Sylvia de Mars
@sylviademars.me
She/her, trans rights are human rights. Legal academic, D&D fanatic. Things I coherently honk about: Brexit & NI, Title IX, sovereignty. President of the Judge Ana Reyes Fanclub. See http://sylviademars.me
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Sylvia de Mars
@sylviademars.me
· May 3
🧵 I recently used a Bluesky list to block transphobes and was surprised to see a few people who I'd never seen take any position on trans rights disappear from my feed.
I've gone back and unblocked but muted because a) I don't want to see transphobes, but b) I do want people to be able to learn. 1/
I've gone back and unblocked but muted because a) I don't want to see transphobes, but b) I do want people to be able to learn. 1/
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
Nothing says “you guys got me all wrong” like suddenly making your campaign staff sign NDAs.
October 25, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Nothing says “you guys got me all wrong” like suddenly making your campaign staff sign NDAs.
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
So what I'm getting from this is that actually, somewhere between 53 to 80% of the active party membership voted for Powell, while people with no interest in the party who just happen to be in a trade union that pays a political levy have... no interest in the party. Seems a pretty solid win imv.
October 25, 2025 at 10:37 AM
So what I'm getting from this is that actually, somewhere between 53 to 80% of the active party membership voted for Powell, while people with no interest in the party who just happen to be in a trade union that pays a political levy have... no interest in the party. Seems a pretty solid win imv.
Labour SpAds somewhere:
Shit. We weren't racist and authoritarian enough to beat the more racist and authoritarian party that also lost ... Hmmmmm ... Well you know what that means: BETTER GET MORE RACIST AND AUTHORITARIAN
Shit. We weren't racist and authoritarian enough to beat the more racist and authoritarian party that also lost ... Hmmmmm ... Well you know what that means: BETTER GET MORE RACIST AND AUTHORITARIAN
Plaid Cymru GAIN Caerphilly from Labour.
October 24, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Labour SpAds somewhere:
Shit. We weren't racist and authoritarian enough to beat the more racist and authoritarian party that also lost ... Hmmmmm ... Well you know what that means: BETTER GET MORE RACIST AND AUTHORITARIAN
Shit. We weren't racist and authoritarian enough to beat the more racist and authoritarian party that also lost ... Hmmmmm ... Well you know what that means: BETTER GET MORE RACIST AND AUTHORITARIAN
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
Petition to have Claudia Winkleman's fringe declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site
October 23, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Petition to have Claudia Winkleman's fringe declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site
We don't hate it enough yet, guys. They need us to hate it harder.
Microsoft has unveiled “Mico,” a new animated avatar for its Copilot AI that brings back shades of Clippy. The expressive blob acts as a friendly, customizable face for the chatbot.
Microsoft's Mico is a 'Clippy' for the AI era | TechCrunch
Microsoft has unveiled “Mico,” a new animated avatar for its Copilot AI that brings back shades of Clippy. The expressive blob acts as a friendly, customizable face for the chatbot.
techcrunch.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We don't hate it enough yet, guys. They need us to hate it harder.
Why did this take so long. Jesus Christ.
NEW - Starmer on Katy Lam: "I can't tell you how much I disagree with her.
"People who are lawfully in this country, who have been working in our communities, our neighbours... to reach in and remove them from our country - for 'cultural reasons'. That is how far the Conservative party has sunk."
"People who are lawfully in this country, who have been working in our communities, our neighbours... to reach in and remove them from our country - for 'cultural reasons'. That is how far the Conservative party has sunk."
October 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Why did this take so long. Jesus Christ.
I'm meant to advise colleagues on a funding strategy soon.
If my advice is anything other than "do not waste your time applying", it is shit advice because it's unrealistic.
If it's "do not waste your time applying", it is also shit advice because of career demands.
Welcome to academia!
If my advice is anything other than "do not waste your time applying", it is shit advice because it's unrealistic.
If it's "do not waste your time applying", it is also shit advice because of career demands.
Welcome to academia!
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 23, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I'm meant to advise colleagues on a funding strategy soon.
If my advice is anything other than "do not waste your time applying", it is shit advice because it's unrealistic.
If it's "do not waste your time applying", it is also shit advice because of career demands.
Welcome to academia!
If my advice is anything other than "do not waste your time applying", it is shit advice because it's unrealistic.
If it's "do not waste your time applying", it is also shit advice because of career demands.
Welcome to academia!
