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1. The Edge of Revolution: The 1926 General Strike, 100 Years On

Author:
David Torrance, Carolyn Quinn, Robert Saunders, Sienna Rodgers, and David Torrance
Publication Date:
06-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
One hundred years ago, in May 1926, the Trades Union Congress called Britain’s first and only General Strike. Nearly three million workers downed tools, closing Britain’s docks, railways, mines, much of heavy industry and most of the press. Proclaiming a State of Emergency, the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, claimed that Britain was ‘nearer to civil war than we have been for centuries past’. The Times called it ‘the gravest domestic menace which has hung over this nation since the fall of the Stuarts’. The General Strike lasted only nine days, but its impact was profound. In this centenary event, ‪@MileEndInstitute_QMUL‬ and ‪@qmulsse‬ explored the history of the General Strike, its legacy and the position of organised labour today. To celebrate the publication of a new history of the strike by Dr David Torrance, Carolyn Quinn, Robert Saunders and Sienna Rodgers joined David Torrance to ask why the strike took place, why it failed, and the lessons for the union movement, for direct action groups, and for workers’ rights in our own time.
Topic:
Politics, History, Trade Unions, and General Strike
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

2. Fantastic Kingdom: A Stranger's Notes on a Contrary Country

Author:
Helene von Bismarck and Robert Saunders
Publication Date:
06-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Global yet insular, tolerant yet suspicious, proudly pragmatic yet profoundly sentimental. The United Kingdom inspires fierce loyalty and endless argument. Ten years after Brexit, it is as divided as ever. After twenty years of studying Britain, German historian Helene von Bismarck offered an affectionate and insightful portrait of the United Kingdom as seen by an outsider. From the enduring fantasy of Britain as a self-sufficient island to the profound devotion to a global monarchy; from imperial amnesia to modern multiculturalism, she explored the paradoxes and myths that shape British identity.
Topic:
Imperialism, History, Multiculturalism, Brexit, Monarchy, and Identity
Political Geography:
Britain and United Kingdom

3. Triumph and Trauma: The British General Election of 2024

Author:
Tim Bale, Paula Surridge, and Stephen Bush
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
On 4 July 2024, an electoral tsunami ripped through British politics. Labour won one of the largest landslides in its history, on the lowest share of the vote of any majority government. The Conservatives suffered their worst defeat in 200 years, the Liberal Democrats secured their best-ever result, the SNP were crushed and Reform UK won 4 million votes. Six independent MPs were elected, including the former Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the combined vote-share of the big two parties was the lowest since 1918. For Labour, the result marked a stunning turnaround from the previous election in 2019; yet commentators quickly began to speak of a ‘sandcastle majority’, that might in turn be washed away by the next electoral tide. In this event, to mark the publication of The British General Election of 2024, Queen Mary University of London‬'s Prof Tim Bale and Prof Paula Surridge were joined by Stephen Bush, Associate Editor of the Financial Times, and Rachel Cunliffe, Associate Political Editor of the New Statesman, to look back on a landmark election. They asked why 2024 saw a historic Conservative collapse, a “loveless landslide” for Labour and record fragmentation in voters’ choices and considered whether this momentous election marked the end of two-party politics in Britain.
Topic:
Politics, Elections, Voting, Labour Party, and Conservative Party
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

4. Kate Adie: 'A Life in Reporting'

Author:
Kate Adie and Robert Saunders
Publication Date:
03-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In the Mile End Institute's fifth distinguished Hennessy Lecture, Kate Adie joined ‪Queen Mary University of London's very own ‪Robert Saunders‬ to reflect on her long career as a reporter and explored the challenges facing a reporter in a changing world today. Kate Adie was Chief News Correspondent for BBC News from 1989 to 2003, becoming one of the most famous and respected figures in British journalism. She reported live from the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980, the US bombing of Tripoli in 1986 and the Lockerbie bombing of 1988. She was at Tiananmen Square in 1989, was shot by a Libyan army commander and reported on the Gulf War and the war in the former Yugoslavia. She has been a freelance journalist since 2003 and presents "From Our Own Correspondent" on BBC Radio 4 and was awarded the CBE in 2018 for services to journalism. She has written five books including "The Kindness of Strangers”, an account of her work as a reporter, "Nobody's Child: The Lives of Abandoned Children" which formed the basis of the BBC series, Found, and "Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One".
Topic:
Media, Journalism, Career, and Book Talk
Political Geography:
Britain, China, Iran, Libya, and Yugoslavia

