Alison Torrens

Adopted Brummie. University wonkery. "Moral arbitrator (sic) of my own womanhood." Show me the evidence. Stubbornly resistant to control. Views personal etc.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@SalfordUniNews @simon_green @SalfordUni Congrats @simon_green the West Mids will miss you.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

Could not agree more. The lack of understanding of how universities (even the 'small' ones are big & complex organisations) are run has been a massive detriment to the past few years.

[Iain Mansfield @IGMansfield]

Labour could do far worse than appoint a current or former Vice-Chancellor as Chair.

One of OfS's big challenges has been failing to understand the burden which it is putting on the sector.

Having a Chair who has run a uni would help a lot here.

https://t.co/FeZ92FAPco

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@LucyHunterB @HJoyceGender Counterpoint, he is maybe sending a clear message to some on the benches behind him and others who spur them on.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

Evidence-based policy and practice, that is what is needed here. (In news that will surprise few, I also think it's needed in 'gender' social policy and the infringement of women's rights). I am so glad to see the Health Secretary say this loud and clear.

[Wes Streeting @wesstreeting]

Puberty Blockers. A 🧵 

Children’s healthcare must always be led by evidence. 

Medicine given to children must always be proven safe and effective first.

I know there’s lots of fear and anxiety. 

Let me explain why this decision was taken.

1/9

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@HJoyceGender @RichardDawkins @jk_rowling They want her for clicks not knowledge, because they could...you know...read what she has written and the words of others she has shared.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

It is a niche HE factoid that @SpatialityJones has never been known to eat dinner without turning over the tableware.

[martin jones @SpatialityJones]

Cross-between: Rotherham-Burslem @SteeliteEMEA AMRC meets ceramics

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@votedannorris Many congratulations, pleased to see you back where you are happiest, best of luck to you. Hope you'll say some nice things about universities 😉.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@AndyWWestwood Now we have "economic growth across the whole country", behold the new dawn. Not quite so catchy.

[Lily Craven @TheAttagirls]

Woman of the Day Julia Pirie born OTD 1918 Warwickshire, MI5 agent for 20 years. Cover story: typist. Her unassuming demeanour and matronly appearance masked a sharp intellect. When Barcelona police raided her flat in the 1970s (she was keeping tabs on the IRA at the time), she convinced them she was just a harmless English spinster.

In WW2, Julia joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry which provided women agents for the Special Operations Executive.

After the war, MI5 asked her to infiltrate the Communist Party of Great Britain as a typist. She became personal assistant to the General Secretary, accompanying him to regular meetings behind the Iron Curtain. The fact that she usually tried to avoid these "dreary" visits to the Eastern Bloc only reinforced her cover. Julia would pass regular reports and photocopies to her MI5 handlers during cricket matches at The Oval. It wasn’t a hardship; she enjoyed cricket.

In the 1970s, she was instructed to resign her Communist Party post and take on a new mission: collecting intelligence on the Provisional IRA during several missions in Europe.

Posing as a modest, elderly English spinster sightseeing abroad, Julia followed the Provisional IRA through several European countries collecting information about them, before renting a flat in Barcelona immediately below the one used as an IRA safe house and temporary storage for gold bullion supplied by Gaddafi. The whole operation was put at risk when Barcelona armed police mistakenly raided her flat, but she coolly maintained her cover and persuaded them they had the wrong person.

In the 1990s, after retiring from active operations, Julia lectured to groups of MI5 trainees and the police.

And the best bit? Until her death in September 2008 at the age of 90, the Communist Party continued to pay her pension each month from a bank in Italy.

There’s no known photo of her. Did you really think there would be?

[Lucy Hunter Blackburn @LucyHunterB]

The best advice for all new MPs is not to sign up for anything - new pledges, caucuses, campaigns - in the immediate aftermath of election. Hold lobbyists of all sort - including the "nice" ones - at arms' length. Listen, but don't subscribe. Don't splurge on social media.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

This is a marker of how serious the new govt takes post-16 education & how the PM will approach governing. HE will give @Jacqui_Smith1 a warm welcome, she will do an impressive job & she needs to. We should give thanks also to @MattWestern_ for all he gave to the shadow role 👏.

[Department for Education @educationgovuk]

Welcome to Rt Hon Jacqui Smith @Jacqui_Smith1 who has been appointed as Minister of State in the Department for Education

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

Now we're talking.

[UK Prime Minister @10DowningStreet]

Sir Patrick Vallance KCB has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Science) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology @SciTechgovuk.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

I'm curious to learn just how much oil was used in the transport and construction of Stonehenge.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

I'm really sorry to see @steve_mccabe stand down. I left @UKLabour a while ago but I could not rate Steve higher and was always happy to do my very small bit of campaigning for him. Never has a strapline fitted so well, he really is hard working and straight talking.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

Everyone has something meaningful in their life that they are putting off. Start here.

[Philippa_Perry @Philippa_Perry]

Do what you love doing, even if you must do what you love less for most of the time. Click on image for this week’s article. https://t.co/LNLiXlTesG

[Nick Hillman @nickhillman]

But the argument *is not* that students shouldn’t be counted - sorry for the double negative.

Of course we need to know how many people are in the country. Of course we should keep to international norms.

The argument *is* about whether they should be in Government targets.

[vivienne stern @viviennestern]

UK ministers urged not to axe graduate visa programme https://t.co/q278IctuZu via @ft

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

I'm not bothered at all about one or other brand of Conservativism but @andy4wm deserves to be proud of the enormous part he has played in the West Midlands. He is all the things people say about him, dedicated, full of integrity & loves where we live. Thank you Andy.

[Sophy Ridge @SophyRidgeSky]

Q - You must be disappointed?

Andy Street: Well, of course. I mean, disappointed is a soft word, but we'll go with it

Q - You say that disappointed is a soft word. What word would you choose then?

Andy Street: I suppose I am personally devastated

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@WomensRightsNet @MaggieOliverUK She is absolutely extraordinary.

[Alison Torrens @AliTorrens]

@HJoyceGender My ancestors were Scottish Presbyterian, chased out to Ireland centuries ago. Same old same old.