Melanie Simms

graphic image of lots of diverse people

On 7 April the new Fair Work Agency launches.

Tomorrow, with @melaniesimms.bsky.social, Prof. Ruth Dukes & Dr Eleanor Kirk @glasgow.ac.uk, we’re bringing together key voices to explore what this shift in labour market enforcement means for workers in Scotland.

(image:Zdravka Boudinova-Zdravolina)

Haha! Great stuff!

True! You’ll love it.

It really is. But the answer is probably that I’ve never met a man who has read it or shown any interest in reading it. Which could just be my social circle.

It would behove UK commentators to remember that there are elections in Scotland and Wales in just 9 weeks time. These polls will be tested sooner than many are suggesting.

I like it. I like the rapport between the presenters. And the series on Persian/Iran gets right up to contemporary times.

Anyone wanting to know more about Iran would do well to listen to the relevant bits of the Empire podcast. It’s super-informative.

Roasted! Rubbed with spices from wherever you want to go. With any carb of your choice. Yoghurt is a great dressing. Seasoned as appropriate. Add chickpeas for bulk if you wish. 25 mins in the oven is fine if you cut into florets. Delicious!!

Glasgow made me love February. (Which is a slog of a month for any Northern hemisphere educator.) It’s the month where you really notice the days lengthening. Down South that doesn’t hit till March.

Never is.

Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries (CreativeAI Studentship) at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries (CreativeAI Studentship) at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com

Come at do a PhD with Sam Hind, Riza Batista-Navarro and me! "Artificial Inequality? AI and its impact on the UK Creative Industries" Deadline 30th March www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

GenX: AI will kill our retirements. Sorry. I have other commonly used Scottish swear words. But let’s keep it printable.

Well - if you’re going to be interrupted by a message in the middle of a talk, I guess “Mandleson arrested” is as good a message as one might hope for!

Always.

As a rule of thumb, if there is a shortage or delay in a product or service, it’s usually to do with labour supply. Sometimes labour relations. Video game delayed - labour unrest. Scaffolding shortage - labour supply.(Occasionally tho - pandemic, weather or a boat getting wedged in the Suez Canal!)

Job description British Library Advisory Council- Chair The British Library is entering a bold new era. As one of the world's leading national libraries, we hold over 170 million items and support millions of people across the UK and beyond with research, learning, and inspiration. This is a pivotal moment to join us as we begin an ambitious new chapter, expanding access, strengthening engagement, and shaping our future as a modern national library for the digital age.

OK so I know I carp on a bit about the British Library, but only because I think it’s important. They want a new Advisory Council Chair - surely someone here would be excellent in helping them get back to their core purpose of serving the research community?
ce0752li.webitrent.com/ce0752li_web...

NEW

How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence

How a close read of public domain documents show how MoD was commercially colonised by Palantir

By me, at FT

www.ft.com/content/5207...

“The nadir came in March 2022, in what became known as “Researchfishgate.” When Christopher Jackson, a geoscience professor at the University of Manchester, innocently asked on Twitter what Researchfish actually was…” 😇

There was light in the sky in Glasgow at 0700. The light is returning. I’m grateful.

Problem about the loneliness epidemic is, it's everywhere except in representative survey data. Let's look at where the claim comes from. 1/

Episode artwork including Kat, Kez and Melanie

New #UofGSpotlight episode on 'Work, Ageing and the Employment Rights Act'💡

@kezdugdale.bsky.social speaks with Kat Riach about ageing and work then @melaniesimms.bsky.social about employment rights and recent legislation.

Listen and subscribe: uofgspotlight.com 🎧

My new book, An Injury to All: The Unmaking of the British Working Class, is now listed in Verso's trade catalogue for 2026.

You can find it here: versobooks.com/en-gb/pages/...

Any barrier cream works in a similar way. So a bit of whatever your usual antiseptic plus a bit of barrier cream does the same job. Barrier cream is often sold as “nappy cream” in the UK. Unscented is best.

⏰️ Live shortly!

Tune in to hear a Keynote and Q&A with Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

Chair Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation ⤵️ buff.ly/TbXMmu8

If you aim for the King, you better not miss. Or at least you need an escape plan if you might miss. I fear there is no evidence of a plan.

I hadn’t considered the “Sarwar resigns” option until just a second ago. He may think he’s protected by our elections?

I suspect he just wants “not Starmer” at the election. Unlikely they’d get thru a leadership election before then.

I will keep shouting about how we need to understand this. And make it universally accessible. Science is awesome. Politics, often less so.

Great plan!

I moved away from the Midlands 8 years ago. I haven’t had a Staffordshire oatcake since - and it makes me sad. Delicious!