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Professional biography

I'm currently working on three big long-term projects examining

• Inclusive growth and housing in Barking and Dagenham ()
• Unpaid care and social care in Gateshead ()
• Community, connection and place in the Fens (Peterborough, Boston and Wisbech) ()

If you're Googling me, chances are it's because we've crossed paths at a local event in your area. My current research focuses on community, connection ²¹²Ô»åÌýbuilding local power. The UK is a very centralised country; "London" is very far away, politically and economically, even for communities within the M25 like Barking and Dagenham. Over the last three years I've been building long-term partnerships with community organisations across England, alongside extensive fieldwork, interviews and focus groups. 

By training I am a political thinker and historian. I've produced internationally leading research on the Enlightenment philosopher Baruch Spinoza. My most recent book is Spinoza and the Politics of Freedom (Edinburgh University Press, 2021),Ìýreviewed . I organised a three-day conference on Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise in 2021 (watch the talks and find out more on this ). I've published lots of journal articles and chapters on Spinoza's ideas, and I am editing two books on his thinking. I am an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

But my main interest has always been British politics. My second book,ÌýIsland Story: Journeys Through Unfamiliar Britain, was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for best political writing in 2017. It's a political weather report and cycling odyssey - basically, everything does go wrong when you try to cycle across Britain for four months with a rusty bike and leaky tent. But I met some brilliant people on the way, and it's their stories in the book. My first book was Negative Capitalism: Cynicism in the Neoliberal Era (Zero, 2013), which is as angry and as jargon-heavy as it might sound. But it set out how young people had been shafted by years of austerity and the slow breakdown of social opportunities. I wish it was wrong in its predictions. But as someone once said, the future is unwritten.

PhD supervision

If you are interested in studying for an MPhil or PhD in politics, political thought or international relations, get in touch with me. I handle postgraduate recruitment in POLIS. If you'd like to work with me as your doctoral supervisor, do also get in touch. I welcome inquiries from students working on contemporary political theory, the history of political thought, or projects related to Spinoza. I currently supervise one PhD student working on decolonising UK universities.

I teach across a few politics and social science modules,Ìýincluding:

• Modern Political Ideas (DD316). I have co-chaired this module since 2022 with Dr Geoff Andrews. More here.
• Global Challenges: Social Science in Action (D113) - a newish module launched in 2023. I authored several weeks and produced a range of hard-hitting films around climate change, the legacies of colonialism and enslavement, and the impact of digital technology.
• Understanding Politics: Ideas and Institutions in the Modern World (DD211). I've recently produced a series of audios, films and texts on UK environmentalism,Ìýfreedom, sovereignty, equality and freedom. More here.
• Media, Politics and Society,Ìýa short course in conjunction with the BFI, where I teach about fake news and disinformation. More here.
• You and Your World (D112): an exciting new module introducing the social sciences, to be launched in 2026 - watch this space!

I write regularly for OpenLearn, the Open University's free learning platform. Click to read some of my articles on free speech, superstition, environmentalism and more.

In the past I wrote and taught many courses and modules in philosophy, politics and history. Take a look at the of my blog to find out more, with links to video lectures and materials.

I've made regular appearances on BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking, alongside The Essay, Radio 4's Moral Maze, Open Country ²¹²Ô»åÌýMaking History. I've written for The Independent,ÌýNew Statesman,ÌýThe Conversation,ÌýThe Philosopher,ÌýPhilosophy Now and OpenDemocracy.

I was an academic lead advisor on BBC 2's Union with David Olusoga - we made a beautifully illustrated series of audios, stories and an article about the past and present of the UK - have a gander .

From northern working men's clubs to the OECD Forum in Paris, and from street corners in south London to international universities in Italy, Belgium and beyond, I've talked and taught my research in many places. Check out my  for a record.

• Trustee of Gateshead Carers Association. I have worked with them since 2022 highlighting the challenges facing unpaid carers. Take a look at some of our initial work .
• Unpaid Carers Narratives Steering Group, with Carers Trust, since 2024.
• Deputy Lead for the (Open University).
• Barking and Dagenham Community Research Network director, in partnership with Thames Life CDT (launches 2025) 
• International Advisory Board,ÌýSpinoza Studies, Edinburgh University Press.
• International Scientific Committee of Sive Natura, University of Bologna.
• Editorial Board member of The Philosopher, the longest-running public philosophy journal in the UK.
• Peer reviewer for MIT Press, Edinburgh University Press, Bloomsbury, and for the journals Political Theory, History of Political Thought, History of European Ideas, the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Constellations, Marx and Philosophy Review of Books, and the Journal of Modern Jewish Studies.
• Co-Director of Research Group.