Category: Urgent Questions

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Urgent Questions

Dr Mark Shephard

MARK SHEPHARD

Dr Mark Shephard is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde. He is the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Legislative Studies and the Joint Chair of the Study of Scottish Parliament Group.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I was one of “The 7” in the first full year (1988-1992) of Professor Lord Norton’s then Politics and Legislative Studies course. I worked in the European Parliament and the House of Commons in my vocational year of study (1990-91). I was going to teach English in Japan, but did really well in my final exams (I actually won a prize!) & ended up in Houston, Texas doing a PhD in Political Science. I then applied for a temporary job at the University of Strathclyde in the heart of Glasgow and I loved it so much – 24 years later – I’m still here!

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Richard Fenno – Home Style (I just could not put it down…it really got me hooked on legislatures and academia as a possible career).

Parliamentary Scrutiny of Government Bills by J.A.G. Griffith plus Parliamentary Questions by Mark Franklin and Philip Norton mashed with Robert Packenham’s article on legislative functions – the core theoretical underpinning and developmental basis for my mixed methods PhD on PMQs.

James Sundquist – Dynamics of a Party System (this really helped me start crack US politics at a deeper level of understanding).

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Professor Lord Norton + Professor Ed Page (my crucial formative Hull years) + most of the incredible Political Science Department at the University of Houston in the 1990s (e.g. Mark Franklin; David Judge (1993-94); Susan Scarrow; Kathleen Knight; Bob Erikson; Christopher Wlezien; Donald Lutz; Richard Murray; Ross Lence; James Gibson; Richard Matland; Robert Carp; Jay Greene…)

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

I’m not very good at liking my own work, but a student once said: “You are to politics what Kate Bush is to music”: my research seems to try out a lot of different methods on a lot of different topics (parliaments to social media to electoral behaviour to election campaigns…) often in quirky and/or pioneering ways (e.g. exploring questions asked by the PM rather than what we might otherwise study, or parliamentary impact over time and not just cross-sectionally…).

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Getting a PhD from The University of Houston, Texas (GRE exam + 3 years of relentless coursework + 30 hours of comprehensive exams over 3 days + 3 years on a PhD theory devising and theory testing using mixed methods. If you can do that, and survive without air conditioning in a Texas 108F Summer with 98% humidity, you can do anything…).

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Not having enough time to do everything I want to do properly. If I could repeat it all over again, I’d probably not try and do as much as it takes time to jump around different fields…

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

That they are multi-functional, and we need different procedures to fulfil very different functions. Beware the trap of evaluating the relevance of procedures just through the lens of legislative impact.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Born in The Royal Canadian Hospital, Taplow, Buckinghamshire. Grew up on Shoreham Beach, West Sussex (and survived the strongest winds ever recorded (until 2022 storms) – 120mph on Shoreham Beach during the Great Storm of 1987 – we hid under the stairs as the roof started to peel). Have lived in Hull; Brussels; London; Houston, Texas; Glasgow; and I now live in Paisley, Scotland.

What was your first job?

A greengrocer in Shoreham.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

Teaching 3 classes during the height of lockdown and working 75 out of 77 days to deliver them properly.

What are your hobbies?

Gardening, photography, and painting.

What are your favourite novels?

One Day by David Nicholls (I still thank academia from saving me from a life of too much excess and fleeting celebrity!).

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (the first book I ever got totally immersed in).

Animal Farm by George Orwell (if only the world had more Benjamins and Boxers).

Anything by Milan Kundera (some sentences just capture life experiences like nobody else does).

The first 3 Harry Potter books (the others needed an edit, too much sports and camping…).

What is your favourite music?

Anything by Kate Bush or Richard Hawley. If I had to pick one: Richard Hawley’s ‘Caravan’. It transports you to a sunny island instantly & at 2 minutes 29 seconds long, you can play it twice during a 5 minute break! I recommend it to all my students along with 2 other songs that will help get them through: “I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again” and “Life is a Rollercoaster”.

What is your favourite artwork?

Rothko’s Seagram murals at The Tate Modern, London. If you sit still and watch the lilac oblongs on the mauve backgrounds you are taken to another world. Sometimes into the painting and sometimes out of the painting.

What is your favourite film?

Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey (important piece of social political history and it is very funny and clever at the same time. I like to think it has helped make Britain a more tolerant place more embracing of difference).

What is your favourite building?

Brighton Royal Pavilion (like Brighton it is OTT to the max and I love it!).

What is your favourite tv show?

Victoria Wood as Seen on TV (I still remember most of the lines, for example, “Never touch prawns… Do you know they tread water outside sewage outlet pipes with their mouths open”).

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Lanzarote (warm sun in Winter + lovely architecture & volcano & sea vistas) + Sitges (close to Barcelona, but more chilled out and cosmopolitan).

What is your favourite sport?

Tennis and Badminton (because I used to be good at them).

Hybrid proceedings in Parliament: yes please or no thanks?

I think we will find ways to make this work better, so yes when needs must.

Appointed or elected upper chamber?

Appointed by an independent body representing a myriad of areas of expertise.

Restoration or Renewal?

Bit of both.

Cat or Dog?

Cat while in academia, both when I have more time in retirement.

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Bicycle.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Curry (with lots of salad).

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Cream first, then jam (the scone often needs the moisturising ability of the cream that the jam does not have and I like the taste of jam first better than cream).

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who is 9 and a half: Would you rather be a duck or a horse?

A duck, I adore water and, despite my love of a good party, mainly quite like being away from too many people.

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Urgent Questions

Dr Louise Thompson

LOUISE THOMPSON

Dr Louise Thompson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester. She is the author of Making British Law: Committees in Action (Palgrave), co-editor of Exploring Parliament (OUP) and the journal Parliamentary Affairs, and is the recent winner of the PSA’s Richard Rose Prize, which is awarded to an early career scholar who has made a distinctive contribution to British politics.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I started my undergraduate degree in British Politics and Legislative Studies at Hull University in 2003. It was fab, but after a placement year at Westminster with Labour MP Ed Balls just after the 2005 General Election I thought “proper” politics was the place to be. I worked at the Smith Institute for six months when I graduated, then as an opposition researcher for the Labour Party for a couple of years. I did an online MA part time (also at Hull) while I was working at the Labour Party and then came back to Hull properly to do my PhD. And that was that.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

The British Polity (Philip Norton) I read this as an A Level student and honestly, I used to carry that book everywhere. I bought it from a Politico’s catalogue I think when I first started sixth form.