5. Reforming the Jury System: Speeding up Justice or Ending 800 Years of Liberty?

Author:
Kay Crosby, Hannah Quirk, Rebecca Helm, and Robert Saunders
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
In December, the government announced plans to abolish trial by jury for crimes with a sentence of less than three years. Critics spoke of an end to 800-years of the right to trial by one's peers; supporters warned of a collapse in the criminal justice system if radical action were not taken. In this webinar, the ‪Mile End Institute‬ at ‪Queen Mary University of London‬ brought together historians, lawyers and politicians to explore the challenges facing the court system and the options for change. Dr Kay Crosby (University of Newcastle), Dr Hannah Quirk (King's College London) and Professor Rebecca Helm (University of Exeter) joined Dr Robert Saunders to assess the strengths and weaknesses of jury trials in Britain and overseas, examine the surprising history of the jury system and test the science behind jury-decision making.
Topic:
Reform, Criminal Justice, Judiciary, Decision-Making, and Jury
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

6. The Inside Story of the Campaign for a Second EU Referendum

Author:
Morgan Jones, Matthew Holehouse, Emily Robinson, and Michael Chessum
Publication Date:
04-2026
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
On 19 March 2026, the ‪Mile End Institute‬ and ‪Queen Mary University of London celebrated the publication of Morgan Jones’s new book, No Second Chances: The Inside Story of the Campaign for a Second Referendum. In this event, we brought together academics, campaigners, journalists and the author herself to explore the campaign for a second referendum after 2016, the ‘People’s Vote’ movement and the massive demonstrations of 2018-2019. Matthew Holehouse (The Economist), Prof Emily Robinson (The Politics of Feeling in Brexit Britain) and Michael Chessum (This Is Only The Beginning: The Making of a New Left) joined Morgan Jones to ask how and why these campaigns tried to stop Brexit, why they were unsuccessful, and what lessons might be learned for the future.
Topic:
Politics, European Union, Brexit, and Demonstrations
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

7. Regional deprivation, individual prospects, and political resentment

Author:
Giovanni Facchini, Anja Neundorf, Sergi Pardos-Prado, and Cecilia Testa
Publication Date:
04-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP)
Abstract:
Regional economic conditions affect livelihoods and the geography of political resentment. Yet, individuals do not equally partake in their region’s economic fortunes, and their perceptions of relative deprivation need not be the same. Grievances are likely to be shaped not only by income disparities but also by how personal prospects are tied to regional conditions. We argue that the interaction between subjective individual and regional relative deprivation crucially affects perceptions of shared experience and systemic unfairness. Through a large-scale survey experiment in Britain, we provide causal evidence that poor individuals in poor regions express more political resentment due to diminished personal financial prospects and social status. In contrast, political attitudes among poor and wealthy individuals are indistinguishable in affluent regions. Our findings reveal how reference groups affect subjective perceptions of relative deprivation and highlight the importance of egocentric mechanisms, whereby the local economy shapes expectations of individual prospects.
Topic:
Economic Inequality, Regional Economy, Social Status, and Political Resentment
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

8. The Third Hennessy Lecture: Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

Author:
Sayeeda Warsi
Publication Date:
02-2025
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was the first Muslim to serve in a British Cabinet, during the coalition government of 2010-15. A former party Chair, Foreign Office minister and Minister for Faith and Communities, she is now a non-aligned peer and has become one of Britain's leading commentators on Islam and Islamophobia. She is a prominent voice against anti-Muslim racism, and the author of two celebrated books on the role of Islam in modern Britain: The Enemy Within: A Tale of Muslim Britain and Muslims Don't Matter. In the third of the Mile End Institute's new series of distinguished "Hennessy Lectures", to mark our 10th anniversary, Baroness Warsi reflected on her life and career as a Muslim woman born in Yorkshire, who practised as a lawyer before becoming a minister and member of the House of Lords, and offered "the anatomy of a prejudice" in British society today.
Topic:
Politics, Muslims, and House of Lords
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

