Politics, International Relations & Philosophy

I joined Keele University in September 2007 as Lecturer in British Politics. Prior to coming to Keele I held research associate positions in both the departments of Politics and Town and Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield.  In addition, I was a manager of the Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration: Integrated Management (SUBR:IM) consortium.

I am also a member of the Sustainable Development Commission’s Sustainable Development Panel.

My research interests are principally focused on urban and environmental governance, local governance, British Politics and public policy theory.

I am a member of the Research Institute for Social Sciences.

Current and Past Research Projects

Reducing Energy Consumption through Community Knowledge Networks

Funded through the ESRC and EPSRC Energy and Communities collaborative venture,this project aims to compare and contrast the energy reduction challenges in these two types of community and to see which strategies work best in each of them. 

Regenerating Post-Industrial Medium-Sized Cities
The purpose of this ESRC seminar series is to examine the problems facing medium-sized cities: exploring the barriers inhibiting successful regeneration and the policy levers available for overcoming these. Co-investigators: Professor Chris Phillipson, Professor Graham Allan and Dr Mark Feathestone (all Keele University).

Multi-level Governance, Europeanization and Urban Politics
This project examines three policy sectors within the geographical area of Sheffield to detail the changing nature of multi-level governance at the urban level and to explore the extent to which local actors retain the capacity to coordination and negotiate discourses, policies and processes emanating from ‘higher’ levels of governance. Co-investigators: Dr Ian Bache (University of Sheffield) and Professor John Henneberry (University of Sheffield).

Module Coordinator for:

• British Politics Since 1945 (Level 1)
• British Government and Politics (Level 2)
• Urban Politics (Level 3)
• Environmental Decision-Making in the UK (MSc/MA)
• Comparative Public Management Reform (MA)

Contribute teaching to:

• Modern Democracies (Level 1)
• Approaches to Political Analysis (Level 2)
• Why Policy Changes (Level 2)
• Comparing Politics Today (Level 2)
• Dimensions of Environmental Politics/ Global Environmental Change and its Political Consequences (MA/MSc)
• Power, Knowledge and the World (MA)
• Approaches to Dialogue (MA)
• Climate Change Studies (MA)

• British politics
• Public policy theory
• Urban politics
• Environmental policy

Prospective students interested in pursuing doctoral research in these areas are welcome to get in touch with me.

I am currently the lead supervisor for one student undertaking research on the governance of Local Enterprise Partnerships.