Parliamentary Scrutiny of Government Bills (JAG Griffith): A super super book that inspired my PhD. I still use it all the time.  

J Blondel et al, ‘Legislative Behaviour: Some steps towards a cross party measurement’, Government and Opposition, Vol. 5 (1) 1970, pp. 67-85: As above, the idea of viscosity was the basis of my PhD research. I got an email from Jean out of the blue a few years ago. He’d read one of my articles about the SNP at Westminster and we had lunch together to chat about it. Amazing.

Legislatures (Philip Norton ed): As a undergraduate student at Hull this was THE book to get your hands on. It was out of print and we’d all try to find it on amazon but it was always over a £100 for a second hand copy. When we were on placement in parliament my course mate (and now husband) got it out of the House of Commons library and we (kind of illegally) photocopied the whole thing. Apologies to the Commons library. We are very sorry. I’ve still got the photocopy in a folder in my office and I use it all the time. But I did also finally manage to get an amazon copy for a fiver. It only took about 15 years of waiting.

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

There’s a bit of a Hull theme to all these answers, It has to be the one and only Cristina Leston-Bandeira.  When I went to the Hull University open day my mum embarrassed me in front of her and Lord Norton (I still cringe about that). Cristina taught me from my very first week as an undergraduate student and I can still remember so many of her tutorials. If I needed any help, she was always the one I would go to. She taught me on my MA and became one of my PhD supervisors. I used to describe her as my academic ‘mum’ – holding my hand through everything and cheering me up/ taking me out for lunch when I was miserable. When I had my first baby she came round to my house with baking. When I’ve had rejections at work she’s always the one with the smiling face and the good advice. She’s my best mate and god mum to my eldest daughter, Alba. Alba knows her only as ‘Portuguese Cristina’. In fact, in our house she is known only as Portuguese Cristina, or CLB. Hopefully she knows how special she is to us all!

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

That they are NOT government!

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire. I lived there with my mum and my sister until I went to University. I’ve moved around a lot since then (London, back to Hull, Kent, London again, back to Hull, Surrey, Kent again, then Sheffield). I’m still in Sheffield right now, but about to move back to where I grew up. I’m surrounded by boxes as I write this.

What was your first job?

I got a job working in Greggs when I was about 17 because I wanted to save up for a laptop for when I went to university.  I worked Saturdays plus one evening in the week to clean the shop. At the end of the day we could buy the leftover cakes for about 10p each so I’d bring them all home.  I still love Greggs. I took the kids there today! I had a paper round at the same time that I hated.  My dad is a mechanic and I used to wash ALL the cars on the garage forecourt where he worked each week in the school holidays for a tenner, with my sister.  It took us ages.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

I used to do temp work over the summer holidays and one summer landed a job as an arrears chaser for a mortgage company. That was really horrid.

Working at the Labour party during the MP expenses scandal was also a tough one. Being asked to scroll through Conservative MP expense claims to look for daft items was the point at which I realised that politics was not for me.

What are your hobbies?

They mainly revolve around the kids at the moment. I like baking when I have time (anything but biscuits, I just can’t make biscuits) and I read a lot on the train to work. I do some volunteering for the Breastfeeding Network. In a couple of months I’ll be starting some shifts on the National Breastfeeding Helpline.

What are your favourite novels?

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  I read this book as a student on placement and decided while reading it that if I ever had a daughter I would name her Alba, after the little girl in the book.  My very own Alba is now 8 years old and just as independent and feisty as her namesake.

Recent books I’ve really liked are The Silence of the Girls (Pat Barker) and The Binding (Bridget Collins). I read all sorts of random stuff though, usually on the train to Manchester.

What is your favourite film?

Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Best final scene of any movie.

What is your favourite tv show?

My favourite question of them all.  As a teenager I became the biggest fan of the 80s TV programme The A Team. Still love it. And I have a massive collection of A Team memorabilia stored in my mum’s attic that I don’t think she is very keen on me leaving there. I keep a Mr T badge in my kitchen drawer that always has (and still does) come with me for anything important – exams, interviews, driving tests. It’s my good luck charm, even though it doesn’t always bring me good luck. It came to five driving tests with me!

I also watch far too much Netflix while I’m ironing.  I have a LOT of ironing. I love sci fi programmes –Star Trek, Shadow and Bone, Stranger Things etc. Anything with vampires (I know, I’m totally sad) – I watched Discovery of Witches over the Christmas holidays which was fantastic.   Bridgerton, The Gilded Age etc are also guilty pleasures.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

I’m not the sort of person who gets excited about holidays but everyone else in my house does. My husband loves Cyprus, as do the kids, so we’ve been there a lot. Iceland (pre-children!) was also beautiful.

Hybrid proceedings in Parliament: yes please or no thanks?

Yes, definitely. But done in the right way.

Appointed or elected upper chamber?

Appointed (I was Lord Norton’s student. How could I answer anything else?!).

Restoration or Renewal?

Both.

Cat or Dog?

Cats. Always cats. We have one big fluffy one called Flower.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Depends, I love both, but if it’s curry it’s got to be veggie dhansak.

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Cars if they’re electric. Love trains. Hate flying.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Neither because I really don’t like cream. It’s jam only for me unless I’m feeling brave.

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who is 9 and a half: What was your favourite subject at school and why?

Geography. I had the best geography teacher, Glenda Priestnall who made me obsessed with rivers, volcanoes, earthquakes etc and took us on fieldtrips to the coast to study the sand dunes. If I hadn’t done politics, I would have done a geography degree.

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Urgent Questions

Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey

CHERYL SCHONHARDT-BAILEY

Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey is Professor and Head of the Department of Government at LSE. She is the author of Deliberative Accountability in Parliamentary Committees (Oxford University Press).

