Nick Pearce

Snippets of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, from a walk in Glasgow today.

Cold War Scotland | National Museums Scotland Cold War Scotland explores the stories of Scots at the centre of this global conflict.The Cold War was a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the

www.nms.ac.uk/exhibitions/...

Polaris tartan, cats against the bomb and other exhibits from the excellent Cold War Scotland exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.

David Marquand’s Intellectual and Political Legacy David Marquand, who died in April 2024, was a prominent figure in late 20th century British politics. This collection is devoted to analysing, criticising and celebrating his political and academic co...

David Marquand’s Intellectual & Political Legacy

SI edited by @pjsloman.bsky.social Colin Crouch & Ben Jackson with @emilyrobinson.bsky.social Will Hutton @npjgarland.bsky.social @anthonybarnett.bsky.social Hilary Wainwright Andrew Gamble Jean Seaton & +

politicalquarterly.org.uk/collections/...

Canada will recognize Palestine in September, Mark Carney says The move comes amid increasing international pressure and outcry over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

#Breaking: Mark Carney says Canada will recognize Palestine as a state

This is how it’s done.

Thanks to @eicathomefinn.bsky.social for notification of the death of Peter (P.J.) Marshall (1933-2025), a great historian of India and Empire, and a pioneering President of the Royal Historical Society. His last book is going to press so there is more of his work still to appreciate.

The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence William Kelleher Storey’s biography skirts the statues debate, but is clear-eyed about the magnate’s bitter legacy in southern Africa

My review of William Keheller Storey’s fine new biography of ‘imperialist engineer’ Cecil Rhodes on.ft.com/40C0di6

The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence William Kelleher Storey’s biography skirts the statues debate, but is clear-eyed about the magnate’s bitter legacy in southern Africa

on.ft.com/414HYSA The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence

The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence William Kelleher Storey’s biography skirts the statues debate, but is clear-eyed about the magnate’s bitter legacy in southern Africa

on.ft.com/414HYSA The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence

The Colonialist: The Vision of Cecil Rhodes — an imperialist engineer’s riches built on violence William Kelleher Storey’s biography skirts the statues debate, but is clear-eyed about the magnate’s bitter legacy in southern Africa

My review of William Keheller Storey’s fine new biography of ‘imperialist engineer’ Cecil Rhodes on.ft.com/40C0di6

Key themes include:

- the social foundations of shared prosperity
- an inclusive society amid demographic shifts
- ensuring rapid scientific & tech change works for people
- climate transition & social equity
- effective & trusted institutions in polarised times

Strategic Review | About | Nuffield Foundation In uncertain times, the Nuffield Foundation's strategic review renews our commitment to prosperity, inclusiveness, and fairness and a strategy focused on the complex challenges shaping lives in the UK...

Today we’ve launched a major new Strategic Review – backed by a £150 million spending commitment over 5 years – to back rigorous research & social innovation that tackles the UK’s biggest social challenges.

www.nuffieldfoundation.org/about/strate...

all the angles of the Ann-Katrin Berger save are unreal #WEuro2025

35 million albums worldwide, 17 Grammy nominations… and now the big one. Getting involved with @swansofficial.bsky.social

Ah yes. The best article title ever

Brian Clarke, stained glass artist, 1953-2025 A master of colour who hailed punk rock as a fresh start for all the arts and rejected ‘puritanical’ abstraction

on.ft.com/4nMgESU Brian Clarke, stained glass artist, 1953-2025

I am thrilled to be President of the Twentieth Century Society. Honoured to support the work of celebrating and protecting our architectural heritage.

ok this is truly surprising

I should say that this report drew on a lot of fantastic pre-existing research from people on here, including @parth0.bsky.social, @kjephd.bsky.social, @duncanweldon.bsky.social, @iprnickp.bsky.social, @joechrisp.bsky.social, @bpboyle.bsky.social, @benansell.bsky.social, and @sophiehale.bsky.social

Universal Suffrage? The problem of low and unequal turnout and the case for compulsory voting  - The Constitution Society An authoritative new report from Dr David Klemperer advocates for the introduction of compulsory voting at UK general elections.

My new Constitution Society report on compulsory voting has now been published.

I argue that low turnout has left the UK with an unrepresentative electorate. This is creating warped incentives for politicians, and contributing to low growth, high inequality, and rising democratic discontent.

The new voting system for mayors and PCCs: how it affects democracy This month’s elections for mayors and police and crime commissioners were contested under a revised voting system. In a post published yesterday, Alan Renwick found that this change had a substanti…

Great to see that the English Devolution Bill, published today, restores the Supplementary Vote system for electing mayors and PCCs.

In a blogpost last year, I set out why the switch to FPTP in 2022 was bad for democracy, and why reversing that move is good.

constitution-unit.com/2024/05/24/t...

I was waiting for the Toby Take on this. It doesn’t disappoint.

Tribute: 'David Lipsey's joie de vivre is missing in Labour politics today' - LabourList The death of David Lipsey while swimming in the River Wye closes an era of Labour history.

David signed me up as a Labour Party member in 1969. I had known him for more than 55 years. A sad loss. Moving tribute by Denis McShane.

Tribute: ‘David Lipsey’s joie de vivre is missing in Labour politics today’ labourlist.org/2025/07/comm...

Lord David Lipsey dies while swimming in River Wye Lord David Lipsey previously worked as a journalist and Downing Street adviser.

Saddened to read this news. David Lipsey made an important contribution to social democratic thought and politics in the UK. He also once opposed social care legislation that I worked on in No10 and helped stop it in the Lords. Such is politics. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The title of the report: Going it alone: Experiences of self-employed Universal Credit claimants.

New IPR research by Dr Rita Griffiths and Dr Marsha Wood investigates the experiences of self-employed #UniversalCredit claimants. Read their report here: buff.ly/mZJYKOw

Kyiv right now ‼️

Low turnout and an unfair voting system: UK elections ranked in the bottom half of countries in Europe British voters are moving away from the two-party system, but their electoral system hasn’t kept up.

“It is estimated that there are around 7 million to 8 million people not correctly registered or missing from the registers entirely. This is not many less than the 9.7 million people whose votes gave the government a landslide majority.”

Rethinking Income and Money with Geoff Crocker | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about Rethinking Income and Money with Geoff Crocker today.

I’ll be talking technology and economics and more 25 September with Geoff Crocker. Book here. www.waterstones.com/events/rethi...

The share of employees in low pay (defined as people with hourly pay below 2/3 median) has fallen to an all time low of 3 per cent thanks to increases in the minimum wage.

That awkward thing where you write an annual report called 'Low Pay Britain' but 'low pay' has been all but eliminated (on the standard hourly pay < 2/3 median measure).

(Our 2025 Low Pay Britain report is out on Thursday, launch event here www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/new-d... )