Category Archives: Current events

Open Access Publishing – but who will pay?*

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

Today’s Guardian front page offers an encouraging headline: Free access to British scientific research within two years. The idea is that by 2014 all publications of all research which has been funded by the British taxpayer has to be accessible … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Education, Universities | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

What the Church of England is really saying about same-sex marriage

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

Guest post by Alan Renwick, Reader in Comparative Politics, University of Reading   @alanjrenwick Confused about the Church of England’s arguments concerning same-sex marriage? Here is a brilliant executive summary which which knows how to read between the lines. Alan Renwick … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Guest Post, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Subject to a right royal confusion

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

(with thanks to Don Kranz, whose blog is a real inspiration, for luring me out of work-induced blog hibernation!) It’s Diamond Jubilee weekend, and a time to think about the role of the monarchy, and the role it plays in … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Democracy, Life in the UK, UK Citizenship | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Racism Row We Didn’t Need

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Maria Pretzler

Sometime yesterday evening, Diane Abbott, in a twitter conversation with her constituent Bin Adewunmi, expressed a rather insensitive view: Once the tweet was spotted, there was no halting the row.  Diane Abbott in thoughtless hyperbole shocker. As if she had never said something … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Immigration, Life in the UK, Politics | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Wolf in Shadow Chancellor’s Clothing

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

In an interview with the Independent yesterday Ed Balls has made the LibDems a not-so ‘big, open and comprehensive’ offer, asking them to cross the floor and to join Labour in a coalition. I think it would be much better now … Continue reading →

Posted in Coalition, Current events, Political Parties, Politics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Rise of the Populist Right* (part 1)

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

Part 2 – Two weeks ago, Demos  published a pamphlet on populist movements in Europe, The New Face of Digital Populism (a summary can be found at the Guardian website, here, with a handy interactive page provided here). I started … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Current events, Extreme right-wing parties, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Skewed Iconographies: Iranian Protest Conundrum

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

  I saw this picture making the rounds on Facebook yesterday, and what struck me was the odd combination of conflicting iconographies. Let me explain: political imagery often uses specific visual cues to get across its message. They might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Iconography, Politics, Protest, women in politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Coalition Counterfactual

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

Two days ago, the New Stateman’s Staggers blog published a little sample of ‘what if?’ politics by David Mills, a little glimpse of a world where Nick Clegg refused David Cameron’s offer of May 2010, the Conservatives and LibDems embarked on … Continue reading →

Posted in Coalition, Current events, Inventing the Past, Political Parties, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tyrant Slayers

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Maria Pretzler

Thoughts on the day Muammar Gaddafi was killed This will be a crucial day in Libya’s history – so much is certain. The day a tyrant dies cannot be anything else. But what will we, what will the Libyans remember? … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Inventing the Past | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments