UK-Elections: Understanding Voters’ Concerns and Political Challenges

With Eunice Goes, professor of politics, and Sir Julian King, diplomat and last British European Commissioner

Speakers

What do UK Voters care about?

Eunice Goes is a professor of politics at Richmond, the American University in London and editor of the journalRenewal: A Journal of Social Democracy. She is an expert on British party politics with a focus on the role of ideas and ideology in electoral programmes. Her latest book Social Democracy was published in 2024 and charts the history of European social democracy. She has published extensively on the Labour Party (namely The Labour Party under Ed Miliband: Trying But Failing to Renew Social Democracy, Manchester University Press, 2016) but also on the Conservative Party’s approach to Europe and industrial policy.

Eunice Goes holds a Ph.D. in Political Science by the London School of Economics.

Labour Party: Foreign Policy Guidelines

Sir Julian King is a UK diplomat. He is a Specialist Partner at Flint Global, Chair of the charity Cooperation Ireland, member of the Ditchley Council, Fellow of RUSI and the Oxford Internet Institute.

He was the last British European Commissioner, serving as EU Commissioner for the Security Union from 2016-2019, with responsibility for counter terrorism, cyber security, tackling hybrid threats, disinformation, and securing critical digital infrastructure.

He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1985. He held various positions, including UK Ambassador to France (2016); Director General Economic & Consular (2014); DG of the Northern Ireland Office London and Belfast (2011); UK Ambassador to Ireland (2009); EU Commission Chef de Cabinet to Commissioner for Trade (2008); UK Representative on EU Political and Security Committee, (2004). Sir Julian is a graduate of Oxford University and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Paris.

Background

Most opinion polls indicate that the Labour Party will win the UK elections, scheduled for 4 July 2024. Whoever wins, the challenges ahead are enormous.

The objective of the webinar is to have a comprehensive understanding of the local political context (perceptions and concerns of the British voters as well as party programs) and of the foreign policy agendas.

The focus would be on the Labour Party.

Format

Brief presentations followed by a live Q&A.