Mark McCormack
@markmccormack.bsky.social
Sociologist. Professor. Focus on sexualities, transgressive leisure and society. Editor-in-Chief of Sexuality & Culture. Posts are in a personal capacity. I volunteer with The Loop, read and play badminton.
Pinned
Sexuality & Culture
Sexuality & Culture is a leading international multidisciplinary journal that publishes excellent empirical and theoretical research on the topic of sexuality ...
link.springer.com
The new August 2026 issue of Sexuality & Culture is now published. Some really excellent articles on community and creativity, communication and consent, and many other topics
link.springer.com/journal/1211...
link.springer.com/journal/1211...
I'm old enough to remember how significant a figure Esther Rantzen was during my childhood, and that doesn't include her Nicholas Winton episode, or her later life campaigning
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86
Rantzen, who fronted the BBC's That's Life for two decades, went on to found Childline, and in recent years had been a campaigner for assisted dying.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 30, 2026 at 10:26 PM
I'm old enough to remember how significant a figure Esther Rantzen was during my childhood, and that doesn't include her Nicholas Winton episode, or her later life campaigning
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Brian Cox: research system ‘cannot be used to engineer growth’.
Labour 2026: Star physicist warns UKRI’s economic remit is causing “serious problems”.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Labour 2026: Star physicist warns UKRI’s economic remit is causing “serious problems”.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Brian Cox: research system ‘cannot be used to engineer growth’ - Research Professional News
Labour 2026: Star physicist warns UKRI’s economic remit is causing “serious problems”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
September 30, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Absolutely loved this when it came out. I remember a motorbike killing scene which was amazingly done
in the interest of recripocal tips, this is the best thing I've seen this century: masterful plotting, perfectly cast and executed. the episode mainly featuring Stephen Rea and Anthony Sher is outstanding:
September 25, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Absolutely loved this when it came out. I remember a motorbike killing scene which was amazingly done
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Fundamentally, the median voter has had a tax cut since 2010 and the result is that nothing works.
Kind of grimly fascinating as always, coming from the former director of strategy to a Labour PM. There just isn't a future for a centre-left politics that is this hostile to pretty basic progressive values.
September 25, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Fundamentally, the median voter has had a tax cut since 2010 and the result is that nothing works.
Shocking - and not really disclosed in the call.
Had a UKRI funded grant proposal rejected at the "AI triage stage". "This AI-based triage was used only to identify approximately 50% of the strongest proposals to take forward to full human review." 🧪 #academicsky
September 24, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Shocking - and not really disclosed in the call.
EVs all the way. They are also now just great to drive.
Fuel cost of running an electric vehicle vs petrol was always significant, now factor of 9 for diesel
New EVs inevitably flow into second-hand market where ££ savings are made by all societal segments
UK Govt plans to dilute the mandate for EVs will stop that
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
New EVs inevitably flow into second-hand market where ££ savings are made by all societal segments
UK Govt plans to dilute the mandate for EVs will stop that
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
September 24, 2026 at 4:28 PM
EVs all the way. They are also now just great to drive.
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Not to harp on this, but one man has now coordinated the disruption of a port, two separate attacks on the RNLI, and interference with the border force and the police have no further questions? And the Home Secretary has not noticed?
The man who filmed himself stabbing one, with a person on board, is still seemingly at large.
September 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Not to harp on this, but one man has now coordinated the disruption of a port, two separate attacks on the RNLI, and interference with the border force and the police have no further questions? And the Home Secretary has not noticed?
Good grief
Evan Davis on PM asked if ‘Danny Tommo’ “had any kind of point” by puncturing a dinghy with a knife because “the [authorities] should be doing that themselves”.
He went on to describe it as “vigilante action”.
He went on to describe it as “vigilante action”.
September 23, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Good grief
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Friends in many other institutions have reported the same stripping out of interesting research-led academic content for generic skills & subject material. I see it at my own too. Often, these courses are team taught because growing stress & workloads are increasing sickness levels.
Day 1 of teaching. I would have been running Round the Wrekin, an introductory module exploring the cultural history of the West Midlands across centuries and multiple media, plus academic skills. It’s been replaced by a generic skills module across multiple subjects to save money on staffing.
September 21, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Friends in many other institutions have reported the same stripping out of interesting research-led academic content for generic skills & subject material. I see it at my own too. Often, these courses are team taught because growing stress & workloads are increasing sickness levels.
Oof
International recruitment down 27%. Another policy triumph from the government, at an estimated £100,000 in net economic benefit per student.
CAS issuances down 27% as UK visa refusals jump 30%, Enroly data shows
Recruitment behaviours are changing, with South Asian and African countries the worst hit amid the UK's compliance squeeze, according to new data analysis from Enroly.
thepienews.com
September 21, 2026 at 7:18 AM
Oof
After giving a one-off donation the other day, decided to give monthly to RNLI - recommend watching this - saving lives at sea should never be a political act, but a human one
rnli.org/news-and-med...
rnli.org/news-and-med...
September 13, 2026 at 8:20 PM
After giving a one-off donation the other day, decided to give monthly to RNLI - recommend watching this - saving lives at sea should never be a political act, but a human one
rnli.org/news-and-med...
rnli.org/news-and-med...
Reposted by Mark McCormack
September 13, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Whoops. Did we somehow forget about the intrinsic value of a university education?
