Associate Prof in Public Policy & Management, Nottingham Trent University. Managing Editor, Local Government Studies. Own views on climate change, local governance and public policy in the UK & Germany. Plus, occasionally, crickethttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mqzqeaewos2tI actually feel quite sorry for Argentinians who might feel obliged to support a team playing this anti-football19 Jul 2026 21:36 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzqeaewos2thttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mqxa2zulj22cYeah, the third place playoff/bronze medal match is stupid, but... this is actually really entertaining18 Jul 2026 21:39 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqxa2zulj22chttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mqbngptzvc2dLatest paper by Antje Otto, Wolfgang Haupt, me, Kristine Kern and Annegret Thieken is now out in Cities. We apply an updated version of our 2021 ranking system to every German city with more than 50,000 residents, and every municipality independent of a county. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275126005627?via%3Dihub10 Jul 2026 07:40 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqbngptzvc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mq7xgu3gfs2iReform UK appear to be scared that @countbinface.bsky.social will win in Clacton https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/09/reform-activists-manchester-farage-clacton-byelection-contest?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other09 Jul 2026 15:33 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7xgu3gfs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mpu4fbn2k22zFrance risk being robbed by this ref and Paraguay's anti-football. Awful to watch04 Jul 2026 22:30 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpu4fbn2k22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mpqjcf5txs2jThis is brilliant 👇 [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Jul 2026 12:10 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpqjcf5txs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mp775xkngk2aThe UK is experiencing record-breaking temperatures; meanwhile, Reform-controlled Sunderland rescinds the city council's declaration of a climate emergency https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8023pexnnlo?app-referrer=deep-link26 Jun 2026 14:54 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp775xkngk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mouu4p5eg22vI reckon Burnham will be the UK's first PM with a Northern English accent since Robert Peel. I'm not sure Harold Wilson counts: he was from the West Riding but sounded distinctly RP when he was in office22 Jun 2026 12:09 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mouu4p5eg22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mneghyk5u22eNew Reform council in Gateshead set to scrap music arena on the basis of an AI projection. Financial calculations for public projects are invariably flawed. Financial calculations based only on GenAI assessments of public data are ireedemably flawed. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gateshead-quayside-arena-like-taking-34047540#ICID=Android_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare03 Jun 2026 05:57 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mneghyk5u22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mlveu5naek22Swamp-draining latest: https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/e3e82553-c070-4c01-95ab-04a0a7b9b5ca via @FT15 May 2026 12:53 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlveu5naek22https://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3ml2lkpqzlc23The snooker is absolutely awesome04 May 2026 21:11 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2lkpqzlc23https://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mksc7k7c6s2qGreat to chair this roundtable at the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social annual conference in Oxford-and thank you to @acadsocsciences.bsky.social for filing and promoting our discussion on English devolution! 👇 [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 May 2026 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mksc7k7c6s2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mkd6p2x32c2fWhat an absolutely crazy end to a match. I need to go and lie down. First automatic promotion for York in over forty years25 Apr 2026 13:50 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkd6p2x32c2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mk3hdz6rks2h👇 this looks fascinating. But it's also not surprising, given the enshittification of more established social media platforms and the increasing dominance of influencers, celebs and downright unpleasant people. Social media is just getting less *social* [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Apr 2026 12:04 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3hdz6rks2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mjroj4ufxs2aBig day ahead. Forty years of supporting #YCFC and today might be the first time we get automatic promotion in all of that time18 Apr 2026 14:45 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjroj4ufxs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mjogfmvkck2iBrilliant to hear David Ward's commentary from the end of the York-Altrincham match on the Today programme just now (from 08:33) 🙂. I'll be at the game vs Yeovil tomorrow and hoping we can get automatic promotion for the first time ever in the 40 years I've been a fan https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_fourfm?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile17 Apr 2026 07:42 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjogfmvkck2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mjofnkpw5k2iFeel the need to post this pic before the rain and wind arrives to blow it all away17 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjofnkpw5k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mij2duzpuc2hNice to see my latest paper, co-authored with Bernard Kofi Dom, come out in Public Money & Management. We trace how a lack of agreement about what local government should be *for* - its role in the UK state - have characterised central-local relations since the 1970s. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2026.265171902 Apr 2026 10:58 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mij2duzpuc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mhutdgmn422w👇Thread below summarising the sessions that we in @psalocalpol.bsky.social will run at the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social conference in Oxford next week. Delighted to chair our opening roundtable, another panel, and present my paper on "Understanding the power of place in local climate policymaking" [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Mar 2026 09:59 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhutdgmn422whttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mhnrym2sik2uSpotted in Morningside, Edinburgh, earlier today. Oops.22 Mar 2026 14:46 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhnrym2sik2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mhftbzbf6k2cStill my favourite vending machine in the world - at the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin19 Mar 2026 10:48 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhftbzbf6k2chttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mgrvcxmus22sReally pleased to pick up these babies in the flesh from the office 😊 Book by Wolfgang Haupt, me and Kristine Kern, on "German cities in a changing climate: challenges for politics, public administration and society" now out in hard copy with @nomosverlag.bsky.social https://share.google/QL3MVTJbdPXibn86L11 Mar 2026 12:31 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgrvcxmus22shttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mgfizslfyc2oBlimey, these articles by Goodwin and Oakeshott in the Spectator appear to be genuine - they both read like Private Eye spoofs [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Mar 2026 14:19 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgfizslfyc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mgewrt7xik2i@gabyhinsliff.bsky.social on the nail here. Unlike many other economic migrants, Dubai influencers have the opportunity (perhaps even the duty) to inform their followers of the perils associated with fleeing conflict zones https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/06/influencers-sold-fantasy-dubai-missile-economic-migrants?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other06 Mar 2026 08:53 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgewrt7xik2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mfynmhrxl22o👇 Brilliant take on the societal risks on relying on LLMs and their hallucinations, particularly in under-researched fields. Also great that @leahbroad.bsky.social refrains from using the term 'AI'. These models are, of course, *not intelligent* in any genuine way. [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Mar 2026 11:37 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfynmhrxl22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/peckersley.bsky.social/post/3mfvte532k22nI see that the current holder of the FIFA Peace Prize is - once again - showing the world why that award was so well deserved28 Feb 2026 08:42 +0000at://did:plc:4fbbiz5rub54fzif3lnkl3fh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfvte532k22n