Andrew Denham

Contact

• workRoom C7 Law and Social Sciences
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 95 14861
• fax0115 95 14859
• andrew.denham@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Dr Denham holds a 1st Class degree in Applied Social Sciences, an MA in Political Thought and a PhD in Politics from the University of Southampton, where he was supervised by Professor Raymond (now Lord) Plant. His PhD on New Right think tanks in British politics, won the UK Political Studies Association's Walter Bagehot Prize for Best Thesis in Government and Administration. In 2007, he received the PSA's Richard Rose Prize for his distinctive contribution to research in British Politics. His research and teaching interests encompass British political ideas, British public policy, Conservative Party politics and political biography.

Administrative Roles

Director, PhD Admissions

Chair, Learning Community Forum

Deputy Director, Centre for British Politics

Expertise Summary

Dr Denham's principal research interest is in the relationships between (contemporary) political ideas and public policy, particularly - but not exclusively - within the context of the British political tradition. His other main interest is in the nature of contemporary conservatism and the British Conservative Party.

Teaching Summary

British Political Ideologies, e.g. liberalism, conservatism, ecologism, fascism, feminism, multiculturalism, nationalism, racism, socialism, social democracy.

British Public Policy, including contemporary debates about multi-level governance, Europeanisation, globalisation, pressure groups, new social movements.

(British) Political Biography.

Research Summary

Principal Research Interests:

• British political ideas (particularly conservatism and the New Right)

• British public policy

• Think tanks

• The Conservative Party, past and present

• Political biography

• Party leadership selection in British politics

Current Research Projects

Cameron's 'Mandate' and the 'Crisis' of British Conservatism

Having dominated much of the 20^th century, the Conservative Party has struggled to recover from its crushing defeat to 'New' Labour in 1997, when it polled its lowest share of the popular vote since 1832. The purpose of this project is to examine why the Conservatives have found it so difficult to re-establish themselves as the 'natural party of government' in British politics in recent years. To this end, it examines the background to the 1997 defeat and the initial Conservative responses to it; subsequent debates in the Party over ideological orientation, along with parallel debates over specific policies; organisational changes to 'modernise' the Party; and the leadership (s)elections, styles, approaches and performances of William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron.

This project is associated with the Centre for British Politics.

Selected Publications

• DENHAM, A and BALE, T. & FIELDING, S. (EDS.), 2009. Cameron's Conservatives Political Quarterly. 80(2), 168-269
• DENHAM, A., 2009. From Grey Suits to Grass Roots: Choosing Conservative Leaders British Politics. 4(2), 217-235
• DENHAM, A. and O'HARA, K., 2008. Democratising Conservative leadership selection: from grey suits to grass roots Manchester University Press.
• DENHAM, A. & DOREY, P., 2007. Just the Ticket? The Labour Party's Deputy Leadership Election of 2007 Political Quarterly. 78(4), 527-535

• View all publications

Areas of Supervision

British public policy

Conservatism and Conservative Party politics

Political Biography

Party Leadership Selection in British politics.

Current Research Students

Matthew Francis: The Idea of the Market: Economic Liberalism and British Politics

Matthew Lakin: Cameron's Conservatives and the Problem of Ideology

Marianne Sieker: German Political Foundations and their Role in International Relations

Past Research

Dr Denham's principal research interest is in the relationships between (contemporary) political ideas and public policy, particularly - but not exclusively - within the context of the British political tradition. His other main interest is in the nature of contemporary conservatism and the British Conservative Party.

