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Simon Lee

Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Hull

Simon Lee lectures in political economy. He is responsible for the introduction of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in global political economy and globalisation and governance in the Department.

He has written two books on the ideas and policies of Gordon Brown: Boom and Bust: The Politics and Legacy of Gordon Brown (Oxford: Oneworld, 2009), which was a second and updated edition of Best for Britain? The Politics and Legacy of Gordon Brown (Oxford: Oneworld, 2007). His next single –authored monograph will be The State of England: The Nation We’re In (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).

His most recent book is the first published study of the Cameron-Clegg Government. It is the fourth book co-edited with Dr Matt Beech, and produced by the Centre for Political Economy in partnership with the Centre for British Politics. The previous works were The Brown Government: A Policy Evaluation (London: Routledge, 2010), TheConservatives under David Cameron: Built to Last (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), and Ten Years of New Labour (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008).

He has previous co-authored (with Andrew Cox and Joe Sanderson) The Political Economy of Modern Britain (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1997), and also edited (with Stephen McBride) Neo-Liberalism, State Power and Global Governance (Dordrecht: Springer, 2007), and (with Maurice Mullard) The Politics of Social Policy in Europe (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1997). He has contributed chapters to twenty other edited collections.

His articles have been published in New Political Economy, The Political Quarterly, Local Economy, Policy Studies, Public Policy and Administration, Policy and Society, and Public Money and Management.

He is currently working on Globalisation: A Beginner’s Guide (Oxford: Oneworld, 2011), and (with Richard Woodward)Understanding States and Markets: An Introduction to Political Economy (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

Boris Johnson has ended the age of austerity – but his party isn't on board

Oct 31, 2021 23:32 pm UTC| Politics

As the Conservative party wrestled with its future direction towards the end of the 1970s, Margaret Thatchers think tank, the Centre for Policy Studies, published a pamphlet of speeches by its co-founder, Keith...

Three reasons why Boris Johnson's promise to revitalise the north could come back to haunt him

Jan 18, 2020 12:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

For his forthcoming Budget on March 11, Chancellor Sajid Javid has promised to unleash Britains potential uniting our great country, opening a new chapter for our economy and ushering in a decade of renewal. This was on...

Theresa May requests short Brexit extension: how to understand this reckless move

Mar 21, 2019 13:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Before the October 1964 general election, Harold Wilson was reported to have stated a week is a long time in politics. Never has that maxim been truer than in relation to the politics of Brexit and the publication of...

Every election, politicians ignore England – here's why

May 05, 2017 14:45 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

In UK general elections, England matters. It accounts for 82% or 533 out of 650 constituencies in the national parliament. At the 2015 general election, 318 (or 96%) of the Conservatives 330 seats were won in England, as...

Plough on or change to win? Theresa Mays progressive dilemma

Jan 14, 2017 03:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Modern British history tells us that when a government minister becomes prime minister between elections, rather than by winning one, they confront a strategic political and ideological balancing act. They must...

Economy

India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out

India and the United States have taken a significant step toward strengthening bilateral trade ties with the release of an interim trade framework that includes major tariff reductions on high-end American automobiles and...

Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality

Donald Trump has positioned himself as the Republican Partys chief voice on the cost of living during a pivotal election year, but a Reuters review of his recent speeches shows a growing disconnect between his rhetoric and...

South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom

South Africa is keen to make use of potential new European Central Bank (ECB) repo liquidity lines, according to central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago, as the country continues to navigate easing inflation and a gradual...

Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength

Russian stocks finished the latest trading session on a mixed note, with the MOEX Russia Index closing flat as gains in select blue-chip shares were offset by losses in others. At the close of trading in Moscow, the...

China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices

Chinas central bank has continued to strengthen its gold reserves, extending its buying streak to a 15th consecutive month in January, according to the latest data released by the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC). The move...

Politics

Jack Lang Resigns as Head of Arab World Institute Amid Epstein Controversy

Jack Lang, a prominent French political figure and former culture minister under President François Mitterrand, has stepped down from his role as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris following mounting...

US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks

The United States is pressing Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement to end the war before the start of summer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said following two days of U.S.-brokered talks held in Abu Dhabi....

Netanyahu to Meet Trump in Washington as Iran Nuclear Talks Intensify

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, with Irans nuclear program and regional security topping the agenda. The meeting comes amid renewed...

Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed a proposed merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, signaling renewed political attention on the future of local television broadcasting. In a post shared Saturday on...

Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall

Japanese voters headed to the polls on Sunday in a rare winter election that could deliver Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a commanding mandate, even as record snowfall threatened to suppress turnout in parts of the country....

Science

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....