Presentation of Research at Conferences and Public Events:
January 2020: ‘State of the North 2019 Conference’, keynote for IPPR North flagship event and presentation of the report ‘Divided and Connected. Regional Inequalities in the North, the UK and the Developed World’, Newcastle
June 2019: ‘A New Era of Regionalism in Italy? Autonomy Referendums in comparative perspective’, Council for European Studies Conference, Madrid
April 2019: ‘Trouble Letting go: the politics and economics of (de)centralisation in England’, UK Political Studies Association Conference, Nottingham
April 2019: ‘Working in and Against Hybrid Landscapes: Chief Officers in the changing landscape of UK Local Government’, Political Studies Association Conference, Nottingham
Sept. 2018: ‘Doing, un-doing, re-doing devolution: the politics of ‘devo deals’ in Yorkshire’, PAC Conference, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Sept. 2018: ‘Autonomy Referendums in Veneto and Lombardy: assessing the institutional and political impact of asymmetric regionalism’, Italian Political Science Association Conference, University of Turin, Italy
March 2018: ‘The Politics of Governance Rescaling in an Age of Uncertainty’, panel organised at the Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual Conference, Cardiff
March 2018: ‘Learning from failure: the politics of Devolution Deals in Yorkshire’, paper presented as part of the panel ‘‘The Politics of Governance Rescaling in an Age of Uncertainty’ at the PSA Annual Conference, Cardiff
March 2018: ‘Devolution in Yorkshire: the revolution has yet to come’, invited to present at the Public Administration Committee (PAC) Conference ‘Moving Beyond Devolution’, Leeds Beckett University
Sept. 2017: ‘Devolution and territorial reform in England: An analysis through the case of Yorkshire’, paper presented within the panel ‘The Consequences of Territorial Local Government Reforms’, sponsored by the ECPR Standing Group on Local Government and Politics, at the ECPR General Conference, University of Oslo.
April 2017: ‘Devolution in England: Revolution or Chaos?’ paper presented with Dr Andy Mycock (Huddersfield) as part of the panel ‘Devolution, twenty years on: Assessing the changing structures of territorial governance across the UK’ which I co-organised with Dr Andy Mycock, with the support of the PSA Britishness Specialist Group, at the PSA Annual Conference, Glasgow.
Jan 2017: ‘European Democracy Under Stress’, conference organised with Dr Antonella Seddone, Dr Giuliano Bobba (University of Turin) with the support of the PSA ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ fund, and sponsored by the PSA Italian Politics and Anti-Politics Specialist Groups, University of Turin.
June 2016: ‘Yorkshire First? The European Dimension of Regionalist Mobilization in the North of England’, paper presented within the panel ‘After the ‘Europe of the Regions’: Explaining Current Trends in the Relationship between Regionalism and European Integration’ as part of the ECPR 8th Pan-European Conference on the European Union, University of Trento
March 2016: ‘Devolution across the UK: Conundrums Old and New’, roundtable speaker, Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Brighton
March 2016: ‘New Regional Voices? Devolution discourses in Cornwall and Yorkshire’ (with J. Willett), paper presented as part of the panel ‘Demystifying Discourses of Devolution in the UK’, sponsored by the Britishness Specialist Group, at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Brighton
Jan. 2016: ‘Power to the North? Prospects and Challenges to Devolution & City Deals’, organiser (with Dr. Richard Hayton, POLIS) of this one-day conference as part of the White Rose Consortium for the North of England project, and chair of the panel ‘Devolution & City Deals: the view from the grassroots’, University of Leeds
Nov. 2015: ‘The Political Economy of the Northern Powerhouse’, organiser (with Dr. Craig Berry, SPERI) of this workshop as part of the White Rose Consortium for the North of England project; presentation of the paper ‘Devolution and the politicisation of territorial identity in the North of England: an analysis of Yorkshire’ (with Dr. Andy Mycock, Huddersfield) within the panel ‘The Role of Political Parties and Civil Society in the Northern Powerhouse Agenda’. SPERI, University of Sheffield
Sept. 2015: ‘The perils and promises of devolution. What lessons can be drawn for the case of Northern England devolution?’, roundtable panellist at the conference ‘The Promises and Perils of English Devolution – Lessons from Scotland and Beyond’, organised by Prof. Martin Smith and Dr. Sandra Leon (University of York), sponsored by the White Rose Consortium for the North of England, University of York
March 2015: ‘Yorkshire First: a membership survey of the first regionalist party in the North of England’, paper presented within the panel ‘English Devolution in the Wake of the Scottish Independence Referendum’, sponsored by the Britishness Group, at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Sheffield
Feb. 2015: ‘What’s wrong with Regional Assemblies? Lessons from the experience of the 2004 North East referendum’, paper presented at the Symposium ‘Devolution and the Future of Yorkshire’, University of Huddersfield
