Dr Max Stafford

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Biography

Dr. Stafford has taught at six universities, on a range of Social Sciences courses. He is a specialist in British Politics, political leadership, comparative politics and international urban developments. He has been teaching in Higher Education since 2013 and has taught adults since 2016. He previously worked for two former cabinet ministers and advised on political campaigning and he uses this to highlight employability-related aspects of his teaching. His teaching style is discursive, with active preparation and extra-curricular learning encouraged.

He's currently working on a book examining mayors as political leaders and another examining the Downing Street Chief-of-Staff. He also advises the Qualitative Election Study of Britain on measuring political leadership. He obtained a PhD - entitled “Strong Mayors’ Leadership Capital: New York, London & Amsterdam (2000-2016) – in 2020.

Qualifications:

FHEA, Advance HE

PhD Politics, Canterbury Christ Church University

University Certificate in Academic Practice (Distinction), Canterbury Christ Church University

AFHEA, Higher Education Academy

MA Managing Contemporary Global Issues (Distinction), University of Winchester

BA (Hons) Politics and Global Studies with History (First), University of Winchester

Research

Research themes - Political leadership, comparative politics, British politics, urban politics, Geographic areas of interest: UK; North America; Western & Northern Europe

Current research projects: Book on mayors as political leaders, Book (and funding bid) regarding history and development of the role of Downing Street Chief-of-Staff, Qualitative Election Study of Britain – ongoing articles regarding: comparisons of leaders; use of qualitative methodologies in assessments of leaders by voters

Selected Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Worthy, B., Bennister, M. and M. W. Stafford (2019). Rebels Leading London? The Mayoralties of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson Compared. British Politics, 14(1), 23-43. , 2019
Stafford, M. W. (2014). Women’s political participation and their legislative representation. Alfred, 5(1), 50-57. , 2014
Sancino, A. Stafford, M. W., Braga, A. and Budd, L. (2021) What can city leaders do for climate change? Insights from the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group network, Regional Studies, DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2021.2005244 , 2021 (UNKNOWN)

REVIEWS

Stafford, M. W. (2019). Book review: John Gaffney, Leadership and the Labour Party: Narrative and Performance. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. £69.99 (hbk), xi+267pp. ISBN 978-1-137-50497-5. Party Politics, 26(1). (Online first). , 2019
Stafford, M. W. (2018). Book Review: Craig Johnson, Noah Toly and Heike Schroeder (Eds.), The Urban Climate Challenge: Rethinking the Role of Cities in the Global Climate Regime. London: Routledge. Political Studies Review, 16(1), 62. , 2018
Stafford, M. W. (2018). Book Review: Lisheng Dong, Hanspeter Kriesi and Daniel Kubler (Eds.), Urban Mobilizations and New Media in Contemporary China. Farnham: Ashgate. Political Studies Review, 16(1), 102. , 2018
Stafford, M. W. (2016). A. Blick and G. Jones, At Power’s Elbow: Aides to the Prime Minister from Robert Walpole to David Cameron. London: Biteback Publishing, 2013. A review. Political Studies Review, 14(1), 112. , 2016
Stafford, M. W. (2016). A. C. Diener and J. Hagen (Eds.), From Socialist to Post-Socialist Cities: Cultural Politics of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Identity in Eurasia. Abingdon: Routledge, 2014. Political Studies Review, 14(2), 275-276. , 2016
Stafford, M. W. (2016). P. Diamond (Ed.), New Labour’s Old Roots: Revisionist Thinkers in Labour’s History (2nd Edn.). Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2015. Political Studies Review, 14(3), 452-453. , 2016
Stafford, M. W. (2016). J. M. Colomer (2014), How Global Institutions Rule the World. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Political Studies Review, 14(3), 466-467. , 2016

Memberships

Higher Education Academy Fellow (2020)

Higher Education Academy Associate Fellow (2018)

Political Studies Association (PSA): PSA Specialist Group in Political Leadership (2015-) (Treasurer, 2020-; Membership Officer, 2016-2020)

Political Studies Association (PSA): PSA Specialist Group in Local Politics (2015-) (Convenor, 2020-; Postgraduate and Early Career Officer, 2019-2020)

Institute of Continuing Education
Madingley Hall
Madingley
Cambridge
CB23 8AQ

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