9. The Conservative Party in Opposition

Author:
Tim Bale, Nigel Fletcher, Lee David Evans, and Mercy Muroki
Publication Date:
01-2025
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
As Kemi Badenoch began her tenure as Leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of His Majesty's Official Opposition, Prof Tim Bale was joined by Dr Nigel Fletcher, Lee David Evans and Mercy Muroki to explore her approach to leadership and what her Shadow Cabinet appointments tell us about the future of Conservative policy. After the most successful electoral force in British history suffered the worst defeat in its 200-year existence, our expert panel of academics, historians and political commentators considered how the new Conservative leader might approach the challenges and dilemmas of Opposition.
Topic:
Elections, Domestic Politics, Political Parties, and Conservative Party
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

10. The impact of EU enlargement and Brexit on international migration

Author:
Yoonjung Kim and Young Jun Lee
Publication Date:
06-2025
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
In recent decades, European Union (EU) enlargement has substantially altered the continent’s economic and political landscape by lowering barriers to trade, labor mobility, and capital flows. Migration emerges as a central factor in this transformation, especially following the accession of Central and Eastern European countries. This enlargement has intensified interest among policymakers and researchers in the factors driving intra-European migration and its economic and social implications. This study specifically investigates the interplay between EU enlargement, the Freedom of Movement (FOM) agreements, and Brexit on labor mobility. Although EU enlargement has generally been associated with deeper economic and political integration, its most profound impact may lie in facilitating international migration. By distinguishing between the timing and impact of EU membership and the Freedom of Movement (FOM) agreements—often introduced at different times— the analysis provides a nuanced view of their respective roles. Employing a gravity model framework with Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood (PPML) estimation and a heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences (DiD) approach, this study examines bilateral migration flows across 224 origin-destination country pairs. The results reveal that EU membership significantly increases migration flows, particularly from newer to older member states, indicating a pronounced east-to-west asymmetry. This effect remains robust after accounting for FOM implementation, and further robustness checks confirm the consistency of the findings under different policy timelines and the inclusion of external mobility agreements. Additionally, the study explores the impact of Brexit on return migration, uncovering a substantial rise in flows from the UK to EU member countries—especially those that joined after 2000—following the 2016 referendum. These patterns highlight the heterogeneous and asymmetric effects of different EU migration policies and suggest that Brexit exerts a stronger influence on return migration than FOM. Consequently, the findings highlight the importance of policy-specific analysis in capturing the complexities of migration responses to institutional changes within the EU.
Topic:
Migration, European Union, Brexit, and Enlargement
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

11. Still "Thatcher's Britain"? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025

Author:
Robert Saunders, Gillian Shephard, Simone Finn, and Philip Cowley
Publication Date:
11-2025
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
A century after her birth, and thirty-five years after she left office, the memory of Margaret Thatcher continues to loom over British politics. Kemi Badenoch, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Nigel Farage have all, in different ways, sought to position themselves as Thatcher’s inheritor. Keir Starmer promised to lead a government as radical as Margaret Thatcher’s, but sparked controversy when he moved her portrait out of his office in Number 10. In this event at ‪Queen Mary University of London‬, to mark the centenary of her birth, the ‪Mile End Institute asked why Margaret Thatcher continues to cast such a shadow across British politics. We considered how her reputation has changed, whether she is misremembered today and what lessons – good or bad – might be drawn from her time in power. Dr Robert Saunders, Reader in British History at Queen Mary and editor of Making Thatcher’s Britain, was joined by Gillian Shephard, a minister in the Thatcher and Major governments and author of The Real Iron Lady; Simone Finn, Conservative peer and deputy chief-of-staff to the prime minister from 2021 to 2022; and Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London.
Topic:
Government, Politics, History, and Margaret Thatcher
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe

12. The Diversity of Ethnic Minority Londoners

Author:
Farah Hussain
Publication Date:
04-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
What do ethnic minority Londoners actually think about politics, society, racism in the UK, and life in the Capital? Much has been written about the difficulty of accurately polling ethnic minority voters in the UK. Given the Mile End Institute is situated in one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, we were determined to overcome these difficulties to find out what ethnic minority Londoners actually think about politics, society, racism, and life in the Capital.
Topic:
Politics, Public Opinion, Minorities, Ethnicity, Diversity, Society, and Racism
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and London

13. A History of British Elections with Iain Dale

Author:
Robert Saunders, Iain Dale, Philip Cowley, and Jennifer Davey
Publication Date:
04-2024
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
On Wednesday 10 April 2024, the Mile End Institute celebrated the launch of Iain Dale's new book, British General Election Campaigns, 1830-2019. Featuring an essay on every general election since 1830, the book ranges across every aspect of electoral history: from landslides and hung parliaments to corruption, electoral violence and the birth of the modern campaign. With a cast ranging from William Gladstone and Sir Robert Peel to Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson, it explores how elections are won and lost, how they have changed over time, and what lessons can be drawn for the present.
Topic:
History, Elections, and Domestic Politics
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and Europe

14. In Conversation with Sir David Lidington

Author:
David Lidington
Publication Date:
04-2024
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
On Tuesday 26 March, the Mile End Institute welcomed the former Conservative MP and Cabinet minister, Sir David Lidington, to @QMUL. Sir David was elected as the Conservative MP for Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire from 1992 and retired from the House of Commons at the 2019 general election. In addition to being the longest-serving Minister for Europe, occupying the post throughout David Cameron's premiership, Sir David served as the Leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Justice, and Minister for the Cabinet Office in Theresa May's administration. As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between January 2018 and July 2019, Sir David was widely recognised to be Theresa May's de facto Deputy Prime Minister. In a wide-ranging conversation with Dr Robert Saunders five years on from the collapse of Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement, Sir David reflected on his early life in London, working as Douglas Hurd's special adviser at the Home Office and the Foreign Office during Margaret Thatcher and John Major's governments, and the start of his own parliamentary career after 1992. They also explored his work in government after 2010, the Brexit debate which dominated his last three years in Parliament, and the state of the Conservative Party today.
Topic:
Elections, Domestic Politics, and Conservative Party
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and Europe

15. The ‘official’ histories of Australian and British intelligence: lessons learned and next steps

Author:
Chris Taylor
Publication Date:
08-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)
Abstract:
Unclassified, official histories of ‘secret’ intelligence organisations, for public readership, seem a contradiction in terms. These ‘official’ works are commissioned by the agencies in question and directly informed by those agencies’ own records, thus distinguishing them from other, outsider historical accounts. But while such official intelligence histories are relatively new, sometimes controversial, and often challenging for historians and agencies alike, the experiences of the Australian and British intelligence communities suggest they’re a promising development for scholarship, maintaining public trust and informed public discourse, and more effective functioning of national security agencies. Furthermore, these histories remain an ongoing project for Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC).
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Intelligence, and National Security
Political Geography:
Britain, Australia, and Australia/Pacific

16. Episode 6: The 100 Years' War on Palestine

Author:
Sahar Aziz and Rashid Khalidi
Publication Date:
04-2024
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
This episode delves into one hundred years of colonial war on the Palestinians, waged first by the Zionist movement and then Israel, while backed by Britain and the United States, the great powers of the age. Host Sahar Aziz (https://saharazizlaw.com/ ) and this week’s guest, historian and distinguished Columbia University Professor Rashid Khalidi, will discuss the origins and consequences of this non stop aggression against the Palestinians – which is also the subject of his latest book: ”The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017.
Topic:
History, Zionism, Colonialism, and Palestinians
Political Geography:
Britain, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and United States of America

17. Analyzing How the Tools of the British Far-Right Have Evolved

Author:
FARAS
Publication Date:
08-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS)
Abstract:
Since July 30, 2024, several British cities and towns have been gripped by a wave of far-right violence described as the worst since World War II. This outbreak followed the killing of three girls in a knife attack at a children's party in Southport, northwest Britain. The violence involved a series of criminal and inflammatory actions in what appear to be coordinated efforts to thwart immigration and intimidate minorities in Britain. This reflects the British far-right's ability to utilize and even evolve its traditional tools to adapt to the current context and available resources.
Topic:
Immigration, Violence, Far Right, and Civil Unrest
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and Europe

