ABOUT ME
I am an experienced researcher with expertise on the UK constitution. My interests include UK territorial politics, the Westminster parliament, Brexit and how these inter-relate.
I am currently in the final stages of my PhD at the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge (due to submit summer 2022). My thesis investigates how MPs go about representing areas such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK House of Commons. I completed a thorough analysis of the Hansard record and also conducted interviews with MPs. I found that MPs from the devolved parts of the UK focus extensively on giving representation to those areas. Furthermore, they have adapted the territorial aspect of their roles at Westminster to the post-devolution context, for example through increasingly acting as champions and critics of the devolved bodies.
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I have previously worked in a variety of professional research roles. I started out at the Constitution Unit at University College London, where I edited the Unit's blog and newsletter from 2015 to 2017, a dramatic period in constitutional politics that incorporated the Brexit referendum and its immediate aftermath. At the Unit I also worked with Professor Meg Russell on a project considering possible models for a devolved English Parliament, were one to be established. After that, from January 2018 to August 2020, I was part of the major ESRC-funded project 'Between Two Unions: The Constitutional Future of the Islands after Brexit', working alongside Professor Michael Kenny. In that capacity I was a Research Fellow at the Centre on Constitutional Change and was also affiliated to the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge. My contributions to the project focused particularly on intergovernmental relations, and on unionist thought in the contemporary Conservative party. I have been a co-author on several policy reports and academic articles, written many blogs and had my work cited by parliamentary committees and in the media. Alongside my PhD I continue to engage with current policy debates related to my areas of expertise.
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Please feel free to get in touch with me by e-mail (js2395@cam.ac.uk) or through Twitter (@ja_sheldon).
MY EXPERIENCE
October 2018 - July 2022
PHD RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
ESRC-funded PhD researcher at Cambridge. Thesis title: 'Standing up for the Nations? Devolution and the Changing Dynamics of Territorial Representation in the UK House of Commons, 1992-2019'. Supervised by Professor Michael Kenny. Part-time 2018-2020, then full-time 2020-2022.
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I also conduct undergraduate supervisions for POL13 British and European Politics (2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22), and for POL4 Comparative Politics (2020-21 and 2021-22). I was a Teaching Assistant on the first year paper Evidence and Argument (2020-21).
January 2018-August 2020
RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTRE ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Researcher on major ESRC-funded project, 'Between Two Unions: The Constitutional Future of the Islands after Brexit'. Real-time research on the implications of Brexit for the UK's territorial politics and constitution. Involved particularly in workstreams on intergovernmental and interparliamentary relations, and on the British Conservative Party and the Union. Co-author on several academic papers and policy reports, and sole or co-author of many blog posts for a whole range of different sites (see full list below under 'Blog Posts'). During this time I was also associated with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge.
September 2016-December 2017
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, CONSTITUTION UNIT, UCL
Researcher on a Nuffield Foundation funded project, 'Options for an English Parliament'. Investigated different possible models for an English legislature, following calls for this from some politicians and activists. Main outputs were a policy report and book chapter, both co-authored with Professor Meg Russell. I also wrote a blog series for the Constitution Unit, publicising findings.
October 2015-December 2017
BLOG AND NEWSLETTER EDITOR, CONSTITUTION UNIT, UCL
Editor of the UCL Constitution Unit's popular blog and newsletter, through a period that included the EU referendum in June 2016, the 2017 general election and the early stages of the Article 50 negotiations on Brexit. Had overall responsibility for the content of the blog, including commissioning, copy-editing and dissemination. Achieved record levels of hits for the site.
June 2015-September 2015
RESEARCH VOLUNTEER, CONSTITUTION UNIT, UCL
Worked on a varied range of tasks relating to the UK parliament and referendums, under the supervision of Professor Meg Russell and Dr Alan Renwick
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
September 2015-July 2016
MA POLITICS AND CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
Winner of Politics and Contemporary History Prize. Dissertation on the parliamentary passage of legislation for Scottish and Welsh devolution during the 1974-79 Labour governments.
October 2012-July 2015
BA POLITICS, QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
Winner of Best Dissertation, Draper's Company (x2) and Best First Year Performance prizes. Dissertation on the effectiveness of the London Assembly in scrutinising the Mayor of London.