Invited Talks & Keynotes:
‘Devolution: progress and challenges in 2020’, invited talk at the Cabinet Office’s ‘Devolution Learning Week’, London, 1 December 2020
‘Post- Covid and post- Brexit economic recovery: what future for devolution in Yorkshire?’, invited speaker at the Yorkshire Leaders Board conference, 10 September 2020
‘Directly-elected mayors: reflections on their first term’, invited speaker – Manchester Metropolitan University’s Future Economies opening Public Lecture, 20 February 2020
‘Divided and Connected: Regional inequalities in the North, the UK and the Developed World’ – opening address at IPPR North flagship ‘State of the North’ conference, Newcastle, 21 January 2020
‘Devolution in the North: opportunities and challenges’, invited speakers at the panel organised by Transport for the North at the Labour Party Conference, Brighton, 23 September 2019 and Conservative Party Conference, Manchester, 30 September 2019
‘Building a Powerhouse with the people at its heart’, invited speakers at the Convention of the North, Rotherham, 13 September 2019
‘20 Years of Devolved Government – The Challenges of Devolution’, invited speaker, at the Cabinet Office’s ‘Devolution Learning Week’, London, 24 May 2019
‘Citizens’ Assemblies and Mini-Publics: lessons for devolution and local government’, invited speaker at the conference ‘Remaking the UK Constitution: Politics and Process’ organised by the University of Oxford Bonavero Institute for Human Rights and UCL’s Constitution Unit – University of Oxford, 22 February 2019
‘Devolution and Local Government in England: what role within an English Parliament?’, invited speaker at the conference ‘Routes to an English Parliament?’, Centre for English Identity and Politics, University of Winchester, 11 January 2019
‘Devolution in Yorkshire: the revolution has yet to come’, invited speaker at the Public Administration Committee (PAC) Conference ‘Moving Beyond Devolution’, Leeds Beckett University, March 2018
‘Learning from Failure: the politics of devolution deals in Yorkshire’, invited speaker at the University of Manchester Politics Department’s ‘Comparative Public Policy’ workshop series, 25 April 2018
‘Metro mayors and Transport for the North’, invited speaker at the Annual Japan Local Government Centre Seminar ‘Northern Powerhouse on Track: Lessons From Japan’s Rail, Sheffield, 9 March 2018.
‘The “evolution” of devolution: assessing Labour’s legacy in England’, invited speaker at the conference ‘Twenty Years On: Assessing the State and Legacy of New Labour’s Constitution’, supported by the BA/Leverhulme Trust, University of Liverpool, 13-14 July 2017
‘The Politics of England’, invited to deliver a lecture to the Constitution School (Cabinet Office), with Dr. Andy Mycock (University of Huddersfield), 6 July 2017
‘English devolution: advances and limits of city and metro mayors’, invited panellist as part of the conference ‘Devolution in England: International Perspectives, Politics and Policy Ideas’, Centre for Federal Studies at the University of Kent, 19-21 June 2017
‘Devolution Deals in Yorkshire’, invited speaker at the North East Devolution Conference, Sunderland Civic Centre, 16 June 2017
‘The territorial dimension of English identity: the view from the North of England’, invited speaker at the seminar ‘An Englishness Open to All’, organised by Prof. John Denham at the Centre for English Identity and Politics, University of Winchester, 31 March 2017
‘Devolution Deals in Yorkshire: opportunities, challenges and local (di)visions’, invited speaker at the Seminar ‘Devolution to Yorkshire and its cities’, organised by the British Academy (Governing England Programme), Sheffield, 16 March 2017
‘Devolution in the North of England: revolution or chaos?’, invited talk at the ESRC Festival of Social Science event ‘Where’s East in the North-South Divide?’, University of Cambridge, November 2016
‘Devolution and the Changing Nature of Centre-Local Relations’, Key-note speaker (with Prof. Colin Copus, DMU) at the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons’ ‘West Midlands Devolution Conference’, in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, hosted by the City of Wolverhampton Council, 21 October 2016
‘Powerhouse or Poorhouse? A critique of the current government’s approach to devolution in Northern England’, Keynote for the Unlock Democracy Greater Manchester AGM, Manchester, January 2016
‘The Sheffield Devolution Deal – prospects and challenges’, invited talk at the ESRC Festival of Social Science event ‘Devolution Deals and other Conversations about the Constitution’, University of Sheffield, November 2015
‘Leadership, Charisma and Identity. The Case of the Scottish National Party and Alex Salmond’, Invited talk as part of the Seminar ‘Governability, Personalisation and Charisma’, University of Turin, Department of Culture, Politics and Society, June 2015
‘Devolution in the UK and the ‘English Question’ – an analysis through the case of Northern England’, Invited talk, University of Strathclyde, School of Government and Public Policy, European Policies Research Centre (EPRC), October 2015