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I didn’t intend to be an academic at all. When I applied to graduate school, I was only going to do a masters (it was a combined masters/PhD programme) and then move on to the world of corporate work. I only applied to 2 graduate programmes and was accepted by just one, so it was an easy decision on where to go! In any case, I rather liked academia (and it seemed to be going well), so one year led to another year and eventually I ended up with a PhD!

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective Action;

David Mayhew, The Electoral Connection;

Alan Blinder, Central Banking in Theory and Practice;

Memoirs by the Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, Part III;

Melvin J. Hinich and Michael C. Munger, Ideology and the Theory of Political Choice.

(but ask me tomorrow, and I may give you another list…)

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Brian Barry. I was familiar with his work before coming to the LSE, but he was a true mentor and friend to me while he was at LSE.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

My book on Repeal (From the Corn Laws to Free Trade) and my most recent book, Deliberative Accountability in Parliamentary Committees (mainly because of the cool chapter on nonverbal communication).

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Surviving being Head of the LSE Government Department during Covid and enacting some pretty fundamental changes in the department in the process. (However, I still have until 1st July to serve, so I’m only assuming that I’ll survive!).

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

It may sound strange, but I’m not sure that I have a “greatest disappointment”. Sure, there were lots of setbacks and down times, but I wouldn’t say that there was some catastrophic event. Not yet, at least.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

Incentives matter. But so does deliberation. Or at least it should.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Boise, Idaho (USA)—born and raised. I now live in the “leafy suburbs” of London.

What was your first job?

First informal job was babysitting (at age 11, looking after 3 kids—I think that this would be illegal these days!). First formal job (with paycheck) was at age 15 in a music store as a sales assistant.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

Actually there were two. One was working in a printing shop over a summer while in high school. I was unbelievably bored. The second was a graveyard shift (11pm to 7am) for a data processing firm over a summer when I was in graduate school. I hated working graveyard.

What are your hobbies?

Playing the piano and digital photography. Both of these have been drastically curtailed while I’ve been serving as Head of Department, since I have very little leisure time. Only 3 ½ months more to go and then I can resume my hobbies!

What are your favourite novels?

Okay, I rather like romance novels. Sad but true. But there is a back history here. I adored reading novels up to about age 18, but then when I went off to university, I thought that I better stop reading for pleasure. All reading needed to be intellectual and/or academic. That carried on until I was about 42 years old and reading Harry Potter books to my kids. I thought, why on earth did I stop reading novels? It’s relaxing and I enjoy it! What’s wrong with that?

What is your favourite music?

I’m rather eclectic in my music choices, but I do like the soundtrack to the movie, The Mission. It’s a terrific movie, but with a very tragic story. It’s also deeply spiritual and the soundtrack reflects that.

What are your favourite artworks?

Georgia O’Keeffe. I love the microscopic detail.

What is your favourite film?

The Shawshank Redemption; The Martian. I’m sure that there are more, but the basic point is that I like movies that depict human triumph over adversity (who wouldn’t?).

What is your favourite building?

A certain cabin in Idaho. I love the mountains.

What is your favourite tv show?

I’m not sure I have a favourite one. Covid has definitely encouraged us to watch a lot more TV, but mostly those have been series (e.g., Homeland, The Queen’s Gambit, The Americans). On the whole, the ones that I’ve admired all had inherently good stories, excellent acting and oddly enough, somewhat ambiguous endings.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Idaho (it’s home). But I’ve loved a few other places—e.g., Dubrovnik, the Scottish Highlands, Orvieto, the Canadian Rockies. The ideal combination is a bit of history and a lot of mountains.

What are your favourite sports?

Skiing, swimming, walking. Skiing because the mountains are beautiful, and I can go FAST! Swimming because I feel insulated from the world. And walking because it calms me down and allows me to think.

Hybrid proceedings in Parliament: yes please or no thanks?

No thanks.

Appointed or elected upper chamber?

Elected is more fun, but appointed allows time for reflection and deliberation.

Restoration or Renewal?

What’s wrong with both?

Cat or Dog?

100% dog.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Definitely fish and chips. I think I had curry some 34 years ago and decided it was not for me.

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Trains.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

I had to look this one up, but I note that both have cream, so either is fine with me.

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who is 9 and a half: Which person in history would you most like to have been?

I don’t think that I would actually like to “be” someone else, but I would love to have watched Richard Cobden as he led the Anti Corn Law League or followed Lewis and Clark on their Expedition across the Pacific Northwest.

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Urgent Questions

Professor Meg Russell

MEG RUSSELL

Professor Meg Russell is Professor of British and Comparative Politics and Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London. She is the co-author of Legislation at Westminster and author of The Contemporary House of Lords (both Oxford University Press).

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I followed a rather non-standard route. My first degree was in pure mathematics. I was encouraged to stay on and do a PhD but didn’t because I thought it would be too lonely (and difficult!) living that much in my own head – though I did have a research job in maths for several years. But by then I was much more interested in politics and policy, so started volunteering for my MP, and from there I got a parliamentary research position, and did a part-time Masters degree in Political Economy. I moved to Labour Party head office, as the National Women’s Officer, and in 1998 applied for a one-year research job at the Constitution Unit focused on Lords reform. After 24 years, I’m still here! I did a two-year secondment as adviser to the Leader of the House of Commons (Robin Cook – such a clever and lovely man), and started teaching when I returned to the university in 2003. Subsequently, my path has been a bit more standard.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Arend Lijphart’s Democracies/Patterns of Democracy

Anthony King’s ‘Modes of Executive-Legislative Relations’

Bernard Crick’s In Defence of Politics

More recently, a whole host of things about the culture of politics (some of them quite scary), like Achen and Bartels’ Democracy for Realists, Nadia Urbinati’s ‘Political Theory of Populism’, Levitsky and Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die, Anne Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy. All highly recommended.

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

When I was working in parliament in the 1990s I met Joni Lovenduski who, along with various other feminist scholars, first demonstrated to me how academic work that’s pitched right can enlighten and influence policy decisions. Joni was subsequently very supportive to me personally, as was her friend (and my then Head of Department) Helen Margetts. A bit later, Sarah Childs helped persuade me that I had made the transition to being a ‘proper’ academic – though I do still question that some days!