Those of us with a passion for all things Excel have leapt at this, obviously.
Exciting day: one of my fave colleagues @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and I are teaming up on a weekly newsletter to track what's really happening with AI & the labour market. No hype, just spreadsheets & shoe-leather. You can sign up here to get the first edition at lunchtime today! ft.com/AIshift
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ft.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Those of us with a passion for all things Excel have leapt at this, obviously.
Challenge accepted, and don't let the door hit you, you delusional monolingual pariahs xoxo
October 23, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Challenge accepted, and don't let the door hit you, you delusional monolingual pariahs xoxo
I do not need Bernie bros showing up to tell me off for jumping the gun on the hilarious idea that the cover up of Nazi tattoo one might have revealed Nazi tattoo two. Like, guys, fuck off - this guy was unelectable the second we saw number one. We don't have to give him the benefit of the doubt!
October 22, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I do not need Bernie bros showing up to tell me off for jumping the gun on the hilarious idea that the cover up of Nazi tattoo one might have revealed Nazi tattoo two. Like, guys, fuck off - this guy was unelectable the second we saw number one. We don't have to give him the benefit of the doubt!
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
why did this take two fucking days though? did the Prime Minister have his notifications switched off? was he stuck in the bath? why, exactly, is this obviously true thing something that apparently needs running past the boss anyway? what is *wrong* with their comms operation?
NEW: Labour condemn Tory plan to strip people of indefinite leave to remain:
“It’s utterly grotesque that Tories want to deport people with the lawful right to be here to achieve ‘cultural coherence’.
“This policy would mean tearing families apart and ripping out our neighbours from communities."
“It’s utterly grotesque that Tories want to deport people with the lawful right to be here to achieve ‘cultural coherence’.
“This policy would mean tearing families apart and ripping out our neighbours from communities."
October 22, 2025 at 6:12 PM
why did this take two fucking days though? did the Prime Minister have his notifications switched off? was he stuck in the bath? why, exactly, is this obviously true thing something that apparently needs running past the boss anyway? what is *wrong* with their comms operation?
Oh come on. "I've covered my first Nazi tattoo with a more obscure white supremacy reference that you definitely won't catch, and you'll never know about the other one, ha HA, I WIN" and Bernie is somewhere going look I have a mouse tattooed on my ass, we're all young once, focus on what matters!
October 22, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Oh come on. "I've covered my first Nazi tattoo with a more obscure white supremacy reference that you definitely won't catch, and you'll never know about the other one, ha HA, I WIN" and Bernie is somewhere going look I have a mouse tattooed on my ass, we're all young once, focus on what matters!
Have rarely seen this expressed better. Empire brain on roids is making it impossible for this country to succeed on any level.
I love the UK but, in small doses/scale compared to the US but still, the Brits have an exceptionality complex that in the common world trickles down in an incapacity to benchmark to other similar sized countries.
It‘s possibly due to UK history. Maybe also bc it‘s an island, idk. It’s frustrating.
It‘s possibly due to UK history. Maybe also bc it‘s an island, idk. It’s frustrating.
October 22, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Have rarely seen this expressed better. Empire brain on roids is making it impossible for this country to succeed on any level.
Has Labour come out and called this difficult to implement yet?
Imagine thinking you can put this out there or not hard denounce it and there won't be lasting societal consequences in a country with a flatlined economy in desperate need of migrants. Empire-brained bullshit forever.
Imagine thinking you can put this out there or not hard denounce it and there won't be lasting societal consequences in a country with a flatlined economy in desperate need of migrants. Empire-brained bullshit forever.
Here Lam explicitly sets out her proposal - which is official Conservative Party policy - to deport long-standing legal permanent residents who have *ever* claimed any benefit, including the state pension or child benefit (even if the child is British), or who earn less than £39K.
October 22, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Has Labour come out and called this difficult to implement yet?
Imagine thinking you can put this out there or not hard denounce it and there won't be lasting societal consequences in a country with a flatlined economy in desperate need of migrants. Empire-brained bullshit forever.
Imagine thinking you can put this out there or not hard denounce it and there won't be lasting societal consequences in a country with a flatlined economy in desperate need of migrants. Empire-brained bullshit forever.
My overriding reason for voting Remain, and why the people persuaded by Lexit need to be launched from a cannon into the sun, given how this country's politics has *always* trended conservative (and now worse).
Death by parliamentary sovereignty, yayyy, so very democratic, so much will of people.
