ALEXANDRA MEAKIN
Alexandra Meakin is a Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Leeds. She won the 2020 Political Studies Association’s Walter Bagehot Prize for best dissertation in the field of government and public administration for her thesis Understanding the Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster: A case study of institutional change in the UK Parliament. She is co-editor of the second edition of the Exploring Parliament textbook (Oxford University Press) and is the outgoing co-convenor of PSA Parliaments.
Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career
It was a slightly roundabout journey. I had started working for my local MP during my undergraduate degree, and during a placement in his Westminster office as part of my MA, he offered me a job as a parliamentary researcher. I spent the next ten years working in or around Westminster until in 2015 I left London so my husband and I could move closer to his family in the north. I worked for a while for an MP in Sheffield and then in the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield before I was lucky enough to be awarded funding for a PhD at the same department. After my viva (and some maternity leave) I had a postdoc year with the brilliant Louise Thompson on her fantastic Small Parties in the UK Parliament ESRC project before being appointed as a lecturer at the University of Leeds in 2021, which is an absolute dream.
Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?
This is such a fun question! I’m very worried I’ve missed out something incredibly important, but here you go:
1) Marc Geddes “Dramas at Westminster”. It was actually Marc’s PhD thesis, on which this book was based, which had a huge impact on going into academia. I met Marc when we worked together for the same select committee in the Commons, when he was on his PSA placement, and it made me think seriously about a PhD on Parliament…
2) Emma Crewe “The House of Commons: An Anthropology of MPs at Work”. There’s an ethnographic theme here! All Emma’s work within Westminster is essential for anyone studying (or working within!) the UK Parliament.
3) Lord Norton “Power behind the Scenes: The Importance of Informal Space in Legislatures” in Parliamentary Affairs. Hard to pick just one from Lord Norton, but this helped me rethink the use of space and importance of design.
4) David Judge and Cristina Leston-Bandeira ‘The Institutional Representation of Parliament’ in Political Studies. This is a vital work to understand the role of parliamentary staff.
5) ) Sarah Childs ‘The Good Parliament’. A report, rather than an article, but the result of brilliant fieldwork which also challenges me constantly to think about the purpose of my research and the role of an academic.
Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?
So many people. I am utterly convinced that the old stereotype of an academic as a solitary genius is massively out-of-date (if it was ever true) and that any academic career is due in equal parts to huge amounts of luck and support. For me, all my colleagues in the PSA Parliaments group have been an amazing help on so many levels and it was through the group I met Louise Thompson and Cristina Leston-Bandeira, without whom there is absolutely no way I’d be doing this job. They’re the total heroes of legislative studies and my academic mum role models. When I had finished my PhD and went on maternity leave both Louise and Cristina offered me the most incredible support and guidance—and my post-PhD jobs are totally due to this help. I could not be more indebted or grateful to them.
What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?
That 95% of MPs—even if you disagree with their views—are incredibly committed to public service and do an utterly thankless job.
Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?
I was born in Plymouth, grew up in Reading, moved to Sheffield at 18 for university and after a decade in north London, moved back to Yorkshire seven years ago.
What was your first job?
Leaflet delivering with my twin, maybe age 12? (a bit older than in the attached photo, anyway!) We soon moved to daily newspaper rounds and then when we turned 16 I got a job at Burger King with my twin working at McDonalds on the very same street.
What was the toughest job you ever had?
MP constituency caseworker. Absolutely brutal.
What would your ideal job be, if not an academic?
Honestly, I think I’m doing it already.
What are your hobbies?
Running. Exploring the Peak District. Trekking round the north to watch Reading FC inevitably lose in dismal fashion. Watching a truly ridiculous amount of other sport. Chasing round after my very active toddler and my much less active elderly greyhound.
What are your favourite novels?
Brick Lane by Monica Ali – I’ve reread this multiple times every year over the last two decades and always get something new from it.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo — the greatest thing I’ve read in the last few years.
What is your favourite building?
I spend a lot of my time writing about the Palace of Westminster so I better answer that!
What is your favourite tv show?
This is going to sound terrible but I almost only watch sport. But when I’m sick the ultimate comfort TV is The West Wing (it’s totally flawed and yet I still love it).
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Pre-baby it was Boston, Massachusetts in autumn. Go for runs along the Charles, buy stacks of second-hand books in Cambridge, watch as many Red Sox and Patriots games as possible. Now, the pure joy of seeing my daughter by the seaside is even better. We went to Northumberland this year and it was incredible.
What is your favourite sport?
Football, cricket, and athletics. Plus baseball and NFL and a summer Olympics obsession. This is why I have so little time for TV or films!
Hybrid proceedings in Parliament: yes please or no thanks?
Yes, absolutely. If you care about representation you can’t dismiss the huge benefits for people living with disabilities or caring responsibilities.
Appointed or elected upper chamber?
I used to support the latter, now would be happy with a mix. But the current size and composition is unsustainable.
Restoration or Renewal?
Both, but really, just do something before it burns down.
Cat or Dog?
Dog, always. Here’s Maddy, who plays a starring role in my lectures.
Trains, planes or automobiles?
Trains. My rail geekery was only exacerbated by a year working for the Transport Select Committee.
Fish and chips or Curry?
Fish and chips, eaten on the beach.
Scones: Cornish or Devonshire method?
Devonshire! Except I skip the jam and just pile on even more cream.
And, finally, a question asked by Ira and Bernadette, who have just turned four and who have replaced Seth who is now ten and who is too old for this nonsense: What is your favourite dinosaur and why?
Hi Ira and Bernadette! What an honour to answer your question. My daughter is not quite at dinosaur age yet, but my nephews have taught me a lot about this so in a shout out to their fave, I’ll say an allosaurus.