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

Partly those things which have had direct influence on reform. One of my first Constitution Unit reports (Women’s Representation in Politics: What Can Be Done within the Law?) helped pave the way for the legalisation of legislative quotas, while a later report (The House Rules?) first proposed the Commons Backbench Business Committee. But I’m also proud of more conventional academic works which I hope have helped to demystify political institutions and enable people to see them differently – like my books on The Contemporary House of Lords and Legislation at Westminster. While direct policy influence is very satisfying, so is the influence that comes with your work filtering through to A-level students and a wider public.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

I suppose being made a Fellow of the British Academy. I still find this decision rather perplexing on their part!

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

The number of academics who see politics, and parliaments in particular, primarily as a data playground, rather than something to understand substantively and seek to inform and improve. And those who enjoy making themselves feel bigger and more clever by badmouthing other people’s work, rather than engaging constructively.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

That they are uniquely open institutions, but that much of what matters most nonetheless happens behind the scenes. Also of course that they are precious, because you can’t be a democracy without one.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Simple: North London, within about a 2 mile radius of King’s Cross.

What was your first job?

When I was in sixth form and at university I ran a clothes stall in Camden market – initially with second-hand clothes that I had bought, later with clothes that I had made.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

That job was pretty tough, particularly in the snow! Subsequently, while it wasn’t a job (it was a community self-build scheme) I also worked two days a week on a building site for about 18 months – I mostly completely loved it, but doing roofing in the snow was also definitely a challenge.

What are your hobbies?

Swimming, running, gardening, coastal walks, and painting on the rare occasions that I can find the time.

What are your favourite novels?

Let me preface this by saying that all these remaining questions are impossibly difficult. I wish you’d asked me when I was 22 and had encountered fewer things and had greater certainty!

I love anything by Natalia Ginzburg – they are so simple, but beautifully observed. Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller is uniquely structured, and the mix of styles is extraordinary.

What is your favourite music?

For sitting with maximum calm, Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert.

For walking, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence.

For running, Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.

What are your favourite artworks?

Realist landscape paintings, particularly coastal – because they transport me to where I want to be.

What is your favourite film?

Cabaret – for the politics and the music. West Side Story – purely for the music. The Man Who Fell to Earth – purely because David Bowie is so beautiful.

What is your favourite building?

I love New Parliament House in Canberra, but it’s so sad that you can’t walk over it any more like people were intended to do. At the other end, the Gothic – the St Pancras Hotel is hard to beat. And Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

What is your favourite tv show?

I hardly ever watch TV these days, but I did enjoy Fleabag enough to watch it twice.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

West Cornwall – beautiful light, stunning scenery, great climate for the UK. Rome – delicious food, endless culture, vibrant and chaotic. Or Turin – refined and cultured with less sweltering heat and chaos.

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Both.

Restoration or Renewal?

Both.

Cat or Dog?

Oh dear, both – cats to have at home, other people’s dogs to watch on the beach.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Chips with curry sauce?

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Trains, definitely only trains.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Notwithstanding holiday destination of choice, Devonshire I’m ashamed to say.

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who is 9: Would you rather have to drink sea water (which doesn’t kill you) for the rest of your life, or only ever have a tiny orange and nothing else for breakfast?

The tiny orange would suit me fine.

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Urgent Questions

Professor Jonathan Tonge

JONATHAN TONGE

Professor Jonathan Tonge is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool and the outgoing editor of Parliamentary Affairs. His research concerns include Northern Irish politics and devolution and he’s the co-author of The Democratic Unionist Party: From Protest to Power (Oxford University Press).

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

It was a somewhat unusual path. I didn’t go straight from school. I worked in the civil service as an Executive Officer and did my first-degree part-time in the evening. I then wanted to do a MA and the civil service gave me a year’s unpaid leave to do it full-time, which I absolutely loved. I knew deep down. I didn’t want to go back to the civil service at the end of the MA so carried on and did a PhD. Two years into the PhD I landed my first lectureship, at Salford University. All downhill from there.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Memoirs of a Revolutionary by Sean McStiofain – got me interested in the IRA and the conflict in Ireland.

Explaining Northern Ireland by John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary – the best forensic analysis of Northern Ireland, grounded in brilliant political science.

Consociational Theory by Rupert Taylor – See comment above but with a wider exploration of ethno-national conflict.

God Save Ulster! The Religion and Politics of Paisleyism by Steve Bruce – great for understanding the fusion of theology and political thought.

The British General Election series – always absorbing narrative allied to impressive analysis.

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Wife – always supportive and puts up with long hours and absences in Belfast and elsewhere; parents – always wanted pursuit of academic career; eldest son – delighted to see him recently complete his MA (Politics of course!); and Margaret Hopkins – talked me out of going back to the civil service after the MA.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

The Democratic Unionist Party: From Protest to Power – although it was very much a team effort. The party had not opened up to a team of academics before.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Standing the bar bill after taking 50 Comparative Peace Processes students for end-of-year drinks on me.

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Marking.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

You shouldn’t need communal designations within them.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was born in Bury. I live in Wirral with a Manchester bolthole when I need peace and quiet to write!

What was your first job?

Civil servant. Downing Street style parties were good but the work was dull.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

Academia hours-wise but it’s fantastic nonetheless. I get well-paid for researching and teaching my obsessions. I genuinely love the job.

What are your hobbies?

Sport. Aintree races, Bury FC, now AFC after we got thrown out of the league, Lancashire County Cricket Club. Beyond sport, I’ve always been interested in meteorology (climate change gets me down – want cold winters!).

What are your favourite novels?

Fiction!? I don’t get time to read fiction. Real life is genuinely so exciting and full of drama that I don’t need people making stuff up to spark the imagination. Not read a novel since childhood.

What is your favourite music?

Two-Tone (Specials, Selecter, Beat) was my favourite era. Loved the music and the political messages. Dexys Midnight Runners also. I was a Mod!

What are your favourite artists?

Lowry – captures the essence of the old North and reminds me of my grandparents in Bury.

What is your favourite film?

Educating Rita. Still moves me. Inspiring to see a working-class person want to learn and enrich their life. Quadrophenia for the ex-mod in me.

