Emeritus Prof Christopher May

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Contacting Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Federation handle:

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us

Emeritus Prof Christopher May's Information

Emeritus Prof Christopher May's Bio

Retired Professor of Political Economy
(Lancaster University, UK - retired 2021)
(also across the Lune Valley)
Contributor: North West Bylines

Emeritus Prof Christopher May's Posts

Emeritus Prof Christopher May has 225 posts.


Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Hmmm.... ten years or more after my corner of the Lune Valley dug in its own broadband with community broadband provider B4RN, finally the Govt. claims its going to reach those parts of the rural broadband desert that still remain...

I'd like to have see some recognition of the massive work already conducted by B4RN & others, but I suspect this money will just be funnelled towards those firms that have already failed to provide rural connectivity!

theguardian.com/technology/202


Tags: #broadband


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Sexual abuse

A letter from victims of sexual crimes in Telford, written in support of Jess Phillips, makes this key point:

'We know there are those who would weaponise our pain for their own ends or political gain; who speak out with new-found interest, not to tackle the horrendous crimes that stole so much from us, but to further their own agenda. They should hang their heads in shame'...

Indeed they should, but as we know shame is in short supply...

theguardian.com/politics/2025/


Tags: #politics


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

While the NHS in England currently spends around 7% of its day-to-day budget on private care providers, this provision is also growing.

And much of this rise has ben in admission for elective procedures (very much the cash cow for the private sector).

How much further this will rise & what sort of further costs this will incur for the NHS is, of course, what we will find out as the Wes Streeting 'plan' move forward.


Tags: #health #nhs


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

You sort of expect that private companies might, for a range of reasons, seek to resist (or at least delay) Freedom of Information requests, but it now turns out that the the Financial Conduct Authority has found in an internal review (prompted by a whistleblower) that they too have been obstructive to FoI requests.

Its not too much too ask for a regulator to abide by the law in good faith, now is it?

h/t FT


Tags: #regulation #financialservices


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Sarah O'Connor (FT) makes a good point about the UK's low rate of sick pay:

'I wonder if this is one explanation for the rise in the number of people who don’t work & claim health-related benefits instead: if you’re struggling with a long-term condition & it’s very financially punishing to hang on to your job because you lose most of your wage every time you’re too ill to go in, that might be a push to leave employment altogether'

Long-term sickness needs better support!


Tags: #workers #health


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Boosted

For no particular reason here is BBC Verify's take on some accusations that have been flung about by a rich madman against a man who was once heard of the Crown Prosecution Service.... this may tell you nothing you don't know but it seems like a good idea to have some more reasoned information circulating around this issue.

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn2w


Tags: #politics


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Boosted

I am so glad that, having retired, I don't have to try and explain this entire sh*tshow to my politics students.....

And I salute my erstwhile colleagues who no doubt this term will be trying to do so.


Tags: #politics


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

The crisis in care has many dimensions; those between 30-49 years old, the 'sandwich carers' are often caught between caring for children *and* elderly parents.

as Beth Neale (Carers Trust) says:

'[its] driving many into poverty. There is also a stark gender imbalance to sandwich care, with 61% of it falling on the shoulders of women... [requiring] an urgent response from government & a clear plan to aid carers facing burnout and deteriorating health'!

They need more support!


h/t FT


Tags: #care


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

As Frans Timmermans (Dutch Green/Labour) points out:

'We are going through an industrial revolution at three or four times the speed of previous industrial revolutions & therefore we risk more disruption than in previous industrial revolutions'...

and if you recall how disruptive previous industrial revolutions have been (to workers & society more generally) then you'll be wanting Govt.s not to just sit by & watch but rather move decisively to ameliorate the harm(s) caused.


h/t FT


Tags: #workers


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@passenger @KimSJ @simon_lucy @marjolica

Yes, that sounds all too plausible - he'll claim to be 'prgamatic'



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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Carolyn Jackson (LancasterU) on the Greg Wallace issue:

'The first step is to recognise that this is a deep-rooted & pervasive problem rather than something perpetrated by a few “sex pests”. Second, it’s crucial to understand that sexual harassment is about gender & power – it is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women'

Greg Wallace isn't a 'bad apple' he's an example of out continued failure to really deal with sexism & abuse in large organisations!

theconversation.com/gregg-wall


Tags: #sexism


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Kim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Boosted

@simon_lucy @marjolica @ChrisMayLA6
This could descend into farce. Sounds like Streeting has set the private sector an impossible challenge. Their only option is going to be ‘no bid’. Egg on Streeting’s face when his ‘solution’ turns out to be a bust?



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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

I am so glad that, having retired, I don't have to try and explain this entire sh*tshow to my politics students.....

And I salute my erstwhile colleagues who no doubt this term will be trying to do so.


Tags: #politics


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Deborah Hartmann Preuss, pcc

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Boosted

Trudeau's out. Who are the candidates for his job?

This was very helpful for understanding the players. Link below goes around the paywall.
| The Star

Here are some likely contenders to succeed Justin Trudeau:
archive.is/ipVqL


Tags: #cdnpoli #cdnpolitics #onpoli #trudeau #justintrudeau #trudeauresign


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Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK

Emeritus Prof Christopher May Boosted

@ChrisMayLA6 @simon_lucy @marjolica

I work in health and social care, getting staff from overseas doesn't happen overnight either (they all need to be cleared by Border Force etc, that takes time)



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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

For no particular reason here is BBC Verify's take on some accusations that have been flung about by a rich madman against a man who was once heard of the Crown Prosecution Service.... this may tell you nothing you don't know but it seems like a good idea to have some more reasoned information circulating around this issue.

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn2w


Tags: #politics


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

There used to ba an old political saying that 'busses were only for the poor'... well no more it seems; bus services in deprived areas have been disproportionately cut back.

.... cannot afford a car, no buses and then you wonder why some people are 'economically inactive'?

The madness of a cost-model of public transport continues... until we organise transport on the basis of social need & benefit we're just going to stoke so many problems.


theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/j


Tags: #climate #workers #transport


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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@anarchic_teapot

Yup.... and if they don't pay it'll be another Macron goal for Le Pen



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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

In response to this post

@simon_lucy @marjolica

Hmmm..... tif they do go down the migrant health service staff route (doubling down on what the UK is already doing), it might alleviate an immediate crisis, but unless the UK also expands quickly training provision (and support for students), all that will happen is we will (once again) export a crisis to the developing world (this time to their domestic health services from whom we are stealing staff)!

(see earlier post)



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Emeritus Prof Christopher May

So, French economy minister Eric Lombard thinks 'there is more prospect of a fruitful dialogue with the left-wing parties than with the [Right]'!

Well, the Left pulled Macrons bollocks out of the fire once & got little thanks other than being shut out of Govt., so I'm imagining they might want something a little more concrete this time Mr Lombard.

I'm sure they'll make a deal, but like all bad negotiators Macron has merely raised the price he & his Govt. will have to pay (?)


h/t FT


Tags: #France


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