POLICY REPORTS
2021
Union at the Crossroads: Can the British state handle the challenges of devolution?, Constitution Society/Bennett Institute for Public Policy, https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Union_at_the_Crossroads_Report.pdf (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny and Philip Rycroft)
2021
'The future of the Union', chapter in Brexit and Beyond, UK in a Changing Europe, https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Brexit-and-Beyond-report-compressed.pdf (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
2020
'Devolution and Interparliamentary Co-ordination', chapter in Parliament and Brexit, UK in a Changing Europe/Constitution Unit, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/sites/constitution-unit/files/85963_ukin_parliament_report_proof_v10.pdf (co-authored with Hedydd Phylip)
2019
Will a no deal Brexit lead to the break-up of the UK?, Bennett Institute for Public Policy/Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/No_Deal_Brexit_Paper.pdf (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
2018
Reforming Intergovernmental Relations in the United Kingdom, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/sites/default/files/migrated/papers/Reforming%20Intergovernmental%20Relations%20in%20the%20United%20Kingdom_nov18.pdf (co-authored with Professor Nicola McEwen, Professor Michael Kenny and Dr Coree Brown Swan)
2018
Options for an English Parliament, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/sites/constitution-unit/files/179-options-for-an-english-parliament.pdf (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
2021
'Standing Up for the Nations? Devolution and the Changing Territorial Role of Backbench MPs with Constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, 1992-2019', Parliamentary Affairs, online advanced access, https://academic.oup.com/pa/advance-article/doi/10.1093/pa/gsab048/6369587
2021
''A place apart', or integral to 'our precious Union'? Understanding the nature and implications of Conservative Party thinking about Northern Ireland, 2010-19, Irish Political Studies 36:2, pp. 291-317, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07907184.2020.1847418 (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
2021
'When Planets Collide: The British Conservative Party and the Discordant Goals of Delivering Brexit and Preserving the Domestic Union, 2016-2019', Political Studies 69:4, pp. 965-984, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0032321720930986 (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
2020
'Intergovernmental Relations in the UK: Time for a Radical Overhaul?', Political Quarterly 91:3, pp. 632-640, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-923X.12862 (co-authored with Professor Nicola McEwen, Professor Michael Kenny and Dr Coree Brown Swan)
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* Awarded Bernard Crick Prize for the Best Article published by Political Quarterly in 2020 *
2018
'An English Parliament: An Idea whose Time Has Come?', chapter in Governing England, British Academy, edited by Michael Kenny, Iain McLean and Akash Paun, https://britishacademy.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5871/bacad/9780197266465.001.0001/upso-9780197266465-chapter-005 (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
BLOGS
2022
'Green shoots for the Union? The joint review of intergovernmental relations', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2022/01/19/green-shoots-for-the-union-the-joint-review-of-intergovernmental-relations/​ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
2021
'A first glimpse of post-Brexit politics? England's May 2021 elections', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/first-glimpse-post-brexit-politics-englands-may-2021-elections
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'Union at the crossroads: why the British state must overhaul its approach to devolution', Constitution Society, https://consoc.org.uk/union-at-the-crossroads-why-the-british-state-must-overhaul-its-approach-to-devolution/
2020
'Intergovernmental Relations: Time For an Overhaul?', Political Quarterly, https://politicalquarterly.blog/2020/09/17/intergovernmental-relations-time-for-an-overhaul/ (co-authored with Professor Nicola McEwen, Professor Michael Kenny and Dr Coree Brown Swan)
'Boris Johnson's Union strategy is a high-stakes gamble', CapX, https://capx.co/boris-johnsons-union-strategy-is-a-high-stakes-gamble/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
'Unionism, Conservative thinking and Brexit', UK in a Changing Europe, https://ukandeu.ac.uk/unionism-conservative-thinking-and-brexit/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'How COVID-19 is exposing unresolved issues around how England is governed', British Academy, https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/how-covid-19-exposing-unresolved-issues-about-how-england-governed/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'How can relations between the UK's governments be made more effective?', UK in a Changing Europe, https://ukandeu.ac.uk/how-can-relations-between-the-uks-governments-be-made-more-effective/
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'Why have the UK's governments diverged on easing lockdown?', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/uks-governments-diverged-easing-lockdown (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'Do virtual parliaments have a future beyond the pandemic?', Bennett Institute for Public Policy, https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/do-virtual-parliaments-have-future-beyond-pandemic/
