Centre for English Identity and Politics

Our director

Find out more about Professor John Denham and read his latest blog posts about English identity and politics.
The centre director is Professor John Denham.
 
John was a Labour MP for Southampton Itchen for 23 years. He was a minister in the last Labour government for 10 years and held Cabinet rank in 2 departments: Innovation, Universities and Skills, and Communities and Local Government.
 
He also chaired the Home Affairs Select Committee.
 
John established the Centre in 2015, at the University of Winchester. The Centre has been based at Southampton University since 2019.
 
John contributes to the University KEE work, drawing on his ministerial experience of the relationship between academic research and public policy.

John Denham's blog

You can read in-depth opinion pieces from John on his blog.

His posts cover a variety of issues as he explores how to put centre-left values, ideas and policies at the heart of the 'national story'.

Topics include:

  • England's relationship with the Union
  • English perception of England, Britain and the Union
  • the influence of history on English identity
  • electoral reform
  • devolution