companies enabling oppression in Palestine and a clause in contracts to allow employees to conscientiously object to participation in activity connected with the military, arms trade, fossil fuels or genocide
Reposted by Saio Gradin
1. We demand public statement reaffirming KCL commitment to academic freedom, anti-racism, and the protection of its community from intimidation, harassment+discrimination. We need independent investigation into mishandling of politically motivated complaints against our members
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
1. We demand public statement reaffirming KCL commitment to academic freedom, anti-racism, and the protection of its community from intimidation, harassment+discrimination. We need independent investigation into mishandling of politically motivated complaints against our members
Reposted by Saio Gradin
We are balloting on FOUR interlinked issues that all come down to management intransigence and increasing hostility to consultation. We're revisiting our previous disputes in light of two major developments: the genocide in Palestine and the national crisis in higher education
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
We are balloting on FOUR interlinked issues that all come down to management intransigence and increasing hostility to consultation. We're revisiting our previous disputes in light of two major developments: the genocide in Palestine and the national crisis in higher education
Reposted by Saio Gradin
This dispute has been guided by our membership and brings together different trade disputes going back to 2023 - related to academic freedom, divestment, governance and working conditions - under ONE action.
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
This dispute has been guided by our membership and brings together different trade disputes going back to 2023 - related to academic freedom, divestment, governance and working conditions - under ONE action.
Reposted by Saio Gradin
KCL UCU’s ballot is running at the same time as the @ucu.org.uk national dispute on pay and jobs. It speaks to problems at KCL where working conditions are connected to a democratic deficit in governance and the institution’s untenable ‘values-based impartiality’ stance on genocide
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
KCL UCU’s ballot is running at the same time as the @ucu.org.uk national dispute on pay and jobs. It speaks to problems at KCL where working conditions are connected to a democratic deficit in governance and the institution’s untenable ‘values-based impartiality’ stance on genocide
Reposted by Saio Gradin
With our local dispute, we are the first university (and the first workplace!?) in the UK to formally ballot members over possible industrial action that relates to our employer’s response to global injustice and the oppression of the Palestinian people
October 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
With our local dispute, we are the first university (and the first workplace!?) in the UK to formally ballot members over possible industrial action that relates to our employer’s response to global injustice and the oppression of the Palestinian people