Centre for Urban Research on Austerity (CURA). Used to blog at cura.our.dmu.ac.uk. We were killed by austerity in 2022.
Joined September 2015
- Tweets 3,860
- Following 1,032
- Followers 1,652
- Likes 1,758
43 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
24 Nov 2022
Our centre spent years rejecting "austerian realist" propaganda from those slashing public services in and beyond UKHE. It is important to be clear about the grounds for rejecting them @ucu, @timeshighered, @GdnUniversities,
@CHavergalTHE, @UCU_DMU (1/9).
2
5
13
Bond markets can destroy an economy in its democracy. What then is to be done about the bond markets? Are they eternal, like gods? What influence can states and publics have over them? How do rising powers like China deal with them?
May 13
Honestly, bond markets do not "go into hissy fits" - they can destroy an economy and its democracy. Makes me sick to my stomach that politicians don't understand this after Greece and Truss. Even Lenin understood bond markets!
49
Extraordinary how this pope is taking religion back from the blasphemous depravities of the American right.
Apr 16
Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. #ApostolicJourney #Cameroon vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/e…
45
You heard it here first (or last). Any reflections @paulmasonnews?
8 Apr 2020
If you don't think KS will advance the class struggle you're possibly not understanding social democracy correctly from a Marxist viewpoint
1
1
140
23 Nov 2025
The rich are worese than useless. Boris Johnson is exhibit A in the case for socialism. Shake him and his kind - real-life magic money trees - and suddenly everything *would* be free, or at least much, much cheaper. There is no financial black hole that the rich can't fill.
23 Nov 2025
You ridiculous woman, nothing is free!
137
20 Nov 2025
Owning a 600K property makes you *very* wealthy compared with the vast majority of people. If you have a 600K property, that probably isn't all you have either. So yes. Lower the Inheritance tax threshold. Great idea.
19 Nov 2025
If Rachel Reeves thinks someone with a house worth £600K is “wealthy” they why doesn’t she have the guts to lower the inheritance tax threshold? At present only 4% of Estates pay IHT.
69
15 Nov 2025
Kirstie needs to revisit her underlying politics. You get universal benefits like a pass. If you really are wealthy, you should pay back plus a lot more in taxation. Universalism is the basis for solidarity, means testing for stigmatisation.
14 Nov 2025
Couldn’t agree more, if you want to debate do it openly and honestly.
98
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
30 May 2025
🔥 Superb article
De Montfort was meant to be an “anchor institution” and “civic university” working for the “benefit of local people and the prosperity of our places”.
But its executives have raided it and in 2-3 years claimed £278K in their own luxury expenses.
centralbylines.co.uk/news/ed…
2
27
56
8,383
30 May 2025
Renewed threat of mass redundancy at De Montfort University. Austerity is always with us. As is terrible governance.
centralbylines.co.uk/news/ed…
1
57
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
4 Apr 2024
Just received a copy of this excellent book edited by @AriannaGi & @JoanieWillett Looking forward to reading it! 📚 🤓❤️
2
11
558
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
4 Apr 2024
Anyone wondered why #BBC current affairs programs only have people on who are middle class and/or from London its because they wont pay ordinary people for their time/expertise. After negotiating my expenses for 2 things (I travelled from Notts) I'm waiting for £80 2 months
7
32
149
19,013
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
14 Mar 2024
I'm asking a serious question here .@PoliceScotland who has put this together and where is your evidence infact how have you even come to this conclusion that poor white working class men have a 'hate monster' I'm asking this has an academic as Dr Mckenzie.
14 Mar 2024
Poor white working class boys & men likely to have a 'hate monster' because of their 'white male entitlement' nothing to do with poverty & hopelessness - poor white working class boys & men think they are shite not entitled. Entitlement belongs somewhere else not here
9
37
149
11,940
21 Feb 2024
"Crisis management in English local government: the limits of resilience".
New paper published by @TaniaArrietaHe2 and @ProfJSDavies in @policy_politics.
doi.org/10.1332/03055736Y202…
21 Feb 2024
Our paper on local government resilience is out there. We show the unintended consequences of local government financial ‘resilience’, and how authorities’ ‘resilience’ can lead to the development of crises, including crisis-displacement. @ProfJSDavies
bristoluniversitypressdigita…
1
4
248
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
20 Feb 2024
In case this wasn’t sufficiently clear after almost 15 years of austerity:
allowing councils to sell assets *will not* help addressing the huge crisis #localgov is going through - it will just make it worse.
6 Jan 2024
Exclusive from us this morning. The government is quietly advancing plans for a major loosening of council budget rules to allow them to sell assets en masse to avert a wave of bankruptcies
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
6
14
1,399
21 Feb 2024
A strong riposte to government efforts to kibosh the four day week from @SouthCambs.
21 Feb 2024
📊A new report outlines how South Cambridgeshire District Council’s four-day week trial has seen £434,000 less spent on agency staff covering hard to fill roles. Read our web story to find out more. scambs.gov.uk/report-propose…
ALT Head office of South Cambridgeshire District Council
86
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
20 Feb 2024
Enough. Local government needs a long term plan for recovery, reset and renewal.
Plugging funding gaps is a short term fix, our whole system of local resourcing needs a complete overhaul.
My new @themjcouk column…
bit.ly/3uG01l6
14
16
4,888
21 Feb 2024
New paper on "Crisis management in English local governance: the limits of resilience" in @policy_politics, by @TaniaArrietaHe2 and @ProfJSDavies.
bristoluniversitypressdigita…
21 Feb 2024
Our paper on local government resilience is out there. We show the unintended consequences of local government financial ‘resilience’, and how authorities’ ‘resilience’ can lead to the development of crises, including crisis-displacement. @ProfJSDavies
bristoluniversitypressdigita…
1
84
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
6 Nov 2023
Crisis in higher education: a survey @SoundingsJourn @LW_Books democratic-left.scot/post/in… / @ucu @ProfJSDavies @gbuttars @AdamPolitics @AriannaGi @SimmsMelanie @CURA2015 @UCUScotland @ucuedinburgh @anne_matie @StrathclydeUCU @TUG_SNP @SGPTradeUnion @rosiehampton_ @elliebgomersall
3
6
337
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
24 Aug 2023
Happy to see that the article with @BegoAramayona is out. Thanks to @CURA2015 for working as an incubator of ideas. journals.sagepub.com/doi/ful….
1
1
6
328
5 Sep 2023
A disaster for Birmingham. What can this lead to except another ferocious bout of austerity? @bhamcitycouncil @BrumLeader @themjcouk
5 Sep 2023
BREAKING NEWS:
Birmingham City Council issues section 114 notice
@BhamCityCouncil @BrumLeader
bit.ly/3R6HreE
1
1
631
Cities and Austerity (Deceased) retweeted
Yesterday at @INLOGOV we presented this volume edited by me and @AdrianBua on what happens when social and grassroots movements reinvent the participatory deliberative toolbox to reclaim the state - what we call democracy-driven governance routledge.com/Reclaiming-Par…
3
32
97
12,412