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'Territorial governance and the coronavirus crisis', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/territorial-governance-and-coronavirus-crisis (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'Devolution arrangements within the UK during the next phase of Brexit', UK in a Changing Europe, https://ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-and-intergovernmental-coordination-within-the-uk/ (co-authored with Hedydd Phylip)
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'The scrutiny challenge posed by common frameworks', Scottish Parliament Information Centre, https://spice-spotlight.scot/2020/01/22/the-scrutiny-challenge-posed-by-common-frameworks/
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2019
'What does the election result mean for territorial representation in the House of Commons?', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2019/12/21/what-does-the-election-result-mean-for-territorial-representation-in-the-house-of-commons/
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'How can Boris Johnson keep the UK together?', LSE British Politics and Policy, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-can-boris-johnson-keep-the-uk-together/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'The next parliament will face big dilemmas on Scottish independence', LSE British Politics and Policy, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/the-next-parliament-will-face-big-dilemmas-on-scottish-independence/
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'Analysing the Manifestos: Strengthening the Union', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/analysing-manifestos-strengthen-union
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'Strengthening interparliamentary relations in the UK: first steps and possible future directions', PSA Parliaments, https://psaparliaments.org/2019/12/05/strengthening-interparliamentary-relations/ (co-authored with Heydd Phylip)
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'Whatever happened to Tory unionism?', LSE Brexit, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2019/10/24/whatever-happened-to-tory-unionism/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'Will a no deal Brexit lead to the break-up of the UK?', UK in a Changing Europe, https://ukandeu.ac.uk/will-a-no-deal-brexit-lead-to-the-break-up-of-the-uk-2/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'The next PM's territorial challenges', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2019/05/31/the-next-pms-territorial-challenges/
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'What does Bercow's bombshell ruling mean for parliament and Brexit?', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/what-does-bercows-bombshell-ruling-mean-brexit-and-parliament
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'Unionism and the Conservative Brexit deal rebellion', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/unionism-and-conservative-brexit-deal-rebellion (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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2018
'Beyond the backstop: understanding unionist sentiment in the Brexit debate', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/beyond-backstop-understanding-unionist-sentiment-brexit-debate
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'Intergovermental relations: a blueprint for reform', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2018/11/20/intergovernmental-relations-a-blueprint-for-reform/
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'Why Brexit means we need to reform the UK's system of intergovernmental relations', Bennett Institute for Public Policy, https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/why-brexit-means-we-need-reform-uks-system-intergo/
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'Intergovernmental relations and the English question: options for reform', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2018/08/16/intergovernmental-relations-and-the-english-question-options-for-reform/
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'A Brexit 'people's vote'? Lessons from the 1970s', Bennett Institute for Public Policy, https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/brexit-peoples-vote-
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'The UK-Welsh agreement on Brexit and devolved powers, and why it matters for the UK as a whole', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/uk-welsh-agreement-brexit-and-devolved-powers-and-why-it-matters-uk-whole (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'What an English Parliament might look like - and the challenges of giving it proper consideration', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2018/03/09/what-an-english-parliament-might-look-like-and-the-challenges-of-giving-it-proper-consideration/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
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'Is the UK straining at the seams?', Centre on Constitutional Change, https://centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/uk-straining-seams (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny)
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'Options for an English Parliament: implications for the UK's central institutions', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2018/02/21/options-for-an-english-parliament-implications-for-the-uks-central-institutions/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
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'A "dual mandate" English Parliament: some key questions of institutional design', PSA Parliaments blog, https://psaparliaments.org/2018/01/17/english-parliament-key-questions/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
