Peter Mandler

Proportional representation then?

Perfectly defensible as a moral principle, but democracies can function pretty well with a fair amount of inertia and/or small-c conservatism.

How so? Opinions like this were more common a generation or two ago when everyone thought democracy was in rude health.

A picture of the title page of Sarah Lewis's "Woman's Mission"

I might have solved the mystery of Sarah Lewis, author of *Woman's Mission*, key text of Victorian separate spheres ideology. The ODNB states nothing is known about her, but I have evidence to suggest she was Sarah Lewis (1807-1878), headmistress of a girls' boarding school in Putney in the 1840/50s

oh wow. this finally happened to me. a piece I wrote lifted wholesale by the Daily Mail, lightly rewritten and without any links back to my original piece of writing.

most amazingly, a weird use of the word 'pacing' suggests to me that they did it with ChatGPT.

archive.ph/LFmzR

Treasury Department considers minting a $1 Trump coin The draft design of the coin, which was overseen by the Office of the U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, features Trump’s profile on one side of the coin.

For the latest on George III's response, see next post

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

If anyone would like to buy Comment is Freed for $150 million, I'm open to offers.

Medical History and the Bibliography of British and Irish History   - On History Rachel Peacock recently completed a summer internship at the IHR, where she focused on medical history and health in the Bibliography of British and Irish History. In this blog, she explores…

Building on their Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) internship on medicine and health, @rachelpeacock.bsky.social explores in our latest On History blog Victorian understandings of mental illness through the example of intruders on Queen Victoria’s privacy tinyurl.com/b47xyh34

The "lanyard class" should almost always be parsed as an attack on women who work, and the enforcement of norms that make workplaces better for them.

Letter in the Times:

This is illegal, plain and simple, with penalties including removal from federal service, debarment from federal employment for five years, and a fine of $1000. 5 U.S.C. § 7326.

A country which valued the rule of law would enforce its laws.

Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."

This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social

Dame Janet Nelson was the first female President @royalhistsoc.org (2000-04) and is the subject of 'Jinty Nelson in Thirteen Articles', also edited by Alice Rio, and published in 'Transactions of the RHS' earlier this year.

Available Open Access bit.ly/4nyYx2k #Skystorians

Power, Politics and the Environment: British Academy Book Prize 2025 shortlist announced Six books offering new perspectives on issues of global importance, united by rigorous research and a remarkable ability to tell powerful stories in an engaging and compelling way.

Cracking shortlist for our @britishacademy.bsky.social Book Prize 2025 including @profsophieharman.bsky.social, Bronwen Everill, @willdalrymple.bsky.social, Sunil Amrith, Graeme Lawson and @lucyaash.bsky.social
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/power-p...

Libraries are palaces for the people. Their ramparts need... The spirit of inquiry that led to Britain’s first public library opening its doors 173 years ago needs to be rekindled

'Our public libraries are free in three critical senses. Firstly, they cost nothing to join and to use. Secondly, they are open to all in our communities. We must also add a third concept of freedom: the freedom to read – to engage, without restraint, a diversity of knowledge and opinion'.

UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has announced a ban on new fracking licences.

Goes beyond 2019 moratorium on existing licences.

"I say: let's ban fracking and vow to send this bunch of frackers packing too," he said.

The move is directed at Reform, which has said it would back fracking.

Calls for research funding from the Royal Historical Society: current programmes - RHS The Society currently invites applications for the following three schemes — open to historians across a range of career stages and backgrounds — with closing dates from 5 December 2025 onwards. For f...

RHS Funding opportunity: Postgraduate and Early Career Research Support Grants.

Grants of up to £1000 for graduate and early career historians to undertake research projects bit.ly/4nWLNlI

Closing date for the next round: 5 December 2025

Sadiq Khan hails Ulez success as London under limit for toxic pollutant for first time | LBC The mayor of London has hailed the success of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) as new Government data revealed that the capital has met legal limits for toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution for th...

"In 2019, experts at Kings College London estimated that without further action it would take 193 years for London to meet legal [pollution] limits, but City Hall said Sir Sadiq has achieved this aim in nine years" thanks to ULEZ
www.lbc.co.uk/article/sadi...

Image © Keystone Press Photo shows Mrs. Ingeboug Paine with her daughter 7 year old Diane, standing on their 19th story balcony overlooking the collapsed block of flats Ronan Point, taking a last look before leaving for their new home in another block of flats in Canning Town [Jan 20 1969].

To celebate the launch of 'Up in the Air: A History of High-Rise Britain', join author Holly Smith and C20 in conversation with architectural historian Neal Shasore on the future of public housing.

🗓️ Fri 14 Nov 2025, 6.30pm
📍 Cowcross St Gallery + Online
🎟️ secure.c20society.org.uk/Default.aspx...

It had gone up steadily from 15% to 35% under the Tories, then there was a brief dip just before the 1997 election, and then the upward trend resumed. The Tories also claimed to have 'removed the cap' after 2010 but the rate kept inching upwards almost every year 2006-2018 until 50% finally hit.

Governments often 'announce' things that are already happening. (2/2)

'In any meaningful sense'. Just making a speech doesn't make a target. In fact the participation rate was edging up every year without targets or indeed much government enthusiasm, and it kept edging up after that speech until the target was hit. (1/2)

No, it never existed, and then the imaginary target was scrapped by the Conservatives years ago anyway.

The rise in numbers going to uni was entirely down to higher demand from students.

Me too - pm297@cam. (I'm writing something about the experience of the undergraduate degree, not in Cambridge alone, but this will be very useful I can see!)

Yes, I'd like to read that!

Happily 'moral sciences' fell out of English use, though it was still the banner under which the Historical Tripos at Cambridge first flew.

Since the 19th century the counterposition between Geisteswissenschaften and Naturwissenschaften, or as we would later say human sciences and natural sciences.

Royal Historical Society Book and Article Prizes, 2026: submissions now invited - RHS The Royal Historical Society invites applications for its First Book Prize, 2026 and Early Career Article Prize, 2026. The call for submissions opens on Monday 29 September 2025 and runs to Monday 15 ...

RHS First Book and Early Career Article Prizes, 2026.

We invite submissions for the Society's book and article prizes: for eligible titles published in 2025. Further details and how to apply: bit.ly/3KnR47v

Submissions are by self-nomination by an author. Closing date: 15 December #Skystorians

Even there the 'choices' are between very different groups of people, not many of whom are equally free to 'choose' Engineering or English. (Not to mention the confounding factor of your likelihood to perform well at a subject you're not good at or don't like.)

Absolutely. Politicians even more than the rest of us.