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Matthew Cole

Teaching Fellow, Department of History, University of Birmingham

I am an historian of modern Britain with a particular interest in twentieth century constitutional and party politics, and local history.

As a Morrell Scholar at the University of York between 1984 and 1987 I examined the relationship between the work of John Stuart Mill and the arguments used to support campaigns to widen the franchise in nineteenth and twentieth-century Britain.

I was awarded a Research Associateship of the Open University between 1998 and 2001 to examine the determinants of British parties’ attitudes to constitutional reform, and was awarded the PSA’s David Butler Prize in 1998 for research on policy towards electoral reform.

Between 2007 and 2011 the Scurrah Wainwright Trust funded my research into the history of the Liberal Party in the twentieth century, particularly to produce a biography of Richard Wainwright, former MP for the Colne Valley.

My current research continues to focus on recent Liberal Party and Liberal Democrat history, and is also in the field of Birmingham social and cultural history.

In 2014 I was awarded a grant by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd to undertake 'Liberalism in Power', a study of the impact upon their image and fortunes of Liberal Democrat MPs at the 2015 general election of their party's participation in government.

Boris Johnson: what first 24 hours reveal about new prime minister's prospects

Jul 26, 2019 09:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

It seems that more has been said about the Boris Johnson premiership in 24 hours than was said about his predecessor, Theresa May, during her whole three years in Number 10. Certainly, the new prime minister is intent on...

Brexit breakthrough? May and Corbyn will meet to find a compromise

Apr 03, 2019 10:29 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

There is some good news about Brexit. The magic eye picture of Britains policy is beginning to emerge from the random pixels of the referendum campaigns promises and threats to a shadowy image of compromise. But there are...

How Brexit brought Britain's constitution to the brink

Apr 01, 2019 17:26 pm UTC| Insights & Views

It would be amusing but unhealthy at the moment to host a drinking game based on the use of the phrase constitutional crisis. The term has been uttered 155 times in parliament since the EU referendum (38 times in 2019 and...

Why an oath to 'British values' just isn't British

Jan 08, 2017 02:34 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Politics

According to three-time British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin: An Englishman is all right, as long as he is content to be what God made him an Englishman. Three generations later, another Worcestershire Tory Cabinet...

Economy

China Exports Beat July Forecasts as AI Demand Fuels High-Tech Trade

Chinas exports posted stronger-than-expected growth in July, supported by booming global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and a rush to ship goods before higher U.S. tariffs took effect. Exports increased...

US Dollar Gains as Iran Tensions, Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise

The U.S. dollar headed for a weekly gain against major currencies on Friday as uncertainty over an Iran peace agreement boosted demand for safe-haven assets, while rising Treasury yields and expectations of tighter Federal...

BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise Ahead of September Meeting

Bank of Japan policymakers are preparing a series of closely watched speeches ahead of the BOJs September 17-18 policy meeting, as expectations grow that the central bank will deliver another interest rate hike. BOJ board...

Asian Stocks Mixed as Chip Selloff Hits KOSPI, Nikkei Ahead of US Jobs Data

Asian stocks traded mixed on Friday as renewed weakness in semiconductor shares weighed on South Korean and Japanese markets, while investors awaited the closely watched U.S. July nonfarm payrolls report for fresh clues on...

China Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Stay Strong

Chinas trade surplus exceeded market expectations in July as exports remained resilient, although faster import growth and softer export momentum pushed the surplus lower compared with the previous month. Official...

Politics

Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is facing a difficult political battle ahead of Israels October 27 election after his position on ultra-Orthodox military exemptions angered some of his traditional supporters in...

Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research

The Trump administration is considering an executive order focused on vaccines and autism research that could be announced as early as next week, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing people familiar with the discussions....

New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate

New Zealands mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system is back in the spotlight after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was open to holding a referendum on how the country elects its parliament. The proposal...

Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On

U.S. President Donald Trump is facing increasingly difficult choices as the Iran war enters its sixth month, with diplomacy and the threat of renewed military action offering uncertain paths toward ending the conflict....

US Expands Social Media Vetting to Foreign Journalists Seeking Visas

The U.S. State Department is reportedly expanding social media vetting for visa applicants to include foreign journalists seeking permission to work in the United States, marking another expansion of the Trump...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Meta Ordered to Pay $567M Over Child Safety Violations in New Mexico

Meta Platforms Inc. has been ordered to pay $567 million into a fund designed to address harm to young people, in a major legal ruling involving child safety on Facebook and Instagram. Judge Bryan Biedscheid of New Mexicos...

Nintendo Shares Jump as Switch 2 Sales Boost Earnings

Nintendo shares surged nearly 5% on Friday after the Japanese gaming giant reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings and upgraded its full-year financial outlook, supported by robust demand for the new Switch...

Cloudflare Stock Jumps 15% as Earnings Beat Estimates, 2026 Outlook Raised

Cloudflare shares surged in after-hours trading Thursday after the cloud connectivity and cybersecurity company delivered stronger-than-expected quarterly results, issued upbeat third-quarter guidance and raised its...

SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns

SoftBank Group (TYO: 9984) reported a stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter profit despite higher operating and financing costs, supported by massive investment gains from Intel and its Vision Fund portfolio. For the...

DeepSeek to Raise AI API Prices as Demand for New Models Surges

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has announced plans to significantly increase the pricing of its API services as demand for its latest AI models continues to grow. The company revealed the upcoming change...