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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

PBOC Scraps Forex Risk Reserve as Yuan Rally Pressures Chinese Exporters

Chinas central bank has stepped in to curb the rapid rise of the yuan, signaling growing concern over the currencys sharp appreciation against the U.S. dollar. The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) announced it will remove the...

ASX CEO Exit Signals Turbulent Transition Amid Lawsuit and Regulatory Scrutiny

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is preparing for a leadership transition at a critical time, as outgoing CEO Helen Lofthouse announces her departure in May after 11 years with the company, including four as chief...

Argentina Tax Reform 2026: President Javier Milei Pushes Lower Taxes and Structural Changes

Argentine President Javier Milei has called for a sweeping overhaul of Argentinas tax system, emphasizing the need for lower taxes to stimulate economic growth. Speaking during the opening of the new congressional session...

Asian Stocks Tumble as US-Iran Conflict Escalates and Oil Prices Surge

Asian stock markets plunged on Monday as escalating tensions in the Middle East triggered a sharp rise in oil prices and fueled global risk aversion. Investor sentiment weakened after the United States and Israel launched...

Wall Street Futures Tumble as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Oil Prices Surge

Wall Street futures dropped sharply Sunday night after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, intensifying geopolitical tensions and triggering a surge in oil prices. The sudden escalation...

Politics

Suspected Drone Strike Hits RAF Akrotiri Base in Cyprus, Causing Limited Damage

Britains Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was struck overnight in what authorities believe was a suspected drone attack, prompting heightened security measures but resulting in no reported casualties....

Marco Rubio to Brief Congress After U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will brief leaders of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives at 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday, according to his public schedule. The congressional briefing comes after joint...

Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon After Missile and Drone Attacks

Israel launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, targeting positions linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after the militant organization fired missiles and drones toward Israeli territory. The escalation marks...

U.S. Deploys Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, F-35 Jets and AI Tools in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran

The United States launched a sweeping military operation against Iranian targets under Operation Epic Fury, deploying advanced weaponry that included Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 and F/A-18 fighter...

Australia Rules Out Military Involvement in Iran Conflict as Middle East Tensions Escalate

Australia has confirmed it will not participate in any military operations in Iran, even if the escalating Middle East conflict intensifies. The announcement came after Israel launched new airstrikes on Tehran and Iran...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

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...

Technology

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Funding Round at $840 Billion Valuation Ahead of IPO

OpenAI has raised a record-breaking $110 billion in fresh funding, pushing the ChatGPT makers valuation to an impressive $840 billion. The massive investment round, backed by SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, highlights the...

Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules

Australias internet regulator has warned that search engines and app stores could be required to block artificial intelligence services that fail to implement age verification systems by an upcoming compliance deadline....

AWS Data Center in UAE Hit by Fire After Objects Strike Facility Amid Regional Tensions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed that one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a temporary power shutdown after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire. The incident occurred at...

Samsung Electronics Stock Poised for $1 Trillion Valuation Amid AI and Memory Boom

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd DRC (LON:0593xq) is rapidly regaining momentum as global demand for AI infrastructure and memory chips accelerates. According to recent analyst reports from Citi, Macquarie, and Morgan Stanley,...

OpenAI Pentagon AI Contract Adds Safeguards Amid Anthropic Dispute

OpenAI has confirmed that its newly signed contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) includes expanded safeguards designed to tightly regulate how artificial intelligence is deployed on classified government...