Ellen Stewart

Earlier this month, the FM proposed the first major structural reform of the Scottish NHS for 20 years. The BMJ asked me and @dnblane.bsky.social to write an editorial about what it means and what is still unknown. @uofgussp.bsky.social @uofgshw.bsky.social @uofgpolicy.bsky.social

University of Nottingham, right now, is cutting 560 jobs. Do we need to rebrand universities as very large, very clean, land-based oil rigs to get government support?

This is SUCH a brilliant, and increasingly rare, funded PhD opportunity.

41% staffing cuts in the Faculty of Arts at UoN. We're entering a wilderness of creativity and critical thinking.

We are holding European Research Council Reading Days in Cardiff, Durham, Birmingham & Glasgow for humanities & social sciences researchers interested in ERC funding. You will be able to read previously successful ERC grant proposals from a selection of 50 www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/eur...

New post out: England's schools are now the second highest performing in the world outside the far east, according to the OECD's PISA study. Is this because of policy? Attitude to technology? Cultural factors like immigration? And where can we still improve? samf.substack.com/p/why-englan...

The RNLI has said the abuse of volunteers in Portsmouth has forced it to close the lifeboat station there and stop operating since September 10. Nearby stations have been providing cover to the area instead. One of the UK's largest coastal cities without a lifeboat because of the far-right.

Excited to attend the @bsa-medsoc.bsky.social annual conference this week. Specifically looking forward to @annekerr.bsky.social plenary today and @profellenstu.bsky.social and my special event on new sociological approaches to healthcare in criminal justice tomorrow.

Nick Robinson on Today is literally talking about ‘legitimate concerns’ after second night of organised men dressed in black - sorry ‘protesters’ - mobilising en masse in another littoral town. This is how street fascism is normalised

Interesting blog recording a workshop we hosted about archiving voluntary sector records www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blogs/commun...

Really lovely paper, can think of plenty of examples here in Ireland, especially around hospice care-Solvable Problems and the Politics of Public Things: A Charitable Appeal in the National Health Service in Shetland journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

I loved researching and writing this article, including engaging with @bonniehonig.bsky.social’s politics of public things and @kenworthy.bsky.social’s solvable problems.

People from lower socio-economic backgrounds are under-represented in think tanks. This amazing opportunity (which am proud to say the @smfthinktank.bsky.social is one of the host orgs for this year) is looking to change that. A genuinely entry level role... www.smf.co.uk/new-opportun...

The average terror suspect arrested in England and Wales is now a white woman in her 50s as a result of the Palestine Action ban Almost 2,800 arrests were made for supporting the group in 6 months - surpassing the number of terror suspects detained in the previous decade inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Refugee Festival Scotland 2026 is here! This beautiful front cover was created by Nii Sackey Vanderpuye and Anupa Joshy, who also designed this year's Refugee Festival Scotland Poster. At times like this, standing in solidarity with refugees is more important than ever. This festival does just that

Having spent the day, much like every other day at present, listening to journalists and broadcasters restate unsubstantiated claims, and elide the fact of difference with a trigger for racist violence, here are simple rules even Chris Mason might grasp. ⬇️

theconversation.com/wes-streetin...

‘We are living under a kind of house arrest, unable to go out, with an oppressive sense that an assault could occur at any moment.’ New from Luqman Saeed in Belfast: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ju...

There are, in my view, 25 things everyone needs to understand in light of recent events: 1) Those out in our communities last night were not protestors, but organised far right extremists. 2) Their actions align with fascist ideologies. 3) So yes: these are fascist practices on our streets. 🧵

They need to stop talking about legitimate concerns, start talking about racist thuggery; point out how net migration has fallen & small boats are a tiny %; explain our country can't function without migration; get serious about social media as a means to spread bile/organise riots.

Seeing our frail, complicted, older patients, who often need home visits, should be the bread and butter of GP work but is being squeezed out by the requirement for limitless online access. (We told you this would happen) 1/3 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Remember that recent paper claiming to show that "ideological bias" determined the results obtained by immigration policy research teams? A careful, open-code reanalysis by @kauspurg.bsky.social & Josef Brüderl finds that the result arises from a coding error. —> doi.org/10.31222/osf...

Can employability programmes improve health as well as employment outcomes? Drawing on participatory research with young people in Inverclyde, this blog explores what a ‘health-promoting’ approach to employability support might look like. www.phiuk.org/news/blogs/p...

Thanks to @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social for funding, @profellenstu.bsky.social for idea to run witness seminars to mark 25 yrs of health policy devolution in Scotland, @lisagarnham.bsky.social & others for event support, & to all participants. LinkedIn summary here: www.linkedin.com/posts/kather...

How it works in UK universities: 1. VC announces plan to make the university a Kardashev Type II institution by 2038. 2. An Associate Pro-VC (Kardashev II) is appointed. Twenty-three new abbreviations are authorised. A team from PWC are providing deliverability assurance.

@profellenstu.bsky.social and I were delighted to hear yesterday that our special event "New sociological research on healthcare in criminal justice settings" had been accepted for the @bsa-medsoc.bsky.social annual conference.

One of our projects, @changingrealities.bsky.social is hosting an online event on Thurs 4 June to celebrate the launch of their Zine, highlighting the importance of creative methods in amplifying the lived experience of participants. Book your place 👉 tinyurl.com/379573fa

Here is my article from our Scottish Election Analysis report - I reflect on being a 1st time voter in Scotland, a new right as a resident, talk about elections as rituals & suggest with such a low turnout - 53% - maybe it’s time to try compulsory voting www.electionanalysis.uk/scottish-ele...

We are proud to have led the first ever analysis of the Scottish Election, out now! Funded by @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social the Scottish Election Analysis 2026 gives fresh insights on a wide variety of topics by leading scholars - from AI to young voters. More: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...

Published a wee tired and grumpy rant about the NHS in the Holyrood election campaign, as part of a series of (less grumpy) rapid responses brought together by @ariadnevromen.bsky.social @anaineslanger.bsky.social and @uofgsps.bsky.social colleagues. www.electionanalysis.uk/scottish-ele...

We urge the Government to act as steward of our world-leading higher education and research system, by undertaking a broad consideration of how we fund, monitor and regulate universities to ensure they can continue to bring widespread benefits to the UK.

“Breakaway” journals launched by resigning editorial boards often outperform their “zombie” predecessors that retain the brand but lose the community. doi.org/10.1016/j.re...

Have you watched the recording of our recent webinar, in association with @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social, where @profellenstu.bsky.social, Prof Ann Marie Gray, Prof Kath Checkland & Dr Lorelei Jones explored how the 4 UK nations are approaching health policy? Watch now🎥➡️ acss.org.uk/news/watch-w...

I fear Labour people risk falling into an ecological fallacy visible from space when reacting to these results. Here is what is very clear in results so far: Labour are losing *seats* to Reform, but... Labour are losing *votes* to the Greens Greens split the vote, Ref comes thru middle

This opportunity for a fantastic *funded* PhD with two exceptional health historians, makes me want to do another PhD. I've got a bit much on, so am selflessly sharing it for others to consider.

I'm excited to share a new paper that's now available OA in Signs: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... We put forward a framework for a “feminist abortion,” which aspires to centre the person seeking abortion and their needs & to factoring in the power structures in which they are situated.

My friend (<- they don't get to deny this) @sexhistorian.bsky.social is advertising for a PhD stipend. It's an amazing project at an amazing department with amazing supervisors, and if you know anyone suitable, let them know. www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...

In today's @healthmod.bsky.social meeting we had a very constructive conversation (prompted by @profkatsmith.bsky.social & @clemmiehilloconnor.bsky.social) about not using 'NEET' as a noun. The 'NEET rate' is, I think, similarly problematic (and sounds unhappily like an infectious disease).

Thanks again to the Academy for pulling together last week's webinar, and to dream team of Kath Checkland, Ann-Marie Gray and Lorelei Jones for sharing fascinating insights from the other UK healthcare systems.

Good thread on the Welsh polling: Plaid Cymru and Reform are 29% and 29% in vote share, with a fortnight to go. There is a significant chance that Reform being neck and neck in the polls boosts Plaid significantly in the final campaign stretch.

What does "equivalence" even mean as a healthcare standard? Such a vague term. Some much more detailed standards out there, especially the AAAQ Framework, which we applied in police custody in our report last year.

ICYMI: In our recent webinar, in association with @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social, Will Hutton, @profellenstu.bsky.social, Prof Ann Marie Gray, Prof Kath Checkland & Dr Lorelei Jones shared their insights into what the 4 UK nations can learn from each other on health policy. acss.org.uk/news/watch-w...