18. Factsheet: Tommy Robinson

Author:
Bridge Initiative Team
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Bridge Initiative, Georgetown University
Abstract:
Tommy Robinson is a British anti-Muslim and anti-immigration activist. A co-founder of the racist English Defense League, Robinson believes Islam is a “disease” and Muslims are invading Europe. He has been connected to trans-national anti-Muslim activists and organizations, including PEGIDA. Robinson has had numerous criminal convictions and is currently serving time in jail.
Topic:
Immigration, Islamophobia, Political Extremism, and Tommy Robinson
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and Europe

19. Minorities report: the attitudes of Britain’s ethnic minority population

Author:
Zain Mohyuddin, James Kanagasooriam, and Sophie Stowers
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
UK in a Changing Europe, King's College London
Abstract:
Research suggests that ethnic minority voters often have political and social views at variance with those held by the population as a whole, and indeed by other ethnic groups. Yet we often lack the data to examine these attitudes and how they differ. This report aims to set that right. It attempts to look at the diversity of political opinion, social values and economic preferences not just between Britain’s white and non-white population, but between different ethnic and religious groups. The report looks not just at voting and elections, but more broadly at questions of identity, tolerance, and experiences of race and discrimination. It covers political views and values at both the 2019 and 2024 elections, questions of identity, being ‘British’, discrimination and prejudice, and economic preferences and social values. Report co-author James Kanagasooriam identifies 10 key takeaways: We are at an inflection point in terms of how ethnic minorities vote. We should not overstate how poorly the right performs, and how well the left does, amongst ethnic minority Britons. The demography of right and left is vastly different between white and non-white voters. There is a large degree of disagreement between ethnic minorities- to some degree larger than that between the white and non-white population- on the role of the state. There are a clutch of issues – immigration and multiculturalism – where ethnic minorities are much more positive than the rest of Britain. At future elections, Labour cannot rely on ethnic minority voters as a ‘bloc’ of support. There is evidence of some prejudice among certain ethnic minority voters toward other minority groups. The degree of importance placed amongst minority respondents on their personal religion is out of step with the growing secularism of white Britain. There is a wide difference between minority groups on their experience of racism and of representation. Ethnic minority and white Britons share common diagnoses about what is politically important, what they want out of a government, which cultural institutions are important, what British culture is, and what it means to be British.
Topic:
Public Opinion, Minorities, Elections, Ethnicity, Discrimination, and Voting
Political Geography:
Britain, United Kingdom, and Europe

20. Disinformation and Smearing in British Politics

Author:
Robert Saunders, Gill Bennett, Ciaran Martin, and Jean Seaton
Publication Date:
11-2024
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
One hundred years ago this month, as voters prepared to go to the polls for the third time in two years, British politics was rocked by what would become the most famous ‘dirty trick’ in its long history: the ‘Zinoviev Letter’. The Letter, encouraging the British proletariat to revolutionary fervour, was apparently sent by Grigori Zinoviev, head of the Bolshevik propaganda organization, to the British Communist Party in September 1924. Its publication by the Daily Mail just before the General Election humiliated the first ever Labour government, headed by Ramsay MacDonald, when its political opponents used it to create a 'Red Scare' in the media. With growing concerns about the impact of AI-driven disinformation on elections around the world, the ‪@mileendinstitute4300‬ and the Centre for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies marked the Letter's centenary by exploring how disinformation, ‘Fake News’ and smearing have affected, and continue to shape, British politics today. Dr‪. Robert Saunders was joined by Dr Gill Bennett (Chief Historian of the UK Foreign Office‬, 1995-2005), Professor Ciaran Martin (CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, 2016-2020) and Professor Jean Seaton (Official Historian of the BBC).
Topic:
Politics, History, Elections, and Disinformation
Political Geography:
Britain and Europe