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Nick Barlow

Primary Supervisor: Professor Tim Bale

Email: n.j.n.barlow@qmul.ac.uk

Twitter: @nickjbarlow

Research Topic: Centre parties and the structure of competition

My thesis is based on an examination of the under-researched concept of centre parties – parties that hold a position at the centre of a political cleavage – and their effects on political competition and party systems. My research seeks to define and identify centre parties, then study the effects their presence, absence and relative strength has on issues such as polarization of political competition and electoral volatility. Further to this, it looks at what ideological similarities there are between centre parties in different countries to determine whether ‘centrism’ can be conceived of as a consistent ideology and centre parties as a political family.

Research Interests: Centre parties, centrism, party systems and structures, British and European politics

Education/Professional Qualifications:

  • BA (Hons) Politics, Swansea University,
  • MA Politics, University of Essex

Work Experience: Councillor, Colchester Borough Council, 2007-15, 2016-

Publications: “Macron’s Lessons For The British Centre” Political Quarterly http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-923X.12401/epdf

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