Marc Welsh

Guessing no one is surprised that Israel's ongoing occupation is inexorably heading towards military annexation of Gaza. Meanwhile continuing state sustained ethnic cleansing in the West Bank continues apace (38 entire communities displaced by Israel since Oct 2023, most recently Badu al-Mu’arajat).

Visiting my father. He gets The Times in hard copy.

Holy cra* but they have become a right-wing talking shop. A pravda for the right and the conservative. No longer fit to be associated with the term "newspaper of record".

REMINDER to PLEASE vote in the consultative ballot on the 25/26 pay claim!

The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved and going global An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark...

Well, I'll be damned.

It's royalty free and there's already six, generic manufacturers lined up.

newatlas.com/infectious-d...

I was astonished the Radio 4 political correspondent reported it that way too.

Whilst the comments are predictable and predictably snide, and dare I say boring, the point Ian Dunt is highlighting here (government of the day using SI's to amend or implement interpretations of law) is well recognised.

Parliament has a function. Scrutiny of and amendment of law is one of them.

Not convinced the decision of HEC to recommend we vote in support of IA was wise. It makes the consultation performative rather than useful for developing strategy (i.e. it presumes the next step is ballot & strike - striking the goal - not understanding and resolving those structural problems).

It was very much a 'we need to convince the employers the workers are serious by, well, you know, saying we're serious through this consultation (irrespective of whether individually we are or not)' argument. i.e. groundhog day 2.

Been a long time coming, and inevitable for months now. Finally a G7 nation actually reinforcing two-states as a solution.

@labouruk.bsky.social could have demonstrated real world leadership but chose not to for ... unknown reasons. They still have time to change that.

Should student mental health responsibility fall to universities? The number of students reporting mental health concerns is rising. But to what extent should the onus be on universities?

Maybe this is a something UUK and UCU could reach one about?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I think this a fairly lightweight article (generic overview not substantive analysis) on a serious topic.

It raises the profound question "are institutions really letting students down - or is the expectation placed on them part of the issue?" without reaching a conclusion.

Good point.

But I thought they were just signing a letter today, committing to an actual agreed text further down the line, along with some investments. i.e. it's not an FTA yet?

UCU has eight negotiators involved in New JNCHES negotiations.

Will all negotiators be heard in this session?

Higher Education Committee Report: 4 July 2025 Headlines: HEC approved a consultation of members on an industrial action ballot on pay and conditions starting soon HEC approved coordination with other unions in JNCHES negotiations with UCEA on …

Some insight into the decision on the consultation is available here:

ucucommons.org/2025/07/16/h...

Finding from UCU member survey

Finding from UCU member survey

Finding from UCU member survey

Is AI helping or harming your work?

From classroom tools to performance monitoring, over 1,700 UCU members shared how AI is creeping into every corner of post-16 education.

Read the full report on how AI is already impacting members’ working lives: tr.ee/rldkpe

Genius! Bravo Scotland!

"Sliced, stabbed, punctured, bleeding, harassed on all sides by various weaponry, the curious image of Wound Man is a rare yet intriguing presence in the world of #medieval and early modern medical manuscripts." #history #surgery
publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-ma...

Worth looking through the judgement. Seems to have been calculated, by those funding/acting as witnesses for this case, for its capacity to chill public body engagement with LGBTQ (and by extension other community) activities rather than anything else. I suspect this will be a deeply harmful ruling.

The police (wrongly) inform a peaceful protestor that holding a Palestinian flag and signs deploring genocide is an offence under the Terrorism Act. This is the deranged policing environment the government has created.

Worth a read. But the comments underneath it? More revealing I think.

Them's some tight jeans there George.

What a voice tho. What a voice. We love George. Always. #liveaid

That's re: Bowie. Obvs.

I think this might be as iconic as Queen's crowd work and U2s Bad. I remember this giving me the feels, a sense of connection with a global audience, at the time. A smile and a sense of hope.
#liveaid

Whether this is true or not it is now banked as a factoid.

Long live the Queen. #liveaid #liveaid40

Nuff said.

Be honest. Who else is hanging around for the Power Station slot? No one? No one else? Really?? #liveaid40 #liveaid

Psyche.

Little known fact: the amount of Elnette used at Live Aid created a hole in the ozone layer which led to the ban on CFCs #LiveAid

Ah. The Unforgettable Fire era U2. Brimming with presence, talent and aspiration for themselves and the world. This really is, imho, the peak cultural moment of the band. #liveaid40 #liveaid

I missed this bit of #liveaid because I was crawling down a hole. We got back to the Youth Hostel just before the mesmeric U2 performance and that set the bar for what we thought we'd missed. To be fair Paul Young's band are tiiight and he's great.

Not currently (most recent meeting is identified as April 2024) and calendar doesn't seem to list Committee meetings. But will keep an eye for the updates. 👍