Elections
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Benjamin Franklin and the state of Britain in the time of Wilkes
A new series exploring Benjamin Franklin’s time in Europe launches on streaming services this month, but how did the American…
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Enter the Dragon: the education of Robert Harley
Robert Harley (1661-1724) was in his late 20s when he was first elected to Parliament as MP for Tregony in…
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‘Not voting at all’: the election of an imprisoned MP in 1769
2024 represents the 250th anniversary of John Wilkes’s re-election for Middlesex and election as Lord Mayor of London. It was…
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“Get a haircut”Celebrating the career of Lord Chancellor Cowper
10 May 2023 marked the 300th anniversary of the death of William Cowper, Earl Cowper, a rarity among political lawyers…
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‘True Blue’: the choice of political colours in the 18th century
In British politics, we are now used to the idea of certain parties (or causes) being associated with particular colours.…
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Identifying the Attlee Family Cars: Prime Ministers’ Props
To coincide with the third BBC Radio 4 series of Prime Ministers’ Props, our senior research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal,…
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Cooperation and the Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party was founded in 1917, volunteer interviewer Peter Reilly reflects on his recent oral history interview with David…
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All-Women Shortlists: 30 Years On
During the 1993 Labour Party Conference, all-women shortlists were endorsed by the party. In the following general election in 1997,…
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Sinn Féin: A 20th Century History of Party Splits
During the 20th century, Sinn Féin officially split three times and from these splits emerged some of the most central…
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The origins of Sinn Féin
In a series of two blogs, our Public Engagement Assistant, Kirsty O’Rourke, will discuss the 20th century history of Sinn…
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How MPs navigated changing constituency boundaries
The Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted their 2023 Boundary Reviews in June, presenting their recommendations…
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75 Years of the NHS – on the campaign trail
Last month, the NHS celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since its formation, the NHS has played a key role in politics.…