What is your favourite building?

Abercromby Square, location of my office. Lovely building and I always enjoy going into work, have a fantastic office and it’s the only place I feel vaguely competent.

What is your favourite tv show?

Partridge always make me laugh. Come Out Ye Black and Tans was one of the greatest TV moments ever. Dad’s Army is brilliant. The pomposity of Captain Mainwaring still makes me snort. I could also recite every episode of The Sweeney. Regan and Carter. John Thaw and Dennis Waterman – magnificent actors. These days I’m a 24 hour news channel bore though.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

In recent years, I’ve enjoyed Italy, Croatia, south of France and Tenerife. The older I get the more I want a villa with a pool. Anywhere I can check work emails though (only half-joking). I get resentful having to pay for holiday though, having seen much of the world all-expenses paid via research grants.

Hybrid proceedings in Parliament: yes please or no thanks?

No. In person only

Appointed or elected upper chamber?

Elected on a regional/national basis and much reduced in size.

Restoration or Renewal?

Restoration I think.

Cat or Dog?

Cat. We’ve got three and they are all far more important in the household than me.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Both. That’s why I’m fifteen-and-a-half stone.

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Trains. I hate flying (fear) even though I do it regularly and driving in towns is tedious.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Cornish.

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who has recently turned 9: What’s your favourite Star Wars movie and which character would you like to be?

Never actually watched one, sorry! Too busy doing things like module evaluation forms. My lack of hinterland cruelly exposed.

Categories
Urgent Questions

Dr Gavin Hart

GAVIN HART

Dr Gavin Hart is a lecturer in criminology at Liverpool Hope University. He researches the impact of immigration and diversity on politics and society more broadly, focusing especially on Northern Ireland. Gavin is the outgoing Communications Officer of the PSA Parliaments team.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

It was a little odd really that I ended up doing a PhD. I was always a political junkie, but I had worked as a landscape gardener, then as a logistics manager: nowhere near a university. I studied politics as a mature student and I figured that it would probably lead me down a teaching path. Unfortunately, I was way too disorganised to have applied for the PGCE in time. At the end of the academic year, my dissertation supervisor suggested I apply for a funded PhD at Huddersfield University. I nearly fainted at the thought of it! I then made the doctorate look like really hard-work, but finally got over the line and managed to get a few publications out there. Since then I have been teaching social sciences at Huddersfield and larking about doing some research here and there.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Much of my own work has been about consociational democracy, so I guess I should definitely mention Lijphart’s Politics of Accommodation and his academic sparring partner Donald Horowitz for his work Ethnic Groups in Conflict. These texts really got hooks into me and drew me into a debate. Also, I’m a party politics nerd, so I would have to mention Sartori’s Parties and Party Systems and Anthony Downs’ Economic Theory of Democracy. For teaching purposes, I have been using Exploring Parliament by Christina Leston-Bandeira and Louise Thompson (eds) quite a bit the last year or two. It is a nice tome of all things parliamentary with contributions from loads of great people working in the sub-discipline.

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Catherine McGlynn. My PhD supervisor who stood by me when I was being completely rubbish at academic-ing.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

None.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

I think helping to organise the PSA Parliaments online conference throughout the last year or so. It has been great working with the PSA Parl crew. It was a real team effort and it produced such great panels. I felt like we turned a difficult situation into a great success and I was super proud to have been a cog in the machine.

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Probably the political science jobs market. It can be a fairly miserable existence trying to find anything, even if you are happy to do short-term, part-time, super flexible work – it is still a challenge.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

That once the election is finished, party conflict is left at the door and all representatives begin to work collectively in the pursuit of the national interest…. And if you believe that I have some magic beans you might be interested in buying.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Huddersfield, Huddersfield, Huddersfield…

What was your first job?

I worked as a drystone-waller in my late teens and my early twenties.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

See above.

What are your hobbies?

I play guitar, banjo and ukulele to differing standards of incompetence. I like marching up mountains and general outdoors life too.

What are your favourite novels?

The picture of Dorian Grey really got hold of me. Right now, I’m reading Milkman by Anna Burns which is proving to be pretty awesome. I guess I just like authors that can transport you somewhere. Whether that is somewhere truly fantastic or far too real!

What is your favourite music?

Tough, tough question. I guess Nirvana was the first music I really got into so I would say In-Utero for one. Just lately, I’ve been loving the Dead South. They are like Blue Grass with a rock attitude. I like so much music though, it is hard to say why I like things. I either do or I don’t.

What are your favourite artists?

Lowry’s paintings of the industrial landscape in Northern England. I guess I like them because he depicts the places that I think of as home. I really get what he sees and I admire the way he captures it.

What is your favourite film?

Anything Tarantino because his films are the best and that is the end of the discussion!

What is your favourite building?

The last time I was able to leave the country (some time ago) I went to Rome and I am still in awe of the Colosseum and the various bit of ancient Rome that are still standing. I’m a sucker for ancient history.

What is your favourite tv show?

I’m quite a fan of the more ridiculous end of television. My all-time favourite has to be The Simpsons. I was raised on it and it basically defines my sense of humour to this day. These days I’m big into Rick and Morty. I like both of those shows because they blend plain daft with really clever comedy.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

I love North Wales for the opportunity to climb mountains in utterly ridiculous weather conditions. I just love the landscape in that part of the world.

What is your favourite sport?

Rugby League has always been a favourite. I used to play it as a kid, but I was pretty rubbish. I’m also a fan of martial arts. I have studied karate and kick-boxing quite a bit.

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Bercow.

Restoration or Renewal?

Renewal.

Cat or Dog?

Dog.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Aww man, how are you supposed to choose?

Trains, planes or automobiles?

Bikes.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Couldn’t care less really, but I have quite a few friends from Cornwall so I will say Cornish.

And, finally, a question asked by Seth, who has recently turned 9: If you could be a superhero, who would you be and why?

Spiderman. He looks to be having the most fun out of all the superheroes. I’m quite a fan of Deadpool too. He doesn’t take things too seriously!