• DENHAM, A., ROE-CRINES, A.S. & DOREY, P., 2020. Choosing Party Leaders: Britain's Conservatives and Labour Compared Manchester University Press.
• DENHAM, A. & DOREY, P., 2018. Tales of the unexpected: The selection of British party leaders since 1963 British Politics. 13(2), 171-194
• DENHAM, A., 2017. Choosing party leaders: Anglophone democracies, British parties and the limits of comparative politics British Politics. 12(2), 250-266
• DOREY, P. & DENHAM, A., 2016. 'The longest suicide vote in history': The Labour Party leadership election of 2015 British Politics. 11(3), 259-282
• DENHAM, A., 2013. From coronations to close encounters: party leadership selection in British politics British Politics. 8(2), 164-180
• DENHAM, A., 2012. From Ted to Ed: Electing British Party Leaders Political Quarterly. 83(3), 576-584
• DOREY, P. and DENHAM, A., 2011. 'O, brother, where art thou?' The Labour Party leadership election of 2010 British Politics. 6(3), 286-316
• DOREY, P., GARNETT, M. and DENHAM, A., 2011. From crisis to coalition: the Conservative Party, 1997-2010 Palgrave Macmillan.
• DENHAM, A. (ED.), 2010. Symposium: Electing and Ejecting British Party Leaders Representation: The Journal of Representative Democracy. 46(1), 69-117
• DENHAM, A., 2010. Hague Rules, OK? Electing and Ejecting Conservative Leaders Representation: The Journal of Representative Democracy. 46(1), 81-89
• DENHAM, A., 2009. From Grey Suits to Grass Roots: Choosing Conservative Leaders British Politics. 4(2), 217-235
• DENHAM, A and BALE, T. & FIELDING, S. (EDS.), 2009. Cameron's Conservatives Political Quarterly. 80(2), 168-269
• DENHAM, A., 2009. Far From Home: Conservative Leadership Selection from Heath to Cameron Political Quarterly. 80(3), 380-387
• DENHAM, A. and O'HARA, K., 2008. Democratising Conservative leadership selection: from grey suits to grass roots Manchester University Press.
• DENHAM, A. and O'HARA, K., 2007. The three 'mantras': 'modernization' and the Conservative Party British Politics. 2(2), 167-190
• DENHAM, A. and DOREY, P., 2007. The 'caretaker' cleans up: the Liberal Democrat leadership election of 2006 Parliamentary Affairs. 60(1), 26-45
• DENHAM, A. & DOREY, P., 2007. Meeting the Challenge? The Liberal Democrats' Policy Review, 2005-6 Political Quarterly. 78(1), 68-77
• DENHAM, A. & O'HARA, K., 2007. Cameron's 'Mandate': Democracy, Legitimacy and Conservative Leadership Parliamentary Affairs. 60(3), 409-423
• DENHAM, A. & DOREY, P., 2007. Just the Ticket? The Labour Party's Deputy Leadership Election of 2007 Political Quarterly. 78(4), 527-535
• DENHAM, A. & DOREY, P., 2006. A Tale of Two Speeches? The Conservative Leadership Election of 2005 Political Quarterly. VOL 77(NUMBER 1), 35-42
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 2006. What Works? British Think Tanks and the End of Ideology Political Quarterly. 77(2), 156-165
• STONE, D. AND DENHAM, A., ed., 2004. Think Tank Traditions: Policy Research and the Politics of Ideas Manchester University Press, Manchester, UK.
• DENHAM, A. AND GARNETT, M., 2004. A 'Hollowed Out' Tradition? British Think Tanks in the Twenty First Century. In: STONE, D and DENHAM, A., eds., Think Tank Traditions: Policy Research and the Politics of Ideas Manchester University Press,. 232-46.
• DENHAM, A., 2003. Public services. In: DUNLEAVY, P., GAMBLE, A., HEFFERNAN, R. and PEELE, G., eds., Developments in British politics 7 Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 282-301
• DENHAM, A. and GARNETT, M., 2002. Sir Keith Joseph and the undoing of British conservatism Journal of Political Ideologies. 7(1), 57-75
• DENHAM, A. AND GARNETT, M., 2002. From the `cycle of enrichment' to the `cycle of deprivation': Sir Keith Joseph, `problem families' and the transmission of disadvantage Benefits, Nottingham. ISSU 35, 193-198
• DENHAM, A. and GARNETT, M., 2001. Keith Joseph Chesham: Acumen Publishing.
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 2001. From `Guru' to `Godfather': Keith Joseph, `New' Labour and the British Conservative Tradition Political Quarterly. VOL 72(PART 1), 97-106
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 1999. Influence without Responsibility? Think Tanks in Britain Parliamentary Affairs. VOL 52(NUMBER 1), 46-57
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 1998. Think Tanks, British Politics and the Climate of Opinion. In: Think Tanks Across Nations: A Comparative Approach Manchester University Press, Manchester, UK. 21-41
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 1998. British Think Tanks and the Climate of Opinion UCL Press Ltd, London.
• STONE, D and DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., eds., 1998. Think-Tanks Across Nations: A Comparative Approach Manchester University Press, Manchester, UK.
• DENHAM, A. & GARNETT, M., 1996. The Nature and Impact of Think Tanks in Contemporary Britain Contemporary British History. VOL 10(NUMBER 1), 43-61
• DENHAM, A., 1996. Think-Tanks of the New Right Dartmouth Publishing Co. Ltd, Aldershot.
• DENHAM, A. and GARNETT, M., 1995. Rethinking Think Tanks: A British Perspective. In: Contemporary Political Studies 1995 1. Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, Belfast, UK. 324-331
• DENHAM, A. and GARNETT, M., 1994. Conflicts of Loyalty: Cohesion and Division in Conservatism 1975-1990. In: Contemporary Political Studies 1994 1. Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, Belfast, UK. 270-277.
• DENHAM, A. and GARNETT, M., 1994. The idea brokers: a reply to Simon James Public Administration. VOL 72(NUMBER 3), 482