- Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Political Communication, University of Liverpool
I joined the Department of Politics as Lecturer in Political Communication in 2015, and later Senior Lecturer from 2018. Prior to joining Liverpool I was a Research and Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds (POLIS) with particular focus on British Foreign Policy and British Political Ideologies. I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2017 I also won the PSA Richard Rose Prize for making a distinctive contribution to the study of British politics. My research interest in political communication examines how the language used by politicians informs the health of a liberal democratic society. I do this by applying classical theories of political oratory and rhetoric upon contemporary British political leaders and concepts. This enables me to produce original research across a number of subfields which include Parliamentary behaviour, Conservative Party politics, Labour Party politics and the study of political ideology.
I tweet regularly at @AndrewCrines on X, and https://bsky.app/profile/andrewcrines.bsky.social on Bluesky
I am a specialist in British Politics, governance, leadership, and institutions. My particular focus is on political communication and voting behaviour(s) on which I have written and/or edited a number of books and journal articles. I have published extensively on the impact of political communication in journals such as Journal of Common Market Studies, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Journal of Elections, Public Opinions and Parties, Parliamentary Affairs, Journal of Legislative Studies, British Politics, Politics and Religion, Global Discourse, Representation, Political Quarterly, and Political Insight.
I have (co)-authored a study of leadership selection entitled Choosing Party Leaders: Britain's Labour and Conservative Party Compared (with Peter Dorey (Cardiff) and Andrew Denham (Nottingham)), and a further study (with Timothy Heppell (Leeds) and Dorey (Cardiff)) analysed political communication using the rhetorical theories from the ancient world. This produced a book entitled 'The Political Rhetoric and Oratory of Margaret Thatcher', which was published by Palgrave in 2016.
In addition, I am also the contributing (co)-editor of a several academic studies that have appeared with Palgrave, Manchester University Press, Agenda Publishers, and Biteback. My most recent collaborative project (with David Jeffery) concerned statecraft and political leadership in a comprehensive academic study of Theresa May's time as leader of the Conservative Party, which was recently published by Palgrave. Prior to this I completed an academic study on Jeremy Corbyn's time and legacy as leader of the Labour Party with Agenda Publishers. In 2020 I completed a similar academic study (with Heppell, Leeds) on the legacy of Edward Heath entitled Policies and Politics Under Prime Minister Edward Heath and his significance on British conservatism and Conservative Party politics more broadly. Prior to these I have produced academic studies on the political legacy of Harold Wilson (with Kevin Hickson, Liverpool), Republican Orators (with Σοφία Hatzisavvidou, Bath), Democratic Orators (with David S. Moon, Bath; and Robert Lehrman, American University, Washington DC), Conservative Orators (with Richard Hayton, Leeds), and Labour Orators (with Hayton, Leeds).
Experience
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2018–presentSenior Lecturer in Political Communication, University of Liverpool
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2015–2018Lecturer in Political Communication, University of Liverpool
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2013–2015Research Fellow, University of Leeds
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2011–2013Teaching Assistant, University of Huddersfield
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2007–2011Doctoral Candidate, University of Huddersfield
Education
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2024Academic Practice, Masters (MA)
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2023Academic Practice, Diploma
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2011Political Science, Doctorate
Publications
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2027Modernisation in Oration: The Rhetoric of British Conservatism in the 21st Century, Routledge Handbook of Political Rhetoric,
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2026Backing Badenoch: The Conservative Party Leadership Election of 2024, Parliamentary Affairs
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2026Parliamentary Signalling and Party Factionalism: The Labour Party under Keir Starmer, Parliamentary Affairs
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2025'Political Rhetoric and Democratic Discourse', Global Discourse
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2025The Legacy of Thatcherism: The Influence of Thatcherite Ideology upon Conservative Party Leadership Elections since 1990, Elgar Companion to Margaret Thatcher
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2025Theresa May, British Conservative Leaders
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2024Selecting Sunak: Conservative MPs’ Nomination Preferences in the (Second) British Conservative Party Leadership Election, Parliamentary Affairs
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2024‘The Wind of Change’: a rhetorical political analysis of Harold Macmillan’s 1960 ‘decolonization’ speech., British Politics
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2024Divisions within the British Parliamentary Labour Party under Keir Starmer: Results of a Cluster Analysis. , British Politics
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2023Statecraft: Policies and Politics under Prime Minister Theresa May, Palgrave
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2023. Trusting Truss: Conservative MPs’ Voting Preferences in the (First) British Conservative Party Leadership Election of 2022, Representation
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2023The End of the Rhetorical Line? The 'Partygate' Investigation into former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson., Political Quarterly
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2023'I'm not going to call a snap election' - Theresa May and the 2017 General Election, Statecraft: Policies and Politics Under Prime Minister Theresa May
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2022The Degenerative Tendencies of Long‐Serving Governments…1963…1996…2009…the Conservatives in 2022?, Political Quarterly
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2022The Conservative Party Leadership Election of 2019: An Analysis of the Voting Motivations of Conservative Parliamentarians, Parliamentary Affairs
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2021Statecraft: Policies and Politics Under Prime Minister Theresa May, Palgrave
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2021Selecting Starmer: The Nomination Preferences of Labour Parliamentarians in the 2020 Labour Party Leadership Election, Representation
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2021Corbynism in Perspective: The Labour Party Under Jeremy Corbyn, Agenda / Columbia University Press
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2020Policies and Politics Under Prime Minister Edward Heath, Palgrave
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2020Choosing Party Leaders: Britain's Labour and Conservatives Compared, Manchester University Press
Professional Memberships
- Royal Historical Society
- International Studies Association
- The Classical Association
- Network for the Interface of Classics and Politics (Liverpool-based Research Group)
- Advance HE (Higher Education Academy)
- Political Studies Association
Research Areas
- Political Science (1606)
- Curriculum And Pedagogy (1302)
- Linguistics (2004)
- Language Studies (2003)
Contact Andrew for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