Categories
Urgent Questions

Professor Joni Lovenduski

JONI LOVENDUSKI

Professor Joni Lovenduski is Professor Emerita at Birkbeck College London. She is the author of Gendering Politics, Feminising Political Science (ECPR Press) and the winner of numerous academic awards. The photo above is of her cat.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I was a mature student at Manchester University in the late 1960s.  It was an exciting time of social movements, political activism and student politics. Studying politics then and there entailed a broad social science programme in which one gradually specialised in politics and government. So we read economics, anthropology, sociology, political theory and even dipped a little into social statistics and methodology.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination and Sheldon Wolin’s  Politics and Vision were foundational. Later I was very influenced by Lipset and Rokkan’s Party Systems and Voter Alignments. Then as I turned more and more to feminism and gender issues I was inspired by Carol Pateman’s The Sexual Contract, Gina Sapiro’s The Political Integration of Women.  This list could be much longer and ideally include foundational essays by many pioneering feminist political scientists, many of which are cited in Part 4 of Gendering Politics, Feminising Political Science.

Which person has been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Early on Ghita Ionescu who gave me many opportunities.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

The work on women’s political representation and recruitment and on feminist institutionalism.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Surviving.

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Intellectual segregation and fragmentation.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

Parliaments are gendered workplaces.

I wandered in to looking at Parliaments because of my interest in gendered political recruitment so my interests are mainly in who is there and how they got there.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Born and grew up in the USA, on a farm in New Jersey. I now live in London and Gualdo Cattaneo, Umbria.

What was your first job?

Waitressing in a New Jersey diner.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

I once, briefly worked at a jewellers where it was my responsibility to contact women in order to repossess engagement rings on which the payments had not been kept up. In this job I learned that a surprising number of customers had, within pretty short periods of time, purchased more than one ring for more than one betrothed.

What are your hobbies?

Bridge, gardening, cooking.

What are your favourite novels?

This is too difficult. I love Jane Austen, Henry James, Scott Fitzgerald, Nancy Mitford, Anne Tyler, Michael Dibdin, Donna Leon,  Elena Ferrante. Basically I read a lot of fiction including detective novels, and enjoy contemporary fiction.

What is your favourite music?

Anything by Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Ludovico Einaudi, Patsy Kline, Emmylou Harris.

What are your favourite artists?

I don’t really have favourites, still exploring.

What is your favourite film?

Coen Brothers films. Martin Scorcese films. I loved The Irishman not least because it reminded me of growing up in New Jersey in the 1950s and 60s.

What is your favourite building?

Georgian London Terraces. They are simple and beautiful (admittedly not that easy to live in but …)

What is your favourite tv show?

The Sopranos. Remind me of New Jersey. More recently Le Bureau.

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Italy, you never get used to its beauty.

What is your favourite sport?

Ugh.

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Neither.

Restoration or Renewal?

Depends.

Cat or Dog?

Cats (photo available).

Fish and chips or Curry?

Both.

Planes, trains or automobiles?

Automobiles.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

Both.

And, finally, a question asked by 8-year-old Seth: What’s the best thing about winter: snow or satsumas?

Probably satsumas as they are more likely to happen.

Categories
Urgent Questions

Professor David Judge

DAVID JUDGE

Professor David Judge is Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Strathclyde. He is the author of The Parliamentary State (SAGE).

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I had no great plans to become an academic. My career progression was often down to happenstance. The first chance occurrence was the decision taken by my history teacher, in my last year at school, to trial a one-year A-level politics class (then entitled British Constitution). This led me to study politics at undergraduate level at Exeter, which was chosen for no other reason than its geographical location. From there I went on to do my PhD at Sheffield on the basis of fortuitous circumstances leading to the award of an SSRC (precursor of the ESRC) grant. My first academic job followed two years later when I was appointed as a lecturer at a Scottish Central Institution in Paisley (now part of The University of the West of Scotland). Only a series of chance events and serendipitous timings within a very short period led to my move to Scotland. After 14 years at Paisley, again by chance and unforeseen, I was offered a job seven miles down the road at Strathclyde in Glasgow.

All of this might appear to be a seamless progression, driven by chance and luck, but I wouldn’t have had an academic career or become a professor had it not been for the decisive interventions of several people.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

A. H. Birch, Representative and Responsible Government.

C. B. Macpherson, The Life and Times of Liberal Democracy.

Ralph Miliband, Capitalist Democracy in Britain.

Hanna Pitkin, The Concept of Representation.

Jeremy Richardson and Grant Jordan, Governing Under Pressure.

Which people have been most influential and important to you in your academic career?

Without turning this into something resembling an Oscar Awards acceptance speech, I have to acknowledge upfront the influence of two remarkably influential women in my life. The first was my mother: she knew the value of education long before I did. The other is my wife: she knows the importance of life beyond the world of academia.

Within the world of academia three mentors offered pivotal support and direction at crucial stages of my career. The first was Michael Rush at Exeter who led me to take parliament seriously as an institution and was instrumental in facilitating the start of my PhD studies. The second was Stuart Walkland at Sheffield, who, as my PhD supervisor, provided me with the freedom to follow my own ideas along paths he wouldn’t have followed himself. The third was Jeremy Richardson at Strathclyde who offered me a job at a ‘critical juncture’ in my career, and who was instrumental in my career progression thereafter. There have been a host of other people with whom I’ve collaborated over the years and who have been important in enabling me to co-produce publications in areas well beyond parliamentary studies, such as The Politics of Industrial Closure, A Green Dimension for the European Community, and Theories of Urban Politics. In particular,David Earnshaw (who has a ‘proper job’ in Brussels) was a brilliant co-conspirator and co-author for nearly 20 years on matters concerning the European Parliament; and, since my ‘retirement’, working with Cristina Leston-Bandeira has been both a productive and pleasurable experience in grappling with fundamental issues concerning ‘institutional representation’ and ‘why legislatures matter’.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

Proud isn’t the right word, but the books I most wanted to write – for my own satisfaction if for no-one else’s – were The Parliamentary State (Sage, 1993) and Democratic Incongruities (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Not getting sacked. Fortunately, senior managers at Strathclyde showed remarkable forbearance when I felt obliged, on many occasions as the Head of the Department of Government, ‘to speak truth to power’.

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Not getting sacked.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

The first thing: many political scientists don’t take parliaments seriously; and most members of the public don’t hold parliaments in high regard.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was born in Jessop Hospital in Sheffield. I grew up on a Sheffield council estate and went to a comprehensive school (at a time when only 7 per cent of children in England went to such schools). My dad was unapologetically working class. My mother was equally unapologetic in her belief that her kids should, through the force of education, not remain working class.

So, although now objectively middle class by profession, I still retain something resembling a Sheffield accent and still cling to memories of my working-class roots. The authorities in Sheffield, however, have tried to expunge any record of my time in Sheffield: Jessop Hospital has been demolished, the primary school I attended has been demolished, and the buildings on both campuses of my secondary school have also been demolished!

What was your first job?

My first job, as a teenager, was selling football programmes at Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United. I then used the earnings from Bramall Lane to fund my entry into Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday, to watch ‘my’ team.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

When I was a student, I worked as a hospital porter during five successive summer vacations. Witnessing the life-affirming and life-changing work of those in the NHS, and the vagaries and vicissitudes of life for those suffering long-term ill-health or sudden medical emergencies, provided a touchstone for my future career: my job was never going to be as tough as those performed daily by hospital staff.

What are your favourite novels?

The ‘Jackson Lamb Thrillers’ by Mick Herron. These are brilliant, and just happen to be the most recent novels I have read (so I can actually remember their plots and characters!).

What is your favourite music?

I tend to listen to music when I’m driving, so it depends on what I have on CarPlay. At the moment it’s a weird mix of Bon Iver, Elbow, Eric Clapton, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Michael Kiwanuka, Willie Nelson, and, OK I admit it, ABBA.

What are your favourite artists?

Nancy Ortenston’s New Mexico Music. A large print of this features in our living room – so, I see it every day.

What is your favourite film?

The Last Picture Show. I’m a sucker for American black and white movies set in 1950s Texas.

What is your favourite building?

According to the many photos of these buildings on my phone I have two favourites. The first, for its exterior, is the Sydney Opera House. The second, for its interior, is the Santuário Dom Bosco, in Brasília.

What is your favourite tv show?

All-time favourite: The West Wing. Recent favourite: Better Call Saul.

What is your favourite sport?

Competitive biscuit eating. I reached Olympic qualifying standard during lockdown.

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Bercow: largely for his commitment to the Parliamentary Studies modules now on offer at 24 universities in the UK.

Restoration or Renewal?

Probably both, but at the present rate of ‘reviewing’ and ‘delivering’ it might end up as simply a case of ‘Deterioration’.

Cat or Dog?

Neither: Guinea Pigs (I became a default carer for my kids’ guinea pigs).

Fish and chips or Curry?

Fish and Chips

Planes, trains or automobiles?

Automobiles: my preferred mode of transport for listening to music.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

As I spent three years as a student in Exeter it has to be Devonshire.

And, finally, a question asked by 8-year-old Seth: Would you prefer to be able to smell colours, or touch noises?

Great question Seth. This is the kind of question that will keep me awake at night trying to fathom out an answer. If an answer does come to me at 3.00 am, don’t worry Seth, I’ll phone you straight away!

Categories
Urgent Questions

Professor Sarah Childs

SARAH CHILDS

Professor Sarah Childs is Professor of Politics & Gender at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her latest book is Feminist Democratic Representation, co-authored with Karen Celis and published by Oxford University Press in 2020. She also authored The Good Parliament Report in 2016.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

As an undergraduate in politics I realised I hadn’t been able to learn enough about gender; I did a masters in Women’s studies and was signed up to start at PGCE… I realized I didn’t want to teach the Romans to 11 year olds… I had to look for a job – in those days the Guardian on a Wednesday – interviews for two PhDs places, I got offered the first at Kingston University, part-time with teaching; otherwise, I might have been a suffrage historian… I never wanted to be a British politics lecturer – I did politics in the school of African and Asian studies at Sussex… but my PhD years covered the 1997 election. I was supposed to be writing a theoretical PhD but I ended up interviewing 35 of the New Labour Women; and I loved talking to political actors.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Benedict Anderson Imagined Communities – as an undergraduate, this book was like nothing I’d read before.

Vicky Randall Women and Politics – my first ever gender and politics book.

Anne Phillips The Politics of Presence – read as a Masters in Women’s Studies student, and started off my academic career.

Drude Dahlerup ‘From a Small to a Large Minority’, a key contribution to debates about critical mass.

Suzanne Dovi ‘Preferable Descriptive Representatives: Will Just Any Woman, Black, or Latino Do?’ – made me think harder about the practice of representation

Which person/people has/have been most influential/important to you in your academic career?

Joni Lovenduski and Vicky Randall – When I was a part-time PhD student in an old polytechnic on the verge of giving up, both told me that my research was worthwhile; thereafter I received the most amazing mentorship from Joni, and Vicky examined my PhD.

Rosie Campbell – co-author, co-jogger, and confidant.

Karen Celis – with whom I’ve just spent amazing three years writing a book, including two summers of intense writing in Italy with her.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

Feminist Democratic Representation with Karen Celis. It was slow, intense and fun, and our first book of political theory.

‘The Substantive Representation of Women: Reducing the VAT on Sanitary Products in the UK’ in Parliamentary Affairs (2006) with Julie Withey. My favourite discrete case study.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

The Good Parliament Report 2016 + the pilot (2018) and then permanent change to Standing Orders to allow proxy voting for babyleave (2020).

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Being told: (i) I would only get a serious job if I study a serious subject (i.e. not gender); and (ii) I would only get a pay rise if I received a job offer from another institution.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

To understand them you need to speak to folks who inhabit them, week in-week out, both political and administrative.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Hartley Wintney and Hook, in Hampshire – school was local but sixth form college was in Basingstoke. I have lived in Clapham since the early 1990s. I had to get away from village life where everyone knows your business.

What was your first job?

I worked in a sweet shop on Saturdays whilst at school and then Boots the Chemist as a sixth former.  

What was the toughest job you ever had?

I worked in an industrial laundry on a machine that would send down hangers on which I would hang soggy men’s overalls, all day. I have never been so physically exhausted. After a week I fortunately got a pub job that meant I could leave.

