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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

Asian Stocks Rally as AI Optimism and Tech Surge Lift Regional Markets in 2026

Asian stock markets advanced on Wednesday, driven by strong gains in technology shares and continued investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Despite escalating tensions between the United States and...

Gulf Tensions Escalate as Iranian Missile Attacks Fail and Nuclear Talks Remain Stalled

Hostilities in the Gulf region intensified on Wednesday after the U.S. military reported that multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and other regional locations were either intercepted or...

U.S. Proposes New Tariffs on Imports From 60 Economies Over Forced Labor Concerns

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Tuesday a proposal to impose additional tariffs on imports from 60 economies after determining that their efforts to prevent trade in goods produced...

U.S. Opens Public Comment Period on New U.S.-China Trade Board and Potential Tariff Cuts

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a public comment process on the newly proposed U.S.-China Board of Trade, a bilateral initiative that could pave the way for tariff reductions on selected...

Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’ Draws U.S. Influencers, Officials, and Global Business Figures Amid Economic Struggles

Russias flagship investment gathering, often referred to as the Russian Davos, opened in St. Petersburg on Wednesday as President Vladimir Putin seeks to attract international business interest while facing slowing...

Politics

CBS News Fires Scott Pelley Amid Major Changes at ‘60 Minutes’ in 2026

CBS News has terminated the employment of veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, according to sources familiar with the matter, marking another significant development in the ongoing restructuring of the iconic...

Cambodia Launches UN Maritime Arbitration Against Thailand Over $300 Billion Energy-Rich Gulf Dispute

Cambodia has formally initiated a United Nations-backed compulsory conciliation process to address its long-running maritime boundary dispute with Thailand, a move that could pave the way for access to vast oil and natural...

Trump Endorses Colombian Presidential Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella Ahead of Runoff Election

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella ahead of Colombias highly anticipated runoff election scheduled for June 2026. The endorsement highlights the...

UN Chief Proposes New U.N. Force Options for Lebanon After UNIFIL Mandate Ends

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged members of the U.N. Security Council to maintain a continued uniformed U.N. presence in Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon...

Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Attack on Ukraine

Russia carried out one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 23 people and injured more than 130. The large-scale attack struck several...

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

DeepSeek Targets $7.4 Billion Funding Round, Valuation Could Reach $59 Billion in 2026

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is reportedly preparing to raise approximately 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) in its first external funding round, a move that could value the company at between 350 billion yuan and 400 billion...

Palo Alto Networks Q3 FY2026 Earnings Surge on Strong AI Security Demand, Raises Full-Year Outlook

Palo Alto Networks delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, fueled by growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) security solutions and contributions from its recent acquisitions. Following...

SpaceX Targets Record-Breaking $75 Billion IPO at $135 Per Share in Historic Market Debut

SpaceX is preparing for what could become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, with plans to price its shares at $135 each and raise approximately $75 billion, according to a source familiar with the...

HPE Raises 2026 Outlook After Record Q2 Revenue Fueled by AI Server Demand

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) delivered record-breaking second-quarter results, driven by surging demand for AI infrastructure, enterprise servers, and networking solutions. The strong performance prompted the...

Alphabet Unveils $80 Billion Capital Raise to Accelerate AI Expansion, Secures $10 Billion Backing from Berkshire Hathaway

Alphabet Inc. has announced an ambitious $80 billion equity fundraising plan aimed at supporting the rapidly growing costs of artificial intelligence infrastructure and expanding its computing capacity. The move highlights...