Val Aston
Criminal law lecturer, protest law researcher, long covid sufferer.
- Reposted by Val AstonYou tell me.
- I know there are bigger issues involved, but did a mouse just run across the screen behind Kemi Badenoch on #Peston?
- Reposted by Val AstonIn the UK academic recession, you will be at one of these stages since many unis buy the same cuts model from the same consultancies. It is always the same process: *Talk of belt-tightening *Incidental savings (e.g. printing, refreshments) *Travel budgets cut *Promotion freeze (1/4)
- "Enquiries by Al Jazeera to the Home Office’s procurement agency, Blue Light Commercial, confirmed that the Israeli-based firm Corsight AI had been subcontracted by UK company Digital Barriers to provide the artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition software." aje.news/dhdufc
- Really interesting discussion in this thread about mutual aid actions in Minnesota, and how it all came about.
- Reposted by Val AstonIf only 38% were actually 'one-in-four'!
- 😱😱😱 (Source: HEPI - www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/u...)
- Very much hope this is one time when the polls get it right. www.itv.com/news/wales/2...
- Reposted by Val AstonAnd like buses, two pieces at once on protest, proscription and political participation by @pmpoc.bsky.social
- "Naming this as anticipatory repression ... is a precondition for building the solidarities and organisational forms capable of withstanding it. They who sow pestilence must reap whirlwinds" - criticallegalthinking.com/2026/01/12/c...
- Excellent from Paul O'Connell: "Terrorism now performs the function that treason once did: not a description of actual conduct but a mechanism for foreclosing political possibility."
- "Naming this as anticipatory repression ... is a precondition for building the solidarities and organisational forms capable of withstanding it. They who sow pestilence must reap whirlwinds" - criticallegalthinking.com/2026/01/12/c...
- Reposted by Val AstonAlways a welcome way to end a week but especially first week back: submission of a chapter This 9,000-worder, written with my splendid UEA colleague @crwerren.bsky.social, will be in an edited collection "Human Rights in the UK under the Conservatives" by Conall Murray & Adam Ramshaw later in 2026
- Reposted by Val AstonA really interesting and thoughtful piece by @pmpoc.bsky.social - perhaps more so for its discussion and dissecting of what he wonderfully terms the “siege architecture” around the right to protest and organise in the UK today
- Reposted by Val Aston"The short answer is that the Treasury took no action at all." At the UK Covid Inquiry (Module 9), the Long Covid Groups were clear: the economic impact of Long Covid was foreseeable and ignored, leaving many people without support. Watch our closing statement: www.youtube.com/watch?si=ikR... 🧵 👇
- Reposted by Val AstonLiberty supporters shared their concerns about Government plans to ban face coverings at protests. This law, if passed in the Crime and Policing Bill, will make it unsafe for them to protest and limit their voices. Our right to protest must be protected. For everybody. No exceptions.
- Today I have learned that what we had last night/this morning was 'Thundersnow'. Bright lightning, reflecting off the snow, with subdued thunder. Amazing - thank-you #stormgoretti
- Reposted by Val AstonI was also one of the legal experts but have ended up on the sub editor’s floor.I’d suggest three cumulative reasons… 1. If Parliament had meant that in 1986, it had ample opportunity to make it clear 2. The introduction of ‘clarifying’ Regs suggests they did not then, that power was never there
- Sadly unable to get to this - but if you are in London would recommend. Excitedly awaiting delivery of the book.
- A couple weeks until this event at @housmansbookshop.bsky.social on Jan 21st – I'll be chatting to @katrinanavickas.bsky.social about her fantastic new book *Contested Commons* (@reaktionbooks.bsky.social). Really looking forward to it! Get your tickets here: housmans.com/event/book-t...
- Reposted by Val Aston“the principles of international law” rather prohibit bombing countries because their leaders “lack legitimacy”.
- Reposted by Val AstonThis is a statement
- Reposted by Val Aston
- Reposted by Val AstonTomorrow's front page 📰 Barclays made crackdown call to FM over Palestine Action
- Reposted by Val AstonOne of the reasons why I go so hard on science misinformation/disinformation, is that as a working scientist it is frustrating to see your research misreported to push an agenda. For example, consider this piece of right-wing propaganda from The Telegraph that was just published
- Reposted by Val AstonSo, to those who say "masks don't work", cite the flawed Cochrane report, insist upon an unfeasible RCT, accuse folks of panic, and undermine public health on social and mainstream media during a flu/RSV epidemic... 1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.