September 12, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Whoops. Did we somehow forget about the intrinsic value of a university education?
Good grief
Daniel Thomas / Danny Tommo has today marched his private army of blackshorts to Daily Mail HQ to demand a new house for his mum within 48 hrs, after they doorstepped her for a feature on him.
Apparently he plans to blockade them + cry at them until they do
Bet those lads are glad of the balaclavas
Apparently he plans to blockade them + cry at them until they do
Bet those lads are glad of the balaclavas
September 9, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Good grief
Reposted by Mark McCormack
It might be a good idea for a senior politician to talk about the AI alignment risk at some point given I suspect the vast majority of the population have no idea it exists, except maybe in a jokey sci-fi sort of way.
September 9, 2026 at 8:27 AM
It might be a good idea for a senior politician to talk about the AI alignment risk at some point given I suspect the vast majority of the population have no idea it exists, except maybe in a jokey sci-fi sort of way.
Reposted by Mark McCormack
On whose orders are Kent Police NOT questioning the organisers of the fascist paramilitary 'storm' action in Dover? 🤔
Can a police force really be this incompetent? Or is there some kind of operational reason for not questioning threats to national security? Or, indeed, is there a conspiracy? 🤨
Can a police force really be this incompetent? Or is there some kind of operational reason for not questioning threats to national security? Or, indeed, is there a conspiracy? 🤨
Kent Police yet to speak to Dover protest organisers
The Kent force is inviting those behind Saturday's protest at the Port of Dover to get in touch.
www.bbc.com
September 8, 2026 at 2:24 PM
On whose orders are Kent Police NOT questioning the organisers of the fascist paramilitary 'storm' action in Dover? 🤔
Can a police force really be this incompetent? Or is there some kind of operational reason for not questioning threats to national security? Or, indeed, is there a conspiracy? 🤨
Can a police force really be this incompetent? Or is there some kind of operational reason for not questioning threats to national security? Or, indeed, is there a conspiracy? 🤨
Reposted by Mark McCormack
I'm not going to reproduce the proipaganda photo of the three white ladies here because that's what the fascists want. But it's all over facebook (just search for 'Dover').
Then follow the trail to find that these 'ladies' are Far Right sympathisers if not active supporters.
Then follow the trail to find that these 'ladies' are Far Right sympathisers if not active supporters.
The Times has run a story this morning about how ‘polite’ the masked men in Dover were to three white ladies on a train. Propaganda in its clumsiest form.
September 8, 2026 at 7:33 AM
I'm not going to reproduce the proipaganda photo of the three white ladies here because that's what the fascists want. But it's all over facebook (just search for 'Dover').
Then follow the trail to find that these 'ladies' are Far Right sympathisers if not active supporters.
Then follow the trail to find that these 'ladies' are Far Right sympathisers if not active supporters.
Reposted by Mark McCormack
"in a stand-off with the RNLI"... the RNLI!
Extreme right-wing protesters are in a stand-off with the RNLI in Portsmouth. The group, led by Danny Tommo, are waist-deep in the sea and threatening to go "under the water" if police try to arrest them. Six lifeboats monitoring. Volunteer rescuers giving up their evening for this.
September 6, 2026 at 9:13 PM
"in a stand-off with the RNLI"... the RNLI!
Reposted by Mark McCormack
Disgraceful police behaviour here. Do they sympathasize with fascists? Is this what their inaction and blatant mistruths are designed to signal? If so, they are sowing a whirlwind that will come to haunt them, and us, as it did in Weimar. news.sky.com/story/police...
Police response to Dover protests set to come under scrutiny, as Tommy Robinson associate appears to claim credit
Campaign group Hope Not Hate linked the action to the Patriot Platform, a group recently launched by Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo.
news.sky.com
September 6, 2026 at 12:39 PM
Disgraceful police behaviour here. Do they sympathasize with fascists? Is this what their inaction and blatant mistruths are designed to signal? If so, they are sowing a whirlwind that will come to haunt them, and us, as it did in Weimar. news.sky.com/story/police...
Reposted by Mark McCormack
BBC report on the radio makes a point of saying the mood was “intimidating but not hostile” in Dover this morning, right before describing the massed men wearing balaclavas and blocking key infrastructure as shouting “Whose streets? Our streets.”
I dunno, lads: sounds intimidating AND hostile to me
I dunno, lads: sounds intimidating AND hostile to me
September 5, 2026 at 1:36 PM
BBC report on the radio makes a point of saying the mood was “intimidating but not hostile” in Dover this morning, right before describing the massed men wearing balaclavas and blocking key infrastructure as shouting “Whose streets? Our streets.”
I dunno, lads: sounds intimidating AND hostile to me
I dunno, lads: sounds intimidating AND hostile to me
Reposted by Mark McCormack
just stop oil protesters got five years in jail for *planning* to do this to the M25.
Masked protesters block access at Port of Dover
Masked protesters block access at Port of Dover
Masked protesters are preventing traffic from going in and out of the Port of Dover.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 5, 2026 at 10:16 AM
just stop oil protesters got five years in jail for *planning* to do this to the M25.
Extraordinary report well worth watching in full
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
www.channel4.com/news/exclusi...
www.channel4.com/news/exclusi...
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
www.channel4.com
September 3, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Extraordinary report well worth watching in full
Seems big.
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
channel4news.substack.com
September 3, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Seems big.