I can exclusively reveal that the doyen of political academics, Dr David Butler has written his last book on British General Elections in the Nuffield series and that he will be replaced by Philip Cowley from Nottingham University. David has been writing the books since 1950, most recently with Professor Dennis Kavanagh, but he has now decided to take things a little easier. At 82, he can be forgiven. I think David Butler was the first political academic ever to have a Guardian editorial devoted to him, which you can read HERE.Dennis Kavanagh's new partner for the next British General Election Of... book will be Philip Cowley, a reader in politics and government at the University of Nottingham. Philip also runs the Revolts website, which details a history of parliamentary rebellions. It's safe to say that Philip has a very well developed sense of humour (for a political academic!) and will bring a very fresh approach to the book. Please don't hold it against him that he was once a judge on A Song for Europe... You can see his articles on Comment is Free HERE.
6 comments:
Well done for giving David Butler a mention, which is well deserved. I remember him for being on the BBC's election night programmes of years ago, and also because he bears an uncanny resemblance to my grandfather.
I have seen him on some of the election night repeats on BBC Parliament. Measured and considered in his approach, his contribution will be missed.
It's about time BBC Parliament started showing the repeats again. Due to a digital hiatus (when I lived in a conservation area, and it cost something ridiculous to apply for planning permission to have a Sky dish), I missed all the re-runs in the last three years apart from 79 and 70. I'd like to see the 83 GE, the 87 GE, and the two 74 GEs.
Philip Cowley will be excellent as a Nuffield guide co-author. I just wish Palgrave would stop making the Nuffield guides (certainly the last two) so drab looking.
This series has been so useful over the years. The Times House of Commons guide has become less useful since it stopped having biographies of unsuccessful candidates. We can get biographies of MPs from lots of different sources.
Have seen 55,64 (which was a gem when Richard Dimbleby referred to Finchley re-elected Margaret Thatcher), 66, 70 (Even though it was five years before I was born, I could feel the pain of Labour members and was shocked at just how openly right-wing some Conservatives were!), Oct 74, (a tiny bit of 79)and 97 (which I saw first time round!)
Fascinating stuff, esp when you can see how much political culture has changed over the years, as well as politicians long gone (some of whom I had never seen on film before, like Patrick Gordon Walker)
I would like to see Feb 74, 83, and 79.
Not only did he do the books - he also holds regular series of seminars at Oxford. He and Bogdanor attract some great speakers, who are then drilled in a way that would even make Paxman blush.
Butler's questions often take 5 minutes to deliver, being made up of many, many, subquestions, and the look of horror on the faces of some of the speakers is worth the (free) admission fee alone.
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