Daniel Jones

I’m talking of course about the National Front in the 1970s, but I can see why you might think I meant Reform.

The suggestion migration has made cities no go areas, the linking of migration to crime, the use of inflammatory combative language that risks violence, the conspiracy claims, the idea of the state apparatus prosecuting them for speaking ‘truth’, claims of being a true voice of ordinary people…

Also amused by Archivists being there. Oh yeah, AI is great at lifting boxes off a shelf and looking in it. Even if things were digitised (vast majority aren't!) you'd still want the originals in many/most cases retained.

Judging from how bad this list of careers that AI will replace from Microsoft is, I wonder if they used their janky AI to make it. Historians number two on the list, really? Good luck with that given the paucity of digitised sources.

With Farage spreading nonsense about the police bussing in anti racists, you are left with wondering if it might be that he either doesn’t care if he stokes tensions that lead to violence (like last summer), or if it could perhaps be a deliberate choice. I’m not sure I can believe he is just - fool.

Was very sad to miss the UON Centre for Historical studies conference on marginalisation - sadly I was having rather painful liver issues and was bed bound. And I once again missed @liamliburd.bsky.social! Hope everyone had a great time, and will make it up to all.

‘In Our Blood’: Archaeology and ‘Indigeneity’ in the British National Party’s Magazine Identity This paper presents the first diachronic analysis of the appropriation of archaeological themes in British far-right politics, focusing on the British National Party’s publication Identity from 200...

Out this morning & Open Access! 📢 My new article in Public Archaeology on the entanglement of archaeology, the far right and ancient genetic studies, using the British National Party as a case study: ‘In Our Blood’: Archaeology and ‘Indigeneity’ in the British National Party’s Magazine Identity'

A conference Monday and Tuesday and then I’m on leave! Not sure I’ve needed it more than I do this year.

All credit to the BBC for making sure their online story on benefit cuts highlighted that PIP is given to those in work as well as those out of work. For many it supports the choice to stay in work while handling complex conditions, making work pay. The very people the Gov says it wants to help.

Periodic PSA 🙃:

Reminder that whenever you "discover" something at the archives, it's been made available to you through the physical and intellectual labor of archivists.

Republicans taking an axe to the US Higher Ed system is awful. Also highlights abject failure of British HE policy. UK HE should be poised to try and take up the international student market sections the US is retreating from - but we are instead actively hostile to that market, and are not prepared

Big spending review today - not really holding my breath for any HE boost, seems all the parties are content to let the system collapse (or at most try to look away and pretend they have never heard of higher education). Just hoping nothing to make things worse!

As the US goes down an ugly path, it feels like one of those times people should be reminding themselves that it is perfectly fine to refuse to follow illegal orders.

The idea that organisations can champion sustainability or green credentials while also promoting AI is something for the birds. It doesn't fit. Systematic use of generative AI has big environmental impacts - if your org doesn't need it, just don't use it.

Our @errnetwork.bsky.social event Addressing the Extreme Right event has kicked off with world expert in fascism Roger Griffin talking to us about defining extremism.

Great to be at the @errnetwork.bsky.social Addressing the Extreme Right Threat workshop day. @pnjackson.bsky.social just announcing our new website, soon to have podcasts. Running a @searchlightarchive.bsky.social stall, including some classic copies of @searchlightmag.bsky.social

Fancy a last minute trip to Northampton on Friday to discuss combatting the extreme right? We've got a couple of travel bursaries left - if this would help you attend do get in touch, we'd love to have you here.

Finished the draft of an article ready to go to editors yesterday - a month late. But it feels good to be able to at least send it off after some reference fixing and get some feedback on it. This year has certainly been…well, feels like about two years crammed into it.

Just a week until this event organised by @pnjackson.bsky.social @menysnoweballes.bsky.social and myself. Still a few tickets left, and time to alter the catering, so do get in touch. We also have a couple of £75 travel bursaries left if it helps people attend.

This daily coverage of Reform pledges by the media is absolutely bizarre and out of kilter with coverage they provide other non government parties. The media builds Farage up each time, they know he gets eyes on pages.

We have 4x£75 travel bursaries available for PGRs, ECRs and precarious researchers for this event. Just drop an email to daniel.jones@northampton.ac.uk if you would like more information. And you can book until early next week, but we are getting low on tickets! Link in original post.

I'm glad the NHS is running so well that this is the priority. This and attacking Trans people for no reason. There is nothing going wrong. No huge waiting lists, no issues. And certainly not trusts "pausing" care for entire swathes of the population. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nigel Farage's Reform UK commits to reinstating winter fuel payment Reform UK also plans to scrap the two-child benefit policy, as part of plans to outflank the government.

Could the press please remember they have 5 MPs? 5. 5 MPs.

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

A long week but made it to the weekend so I can focus on some writing that is overdue!

GREAT news - we have a slight budget surplus on this event so we are able to offer 4 x £75 travel bursaries to PGRs/ECRs/other precariously employed researchers: so if you'd like to join us in Northampton for the day, contact @narson.bsky.social on daniel.jones@northampton.ac.uk.

I see the government is recommending unis do more on student mental health support. I do think unis should have good additional support, but also can I recommend the government - which runs the NHS - should first fix its mental health support and diagnosis provision before anything else?

As we get Conservative/Reform claims that this new EU deal ends the fishing industry lets look at numbers: Since 2019 the fishing industry has already halved under existing Brexit arrangements. Down from c.12k in 2019 to c. 6k today.

Local history: a view from the bottom Local history is a powerful tool that contributes to place making and construction of identity.

Did you know that May is National Local and Community History Month?

At HWO, we LOVE local and community history all year round!

In this article, Ian Willis reminds us of the importance of local history as a powerful tool for place making and the construction of identity.

www.historyworkshop....

If you believe as the tabloids do that a youth mobility scheme - similar to arrangements with Australia etc - somehow undoes all of Brexit then, well, you never really believed in the Brexit you so love now, did you? How can it be so great if something so small undoes it? (It doesn’t)

That isn't to say it won't recover a bit. But I think we have done ourselves some needless harm in the past few years in terms of overseas student market for HE. But hopefully I'm wrong! And I am a relatively minor cog in HE - I've worked in it since 2012.