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2017
'Where would an English Parliament be located?', https://constitution-unit.com/2017/11/30/where-would-an-english-parliament-be-located/
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'Options for an English Parliament: policy powers and financial arrangements', https://constitution-unit.com/2017/10/12/options-for-an-english-parliament-policy-powers-and-financial-arrangements/
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'The EU Withdrawal Bill:
parliamentary prospects', https://constitution-unit.com/2017/09/15/the-eu-withdrawal-bill-parliamentary-prospects/ (co-authored with Alex Diggens)
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'The electoral system for an English Parliament: options and implications', https://constitution-unit.com/2017/09/01/the-electoral-system-for-an-english-parliament-options-and-implications/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
'Options for an English Parliament: lessons from existing decentralised states', https://constitution-unit.com/2017/02/27/options-for-an-english-parliament-lessons-from-existing-decentralised-states/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
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2016
'What might an English Parliament look like? The Constitution Unit is consulting on the design options', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2016/11/24/what-might-an-english-parliament-look-like-the-constitution-unit-is-consulting-on-the-design-options/ (co-authored with Professor Meg Russell)
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'Parting shots from the Lord Speaker: Baroness D'Souza reflects on the House of Lords and its future', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2016/08/04/parting-shots-from-the-lord-speaker-baroness-dsouza-reflects-on-the-house-of-lords-and-its-future/ (co-authored with Raffaella Breeze)
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'What role will parliament have in triggering Article 50 and shaping the terms of Brexit?', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2016/07/19/what-role-will-parliament-have-in-triggering-article-50-and-shaping-the-terms-of-brexit/ (co-authored with Professor Robert Hazell)
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2015
'The Charter review should take steps to enable the BBC to act independently and without government interference', Constitution Unit blog, https://constitution-unit.com/2015/12/01/the-charter-review-should-take-steps-to-enable-the-bbc-to-work-independently-and-without-government-interference/
MEDIA CITATIONS AND APPEARANCES
2021
The publication of the report Union at the Crossroads, on which I was a co-author, was covered in various media outlets including The Guardian, The Times, The Scotsman and The Herald
2020
Appearance on TalkRadio Mike Graham show to explain how devolution works and how it has changed since it was introduced, for 'Homeschool' segment, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ_Ac0hfYTo (from 2:06:30)
'Problems are piling up for Richard Leonard and Douglas Ross', The National, https://www.thenational.scot/news/18700589.problems-piling-opposition-leaders-scottish-parliament/
'Will Johnson's botched pandemic imperial the Union?', Business Post, https://www.businesspost.ie/ireland/will-johnsons-botched-pandemic-plan-imperil-the-union-436c9759
'Devolved nations may break ranks if pandemic worsens', The Times, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/devolved-nations-may-break-ranks-if-pandemic-worsens-jgjpwx2ch
2018
'Will England ever get its own parliament?', BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44208859
SELECT COMMITTEE EVIDENCE
2021
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Future Governance of the UK, House of Lords Constitution Committee, https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36252/pdf/ (co-authored with Hedydd Phylip) and https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/26873/pdf/ (co-authored with Professor Michael Kenny and Philip Rycroft) Extensively cited in the committee report -https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/8562/documents/86664/default/
2020
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The procedure of the House of Commons and the territorial constitution, Procedure Committee, https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/14593/pdf/ (co-authored with Hedydd Phylip, who gave oral evidence)
2019
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The relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments, Scottish Affairs Committee, http://data.parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Scottish%20Affairs/The%20relationship%20between%20the%20UK%20and%20Scottish%20Governments/Written/98591.html (extensively cited in committee report)
AWARDS AND PRIZES
2021
£1000 (divided between co-authors), Bernard Crick Prize for Best Article published by Political Quarterly in 2020, 'Intergovernmental Relations in the UK: Time for a Radical Overhaul?', Political Quarterly 91:3, pp. 632-640, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-923X.12862 (co-authored with Professor Nicola McEwen, Professor Michael Kenny and Dr Coree Brown Swan)
2019
€250, Kaare Strøm Prize for Best Paper at ECPR Parliaments Summer School, Lisbon (judged personally by Professor Kaare Strøm), 'Substantive Representation of Sub-state Territories in Central Legislatures: Towards a Framework for Analysis'
2018-2022
£15,250 per annum plus fees, full ESRC PhD studentship, Cambridge DTP