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Matthew Flinders

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...

Economy

China's Trade Surplus Shrinks Sharply in March Amid AI Import Surge and Export Slowdown

Chinas trade balance dropped significantly in March, falling well below market expectations as a surge in imports collided with weaker-than-anticipated export growth. Official customs data revealed a trade surplus of...

Australian Business Confidence Crashes Amid Iran War Oil Shock

Australian business confidence suffered one of its steepest monthly declines on record last month, as the ongoing conflict involving Iran triggered a severe global oil shock that rattled markets and spooked company...

RBA's Hauser Flags Uncertainty on Rate Settings Amid Iran War Economic Risks

Australias central bank is treading carefully on monetary policy, with Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser admitting he lacks full confidence that current interest rates are calibrated correctly...

U.S.-Iran Tensions Rattle Asian Markets as Oil Surges Past $100

Asian stock markets declined sharply on Monday after weekend diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran collapsed without agreement, prompting Washington to announce plans to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The...

Dollar Holds Steady Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and BOJ Rate Hike Uncertainty

The U.S. dollar remained largely flat on Tuesday as currency markets balanced geopolitical risks from escalating U.S.-Iran tensions against hopes for renewed diplomatic progress. The dollar index edged up just 0.04% to...

Politics

NYC Protests Demand End to U.S. Arms Sales to Israel, Dozens Detained

Dozens of demonstrators were arrested in New York City on Monday during widespread protests calling for the United States to halt arms sales to Israel and withdraw its military support for the country. The antiwar...

Trump Nominates Korean-American Michelle Steel as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea

Donald Trump has nominated Michelle Steel, a former Republican congresswoman from California, to serve as the United States ambassador to South Korea a diplomatic post that has remained vacant throughout his second term...

Prince Harry and Meghan Return to Australia for Mental Health and Veterans-Focused Tour

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have touched down in Australia for a four-day visit centered on mental health awareness, community resilience, and support for military veterans and their families....

North Korea Tests Missiles From New Destroyer Under Kim Jong Un's Watch

North Korea has conducted fresh missile tests from its newest warship, the Choe Hyon destroyer, as part of ongoing operational trials observed by leader Kim Jong Un and top military officials. State media outlet KCNA...

Carney's Liberals Clinch Parliamentary Majority After Ontario and Quebec By-Elections

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government following three special by-elections held Monday in Ontario and Quebec, CBC News reported. The milestone victory gives...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

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...

Technology

SK Hynix Shares Hit Record High Amid AI Memory Demand Surge

SK Hynix shares soared to an all-time high on Tuesday, riding a wave of renewed investor confidence in artificial intelligence infrastructure and fresh momentum from developments tied to fellow memory chipmaker SanDisk....

Amazon in Advanced Talks to Acquire Globalstar in Starlink Rivalry Move

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire satellite operator Globalstar Inc (NASDAQ: GSAT), marking a bold strategic push by the tech giant to challenge SpaceXs dominant Starlink...

Anthropic Discusses Frontier AI Model Mythos With Trump Administration Despite Pentagon Ban

Anthropic is actively engaging with the Trump administration about its latest frontier AI model, Mythos, even as the company navigates an ongoing dispute with the Pentagon, co-founder Jack Clark revealed Monday at the...

AI Deradicalization Tools: How Chatbots Could Help Combat Violent Extremism Online

As artificial intelligence platforms become more deeply embedded in daily life, concerns about their role in enabling dangerous behavior continue to grow. A New Zealand startup is now developing a groundbreaking tool that...

Meta Is Building an AI Version of Mark Zuckerberg to Interact With Employees

Meta Platforms is reportedly developing a photorealistic artificial intelligence version of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, designed to engage directly with employees on his behalf. According to the Financial Times, which cited...