- Reposted by Val Aston[This post could not be retrieved]
- Reposted by Val AstonTomorrow's front page 📰 'The UK is letting these people die'
- Reposted by Val AstonAlternativ auch
- Reposted by Val AstonWhile focus is often solely on asylum, and small boat crossings in particular, it's important to remember that Labour's hostililty against all migrants is harming not only individuals, but the whole country, with an estimated loss of £10.8billion, and zero actual benefits. www.ft.com/content/2b60...
- Francis states that he had infiltrated "a political party which was operating entirely openly". Francis's reporting on Militant Labour described as 'extremely valuable' by security service (MI5).
- Extraordinary testimony by Peter Francis talking candidly how he infiltrated and reported on trade union activity for the Security Services, including holding positions - eg branch secretary - in the organisations he infiltrated.
- Instant report from lunchtime at the Undercover Policing Inquiry where whistleblower #spycops officer Peter Francis has a 3rd day of questioning, talking about his infiltration of antifascist groups & trade unions in the mid 1990s Tom Fowler is joined by Kate Wilson of @spiesoutoflives.bsky.social
- Reposted by Val AstonSo this figure is actually strong evidence that most work of executives is just substance-less illusion building. Tricking people into think there is something there. And *finally* we have a good use case for AI. Let's sack all executives!
- Reposted by Val AstonAI usage: 87% of executives use AI for work; 57% managers; 27% of employees. This is both easy to believe and easy to misinterpret. AI is *genuinely* useful if what matters is FORM. Terrible at SUBSTANCE. If useful for your job = your job just form. A 🧵 www.businessinsider.com/executives-a...
- Reposted by Val AstonGenuinely one of the greatest derelictions of core duty by western governments of our time - not pushing for the provision of adequate ventilation and/or HEPA filters in most public buildings and settings to curb spread of all airborne pathogens
- There is so much to love about the BBC, including - especially - its Welsh language programming. A publicly, collectively owned, not-for-profit broadcaster is the institution we need right now. But it hurts the profits of Netflix, Prime and Sky, so the knives are out.
- Reposted by Val Aston1/ The UK Covid-19 Inquiry published its Module 2 report on Thursday. This report examines how the UK’s four governments made decisions during the pandemic, and its conclusions are stark: “Too little, too late.” 🧵👇
- Anyone out there have experience of using KEATH.ai for marking? Am hugely concerned that this whole process treats marking as just a repeatable admin task, rather than an integral part of teaching and learning. But genuinely curious as to how it 'advances academic integrity' as it claims.
- Reposted by Val AstonThe second problem with this — after the fact that it will bankrupt a bunch of institutions — is that the government doesn’t seem to know if it wants to a) raise lots of money from intentional students or b) discourage universities from relying on international students. You can’t have both!!
- Reposted by Val Aston🧵 Thread: The Economic Cost of Long Covid – new 2025 study in Nature 1/ A new paper has modelled the economic burden of Long Covid in the U.S. and globally. Spoiler: it’s massive. Here’s a breakdown. 👇
- Reposted by Val AstonThe UK Covid-19 Inquiry confirms what our communities have lived for years: the government’s pandemic response wasn’t just a failure - it was a historic abandonment. “Too little, too late” doesn’t capture the scale of the harm. /1
- Reposted by Val Aston[Not loaded yet]
- Reposted by Val AstonReform's former Leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, a 10.5 year jail term for taking bribes from the Kremlin. Cosied up to authoritarian powers & traded principles for payoffs. Reform's leadership laughably claimed they barely knew Gill. Will all this be on tomorrow's front pages?
- Reposted by Val AstonOur podcast on the proscription of Palestine Action is now available in an audio only format that can be played via your usual podcast platform. Please do check it out by pasting the RSS feed below into your podcast platform. feeds.buzzsprout.com/2558297.rss
- Reposted by Val AstonIf, like me, you lost a loved one in the UK’s deadly second COVID wave, this WhatsApp chat will confirm that the then government has blood on its hands.
- 'that was as close to the perfect performance as I have seen' says Bellamy. Who can disagree? Wales playing like that was the stuff of dreams. #ymaohyd www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
- I know, terrorism has a specific defn etc. But I still struggle when police say there is 'nothing to suggest' stabbing ppl on a train is terrorism, but certain nonviolent direct action absolutely is.
- Of course the nations declining health has a number of causes - most obviously our groaning nhs. But its long covid that has left me unwell for 3+ years and I know I'm not alone.
- There are 2 articles in the Guardian: 1️⃣ stating that exhaustion is at EPIDEMIC levels 2️⃣ "The UK’s productivity crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing our economy and long-term health conditions in the workforce are a major factor in this" 🤦♀️Neither mentions #LongCovid
- Reposted by Val Aston1984: We're behind schedule. Couple sues because NYPD aims cameras into their bedroom and living room, perhaps due to their history of activism. I hope they win but the precedents are mixed. www.law360.com/cybersecurit...
