Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics, University of Sheffield
Professor Flinders studied Modern European Studies at Loughborough University before coming to the University of Sheffield to complete his doctorate in public policy and governance. He was appointed to a permanent Lectureship in 2000 (Senior Lecturer 2003, Reader 2005, Professor 2009). He was Sub-Dean for Graduate Affairs during 2004-2005 and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences 2005-2006. He was a Governor on the Board of Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust between 2008-2011 and Deputy Head of the Department of Politics between 2008-2012. Professor Flinders is also on the Executive Committee of the Political Studies Association. In addition to his academic work, Professor Flinders is a writer and broadcaster and has made numerous contributions to national newspapers, including The Times and The Guardian, and in 2011 he wrote and presented a three-part series for BBC Radio 4 entitled ‘In Defence of Politics’.
His latest book, 'What Kind of Democracy is This?' is published by Policy Press, 2017.
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
Apr 25, 2024 06:12 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...
Liz Truss resigns as prime minister: the five causes of her downfall explained
Oct 21, 2022 06:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
As Liz Truss stepped away from the lectern outside No.10 Downing Street after resigning as leader of her party, it probably occurred to her that her time as prime minister will have been only as long as the leadership...
Coronavirus and the politics of crisis fatigue
Mar 26, 2020 16:02 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The new coronavirus pandemic is affecting our daily lives in many unexpected ways. We are particularly trying to understand why some people are not heeding official advice about social isolation. I believe this relates to...
How Boris Johnson's Conservatives swept to election victory in Labour heartlands
Dec 16, 2019 13:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Welcome to a new whole new political world. The UK general election of 2019 has delivered a seismic shift in the balance of the countrys politics, the consequences of which are very hard, if not impossible to predict. But...
Brexit impasse: where have all the political leaders gone?
Jan 27, 2019 14:41 pm UTC| Insights & Views
Adrift, rudderless, confused, chaotic. A mess. How else can anyone honestly describe the state of British politics? The UK is, if truth be known, currently a nation that resembles little more than a vast community of...
Parliament may not have what it takes to fix its crumbling house
Jan 30, 2018 12:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate Economy
Back in 2015, a detailed analysis of the Palace of Westminster concluded that the risk of catastrophic failure is increasing … a major failing of the existing service infrastructure is inevitable. As the subsequent...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget
Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects