I am a researcher interested in UK politics and public administration.  I mainly investigate issues to do with the Civil Service, ministers, and the relationship between the two.  I am particularly interested in the different expertises prevalent amongst those workforces; how they are developed, and the impact of their presence (or lack thereof) on policy outcomes.  I am also interested in the changing nature of trust and accountability, and how Members of Parliament and the public alike hold the executive to account.

My doctoral research focussed on individual policy capacity, the centrepiece of which was a Delphi Method study with UK Government ministers forming the expert panel.  I contribute a new typology of competence, and attempt to redefine the boundaries of individual policy capacity.

I have published on the issues above and continue to conduct new research.  I am currently investigating the role of churn on the effectiveness of the UK Policy Profession; whilst a topic that has received much anecdotal focus, there remains no empirical study demonstrating the extent of this issue.  I am also looking at the relevance of class-based cultural capital in judgements about competence in the Civil Service.

As an educator, I have taught at Cardiff University, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Portsmouth, alongside delivering various continuing professional development courses and other practitioner-focussed education.  I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I have published several journal articles and have a monograph forthcoming with Palgrave Macmillan.