Statement on Northumbria University’s unresponsiveness to far-right activity in Newcastle
Wor Blog
Starmer's immigration speech
On 12 May 2025, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, gave a speech on immigration.
He said migrants make a “massive contribution” to the country, but this was outweighed by them putting “pressure on housing and our public services”. He condemned a “one-nation experiment in open borders” as a “squalid chapter” in the country’s history; in remarks to journalists after the speech he said immigration had caused “incalculable” damage. Echoing Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 claim that British people ‘found themselves made strangers in their own country’ due to immigration, Starmer said this was “an island of strangers” meaning that any people coming to “our country” had to “commit to integration”. He said he wasn’t saying this with the aim of “targeting these voters, responding to that party”, but “because it is fair”. He said he blamed “the previous Government” for all this. But it sounded a lot like he was blaming – no, shamefully scapegoating – people who have come here from other places.
Life as an Autistic Academic: The Story So Far
My name is Andy Mullen, I’m 52 years old, I have worked at Northumbria University for nearly 20 years and I teach International Relations and Politics in the Department of Social Sciences.
Being Prompted
In the spring of 2023 I watched the excellent TV documentary series, ‘Inside Our Autistic Minds’ (by Chris Packham on the BBC), which I then discussed with a member of my immediate family. During the course of this conversation, it was suggested that I might be autistic. My response to this prompt – which, looking back, was typically autistic – was to take this suggestion literally (i.e. as a statement of fact rather than just a possibility). I immediately logged on to the web to find out what autism is and how it manifests itself. Perhaps not surprisingly, given my age and given the fact that I had gone through so much of my life without knowing, I experienced this prompting, and the subsequent realization, as a huge psychological shock, indeed a revelation, and one which sparked over a year of intense introspection. My mind seemed to enter the stratosphere as it learnt what autism is; applied this knowledge to my current state of mind; re-evaluated all my memories in light of this new knowledge; and worked out who else in the family was likely affected.
Business as usual?
“Home schooling is challenging enough, but trying to balance this with teaching and programme management during the transition to online delivery has been highly stressful. In an effort to fulfil all roles, I am left feeling that nothing is done to the best of my ability, which creates a general feeling of anxiety.”