What are your hobbies?

Running with my little brother (virtually if not in person); personal training; swimming. None of these in an extreme way but regularly; and reading.

What are your favourite novels?

The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

Amrita, Banana Yoshimoto

What is your favourite music?

Blue Lines, Massive Attack. Reminds me of friends, gigs, and (many strong) women’s voices.

Home by Hania Rani. During the pandemic this was really relaxing

What are your favourite artists?

Georgia O’keefe, especially her flowers. Edward Hopper, I look at this picture every day, and I love the water.

What is your favourite film?

Secrets and Lies, Mike Leigh. Best representation of PMT ever seen on film… IMHO.

What is your favourite building?

Falling Water, when I visited as a teenager I was blown away by it.

What is your favourite tv show?

During Covid: Schitt’s Creek

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Iceland: spas, thermal swimming pools, mountains, snow, and clean air.

What is your favourite sport?

I guess football to watch – best memories of Granddad (Tottenham) and dad, and still watch with little bro and partner (both Gooners).

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Bercow on gender/diversity sensitive reforms.

Restoration or Renewal?

Both, but former without latter will be irrelevant to the better working of the institution.

Cat or Dog?

Neither.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Both, at least once a month.

Planes, trains or automobiles?

The Eurostar to Brussels.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

I don’t need the cream.

And, finally, a question asked by 8-year-old Seth: Would you rather have chips for fingers, or chocolate eclairs for thumbs??

Chips  – I think the chocolate eclairs will drip chocolate and cream on my clothes… and I like clothes too much.

Categories
Urgent Questions

Professor Michael Rush

MICHAEL RUSH

Professor Michael Rush is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Exeter. He is the author of The Role of the Member of Parliament Since 1868: from Gentlemen to Players, published by Oxford University Press in 2001, and is the driving force behind the Parliamentary Archive of MPs, 1832-present.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

I started as an undergraduate at Sheffield studying for a degree in history and politics, graduating in 1964. I was then awarded a Sheffield University Postgraduate Scholarship and was awarded my PhD in politics in 1966. I regarded myself as very fortunate to be at university at a time when only 4.2 per cent of the 18+ age group were studying for a degree. I then became a beneficiary of the post-Robbins expansion of universities. The post at Exeter was the third for which I had been shortlisted in the space of a few months in 1964. I remained at Exeter until my retirement in 2003, having been appointed to a personal chair in 1994. However, I spent a year on a teaching exchange at the University of Western Ontario in 1967-68, did summer school teaching at Acadia University, Wolfeville, Nova Scotia, and had visiting research fellowships at Carleton University, Ottawa and the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Harold Lasswell, Who Gets What, When How, 1936.

Lewis Namier, Politics at the Accession of George III1958.

Bernard Crick, In Defence of Politics, 1962.

Bernard Crick, The Reform of Parliament, 1964.

W.G. Runciman, Social Science and Political Theory, 1965.

Which person/people has/have been most influential/important to you in your academic career?

Bill Thornhill, Stuart Walkland and Jack Hayward, taught me as an undergraduate at Sheffield; Bill was also my PhD supervisor; Sammy Finer, my external examiner; Bernard Crick and many official and academic members of the Study of Parliament Group; Victor Wiseman, my first head of department; and Henry Mayo, chair of the Department of political Science at the University of Western Ontario, from whom I learned some very useful things about being a head of department.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

The Role of the Member if Parliament: from Gentlemen to Players, OUP, 2001.

Parliamentary Socialisation: Learning the Ropes or Determining Behaviour? (co-authored with Philip Giddings), Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

Working closely other academics and parliamentary officials through the Study of Parliament Group to extend and enhance our knowledge and understanding of the UK Parliament.

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Running out of time!  After I retired in 2003, I continued to research and publish, but conducting research and writing up the results eventually became too onerous, but that left unstarted projects I would have liked to have undertaken, such as a study of the Public Accounts Committee, which has not been the subject of major research since Basil Chubb’s book published in 1952.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

The need to understand enough about the history and political culture of the country concerned to understand its legislature (and, indeed, its politics).

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was born and grew up in Richmond, Surrey. I moved to Exeter in 1964 and have lived there ever since.

What was your first job?

Gardener with Richmond Borough Council between leaving school and doing national service and subsequently as an undergraduate during university summer vacations.

What was the toughest job you ever had?

Being Head of Department.  This was not because my colleagues were in the least bit difficult; on the contrary, they were always most supportive.  However, as HoD my time was inevitably fragmented and in my 7 years in the job the responsibilities increased substantially.

What are your hobbies?

Gardening, exploring family history, reading historical and political biographies, reading novels, listening to classical music, walking.

What are your favourite novels?

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (beautifully written & a wonderful picture of early 19th century social life); Anthony Trollope’s political novels (good tales well-told & a superb on mid-19th century politics); Robert Graves, I, Claudius & Claudius the God, 1934 (bring ancient Rome alive).

What is your favourite music?

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (The Choral) (majestic); Vaughan Williams, Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (wonderfully evocative).

What are your favourite pieces of artwork?

W.J.M. Turner & David Hockney (I just do!).

What is your favourite film?

Citizen Kane (still resonates).

What is your favourite building?

Salisbury Cathedral – sheer elegance; Palace of Westminster – professional interest!

What is your favourite tv show?

Brideshead Revisited (good story, beautifully acted), Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister (need I say?).

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Italy (beautiful scenery, lovely people, good food).

What is your favourite sport?

Rugby union (watched Richmond, London Scottish, London Welsh, and Rosslyn Park as a boy & later played for a minor club). Tennis (good exercise).

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Boothroyd.

Restoration or Renewal?

Both, but, as Joad used to say, ‘It depends what you mean by…’!

Cat or Dog?

Cat.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Curry.

Planes, trains or automobiles?

Trains.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

My paternal grandmother coming from Morchard Bishop, near Crediton, it’s no contest!

And, finally, a question asked by 8-year-old Seth: Would you rather eat mushy peas in orange juice, or mushrooms in golden syrup?

I like all four, but, forced to choose, it’s the first, but I have a question for you Seth: Do you like kippers and jam? I had a cousin who claims he did!