- Reposted by Val AstonTwo Just Stop Oil activists convicted of criminal damage have avoided custody after targeting Taylor Swift’s jet in a case that underlines judicial discretion in protest cases. Partner, Laura O’brien secured the suspended sentences, a decision that balances motivation with proportionality.
- Reposted by Val Aston'One of the key issues in front of the inquiry is how for decades the undercover officers have regularly formed sexual relationships with women without disclosing that they had adopted fake personas and had been sent to spy on political activists.' www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
- Such good news to wake up to this morning. A very happy start to the day - despite the polls, Reform soundly beaten.
- Reposted by Val AstonCaerphilly, Senedd constituency by-election result: PC: 47.4% (+19.0) REF: 36.0% (+34.2) LAB: 11.0% (-34.9) CON: 2.0% (-15.3) GRN: 1.5% (+1.5) LDEM: 1.5% (-1.2) GWL: 0.3% (+0.3) UKIP: 0.2% (+0.2) Plaid Cymru GAIN from Labour.
- Reposted by Val AstonFront page of this morning's 'The National'. "Extreme Violence – Police Scotland used excessive restrictions to protect the interests of arms firms during Palestine protests, says new report". The SCALP/Netpol report launches this evening in Glasgow
- Particularly apposite as Caerphilly takes to the polls today, with Reform apparently the front-runner.
- Polls suggest Reform likely to Caerphilly by-election tomorrow. This was a community which fought Thatcherism during the 1984/5 miners strike. Now, it seems, there are too many people keen to hand power to Farage's bunch of NHS privatising, billionaire-backed Welsh-hating bigots.
- Reposted by Val AstonHere Lam explicitly sets out her proposal - which is official Conservative Party policy - to deport long-standing legal permanent residents who have *ever* claimed any benefit, including the state pension or child benefit (even if the child is British), or who earn less than £39K.
- Reposted by Val AstonNow published! My edited book ‘Long COVID and Society’ - my introduction is free to read for everyone. Download from the link below and check out the others chapters too (Chapter 14, about LC children and families, is also open access) link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
- The merest threat of public disorder has, in recent years, justified a number of significant constraints on the movement of football fans - in UK and elsewhere. What is perplexing - and disturbing - is why Maccabi fans are being treated differently. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Val Aston#OtD 11 Oct 1946 the UK govt announced that 39,535 people were squatting in 1038 military camps across England and Wales. Many were ex-servicemen's families demanding housing after WWII, and eventually a forced the govt to build mass council housing stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8350...
- Reposted by Val AstonCW: Extreme child sex abuse. Police informer known to #spycops has been convicted of horrific crimes. Police use a mix of payments & blackmail for informers - did they turn a blind eye to Gratwick's paedophilia to get information on eco activists? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
- Reposted by Val Aston
- I also think this can't be sustained - but it will be human rights law that will be its downfall. Neither the police nor home office have any respect for the concept of 'policing by concent'
- Reposted by Val AstonLots of people are saying that today marks the largest mass arrest in Britain. Not quite. Back on 17 Sept 1961, my mum helped organise this demo where over 1000 were arrested for sitting down in Trafalgar Square. If we don’t want today’s resistance to be forgotten, let’s not forget yesterday’s.
- Reposted by Val AstonFinally, a sensible article.
- Reposted by Val AstonLeading global scholars sign letter urging UK to end Palestine Action ban www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
- Reposted by Val AstonPlease everyone read Francesca Albanese’s latest report on the “economy of genocide” www.ohchr.org/en/documents...
- Reposted by Val AstonShaun Thompson, who is bringing a High Court challenge against the Metropolitan Police after live facial recognition technology wrongly identified him as a suspect, has described it as "stop and search on steroids" and called for structural change www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- Reposted by Val AstonWill someone please call the police.
- Reposted by Val AstonGerman police expands use of Palantir surveillance software www.dw.com/en/german-po...
- Reposted by Val AstonThis is a cool thread by a young person who cares deeply about the Internet. It's a rare find these days. @elizabethsipod.bsky.social warns that with the way age verification is rolling out in the UK, kids risk being entirely shut out not just from pornography, but the entire web.
- Reposted by Val Aston"One nation has effectively wiped out football in another nation, but has not faced any sanctions for doing so. Whatever happens from here, the past two years will remain a stain on the sport and those who run it" morningstaronline.co.uk/article/wher...
- Reposted by Val Aston"The judge.. said there has already been, & I quote, 'a chilling effect on those wishing to express legitimate political views as an indirect consequences of the proscription'" The High Court has granted permission for a full legal review of the banning of Palestine Action