Death by parliamentary sovereignty, yayyy, so very democratic, so much will of people.
We are living through one of the costs of Brexit; lack of institutional restraint leaves your laws prey to lunatic far right populism, in the form of both Reform and Tory policies on mass deportation of legal residents.
October 22, 2025 at 8:11 AM
My overriding reason for voting Remain, and why the people persuaded by Lexit need to be launched from a cannon into the sun, given how this country's politics has *always* trended conservative (and now worse).
Death by parliamentary sovereignty, yayyy, so very democratic, so much will of people.
Death by parliamentary sovereignty, yayyy, so very democratic, so much will of people.
Quite. Nobody's saying it's not THE LAW. It's just shit law that very likely breaches other law. Happy to help!
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Mahmood hits back at European watchdog over trans and protest rights concerns
The Supreme Court ruled in April that the words ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
www.independent.co.uk
October 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Quite. Nobody's saying it's not THE LAW. It's just shit law that very likely breaches other law. Happy to help!
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Mahmood hits back at European watchdog over trans and protest rights concerns
The Supreme Court ruled in April that the words ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
www.independent.co.uk
October 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Hmmmm. "The Home Secretary has said it is unacceptable for a European human rights watchdog to “question the validity” of the Supreme Court ruling".
Except the Commissioner didn't question the "validity" of the Supreme Court ruling, he questioned its fairness.
Re the post 16 white paper - I apologise for suggesting the only people whose opinions the government cares about are bigoted Reform voters; they clearly also care deeply about making management consultants feel meaningful and important. 💀
(No, the union isn't the answer, fuck off.)
(No, the union isn't the answer, fuck off.)
October 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Re the post 16 white paper - I apologise for suggesting the only people whose opinions the government cares about are bigoted Reform voters; they clearly also care deeply about making management consultants feel meaningful and important. 💀
(No, the union isn't the answer, fuck off.)
(No, the union isn't the answer, fuck off.)
Ah, the brains of the administration has spoken: "Much of the bigoted racist Nazi stuff I've said to my friends was thankfully pre-internet, so ha ha, joke's on you, you can't prove that I've always been like this, haha, I WIN, HAHA."
JD Vance dismisses Young Republicans who in a group chat said "I love Hitler" and joked about slavery and rape as "a bunch of kids" who "told stupid jokes" and adds that "most of the stupid things I did when I was a teenager and young adult, they're not on the internet."
October 15, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Ah, the brains of the administration has spoken: "Much of the bigoted racist Nazi stuff I've said to my friends was thankfully pre-internet, so ha ha, joke's on you, you can't prove that I've always been like this, haha, I WIN, HAHA."
Amazing to drop these right in the middle of Traitors. A+ no notes.
Witness statements in relation to alleged breach of Official Secrets Act on behalf of China: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Witness statements in relation to alleged breach of Official Secrets Act on behalf of China
As the Prime Minister said in the House, he has carefully considered this matter and, following legal advice, the Prime Minister decided to disclose the witness statements in full.
www.gov.uk
October 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Amazing to drop these right in the middle of Traitors. A+ no notes.
Look, it's hard to do basic paperwork or anything else well when 90% of your brain power is solely devoted to levelling up your dedication to your particular obsessive cause. 🤷
October 15, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Look, it's hard to do basic paperwork or anything else well when 90% of your brain power is solely devoted to levelling up your dedication to your particular obsessive cause. 🤷
Reposted by Sylvia de Mars
The Committee has published a unanimous report today on Northern Ireland after Brexit: Strengthening Northern Ireland's voice in the context of the Windsor Framework. The Committee warns that efforts to mitigate the democratic deficit in NI after Brexit remain insufficient. 1/6
October 15, 2025 at 8:49 AM
The Committee has published a unanimous report today on Northern Ireland after Brexit: Strengthening Northern Ireland's voice in the context of the Windsor Framework. The Committee warns that efforts to mitigate the democratic deficit in NI after Brexit remain insufficient. 1/6
Update: turns out basically nobody in England needs A level English after all, whether foreign or not.
My thanks to @danielrooney.bsky.social who explains that B2 is equivalent to a good A level grade in a modern "foreign language" hence the A level reference.
But most people won't require that score it's just for people like doctors and church ministers
But most people won't require that score it's just for people like doctors and church ministers
October 15, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Update: turns out basically nobody in England needs A level English after all, whether foreign or not.