I research in two broad areas: politics and contemporary history in the UK; and public policy, particularly social policy. I have overall responsiblity for the research projects at the Institute for Policy Research and lead on research into the political economy of welfare state reform. I am also currently working in research consortia on devolution and economic policy, area-based education interventions, and local public health strategies.  I teach on the MSc in Public Policy at the University of Bath and supervise or co-supervise a number of doctoral students, including students enrolled on the IPR Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice.