David Orton

Archaeologist, Balkanophile, news junkie. This is my distinctly unprofessional account.

[David Orton @davidcorton]

@phil_terry @archaeoRattus it is I, David!
Thanks.

[Kurt Mills @ProfKurtMills]

Dear @AlistairJarvis @UniversitiesUK: I have not yet heard back from you about my inquiries regarding the purported period of USS contribution reduction. Given your stated interest in rebuilding trust, will you now respond? #NoCapitulation #VoteNo2UUKDeal 1/ https://t.co/xFW2WEDhTr

[The Secret Barrister 🦋 @BarristerSecret]

There’s something rotten about swearing an oath to defend the independence of the judiciary and sitting mute while judges are threatened and abused by your boss’ cheerleaders in the media, wouldn’t you also agree, Liz? https://t.co/g7qmDi4he0

[David Orton @davidcorton]

@diana_paton @IanSudbery @ucu Suspect Ian meant ‘members’? Autocorrect? And it’s true, but now we’re stuck with a binary choice that seems to many of us premature.

[Diana Paton @diana_paton]

Some are saying they’ll leave @ucu if ‘deal’ accepted. Better to notice how close the HEC vote was and stay and organise. Struggle is long, union is changing. Previous strikes were nothing like this.

[Tom Higham @tommyhigham]

These resolutions should be cut and pasted and put to all senior managers at all universities in the UK, without doubt. Let's take back control and stop the tail wagging the dog. https://t.co/Hp1LMemtrM

[Phil Baty @Phil_Baty]

Some of today’s headlines on campus free speech following the parliamentary JCHR report. Note: THE REPORT CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAGGERATED BY THE MEDIA. https://t.co/C9uyfHt9hY

[Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan]

You can agree that anti-Semitism is definitely a problem on some parts of the left and needs to be loudly denounced while also agreeing that Jeremy Corbyn’s political opponents are cynically using it as a stick with which to beat him. You can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla]

This is absolutely indefensible. Number 10’s press office outed a 24-year-old man against his will. Think about it. This was sanctioned and approved by Theresa May’s government.

[David Huyssen @davidhuyssen.bsky.social @davidhuyssen]

Thread to my fellow @ucu members on what #USSstrikes have won, why we should accept this offer, but also prepare ourselves to fight harder (or why, when people focus on the offer’s loopholes, they are missing a bigger picture):

[Michael Otsuka @MikeOtsuka]

.@UniversitiesUK releases a statement in which they attempt to defend their controversial use of consultation responses to Q 3a regarding acceptable level of risk. My thoughts in tweets below. (@JosephineCumbo @AtheneDonald @henryhtapper @ucu)

Link: https://t.co/0HxuuaJ02Y

[Ian Dunt @IanDunt]

Simply fucking appalled by Owen Smith sacking.

[Michael Otsuka @MikeOtsuka]

In a significant and welcome development, LSE has just released the following statement re #USS: "We would urge UUK to work with UCU to revert to the earlier valuation of the pension scheme set out in September 2017 by USS."

Link to full statement: https://t.co/7fBuLxQUnT

[UCU @ucu]

"We are unconvinced that getting rid of over 200 valuable and experienced teaching and research staff is the best approach to try and improve rankings for teaching and research" https://t.co/gP4vvubOah

[Caspar Addyman 🏳️‍🌈 @czzpr]

We spent an hour in a dept meeting today discussing strategies for the upcoming subject area Teaching Excellence Framework. None of that time was spent discussing how to improve teaching. Because the #TEF doesn’t actually assess teaching.

[White Rose Brussels @WhiteRoseBxl]

Professor Matthew Collins from @archsci2020 and @UoYArchaeology is now giving his presentation in the European Parliament about the future of #Archaeology in Europe.

[Peter Jukes @peterjukes]

So @GuidoFawkes or @paulstaines - how’s that @carolecadwalla ‘tin foil hat’ conspiracy theorist sounding now? (Not forgetting your mates @LeaveEUOfficial @JulianAssange and @RussianEmbassy)

[Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla]

Wow. Britain's Information Officer announces she is seeking a warranting to raid Cambridge Analytica and seize servers