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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 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...