Vernon Bogdanor
Encyclopedia
Vernon Bogdanor, CBE
, FBA
ˈ (born 1943) is Research Professor
at the Institute for Contemporary History at King's College London
, and a Fellow of Brasenose College, University of Oxford
. He is one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues. He is an advocate of constitutional reform including proportional representation
, but supports the retention of the British Monarchy
.
, Vernon Bogdanor gained his Bachelor of Arts
in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
(with congratulatory First Class honours) from The Queen's College, Oxford
. He has been Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford, since 1966, where he has been Senior Tutor (1979–85 and 1996–97), Vice-Principal, and (in 2002-03) Acting Principal. He is a Fellow of the British Academy
, and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. In 1998 he was awarded the CBE for contributions to constitutional history, and in 2009 he was appointed Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur
.
He has been a Member of Council of The Hansard Society
for Parliamentary Government, Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords
Select Committee on the European Communities, Member of the Court of Essex University, Adviser (as a member of the Council of Europe
and American Bar Association
delegations) to the governments of the Czech Republic
, Hungary
, Israel
and Slovakia
on constitutional and electoral reform, Member of the Academic Panel of Local Authority Associations, Member of The Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process, Member of the UK Government delegation on Democratic Institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and Conference on the Protection of Minorities, Consultant to Independent Television News
(ITN) on the General Election, Member of the Economic and Social Research Council
’s committee administering the 'Whitehall' programme, Special Adviser to the House of Commons
Select Committee on the Public Services, Member of the Swedish Constitutional Reform Project, Member of the Advisory Group to the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Adviser to the President of Trinidad
on the Constitution of Trinidad, and Member of the ESRC's committee administering the Devolution
programme.
Professor Bogdanor is a frequent contributor to TV, radio and newspapers. Between 2004 and 2008 he gave public lectures as Professor of Law
at Gresham College
, London. He continues to give public lectures at the College, now as Visiting Professor of Political History
. He has published numerous books and articles. Recently, he edited The British Constitution in the 20th Century (published by Oxford University Press
to mark the centenary of the British Academy) and authored The New British Constitution (2009) which analyses constitutional changes under the Labour government since 1997.
Professor Bogdanor is not a member of any political party. He is a member of the Henry Jackson Society
, a think tank based in Cambridge, which seeks to spread ideas about democratic government.
Professor Bogdanor appeared on the BBC
's coverage of the 2010 election night offering thoughts and insight onto the result, and their implications, as they came in.
and Conservative Party
leader David Cameron
whom he has described as "one of the ablest" students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible Conservative". Professor Bogdanor has, however, expressed reservations about certain policies of Cameron's, notably his proposal for a British "Bill of Rights", about which Bogdanor said, "I believe it's ill thought-out and confused.... He [Cameron] may have forgotten some of the things I've taught him. I'd be happy to give him a few more tutorials on civil liberties."
, by police from Special Branch as "a storm in a teacup" – "The important principle is that MPs – apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence – are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us."
. Others include: Kate Allen
, Camilla Cavendish
, Peter Conradi
, Diane Coyle
, Guy Spier
and Toby Young
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FBA
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
ˈ (born 1943) is Research Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Institute for Contemporary History at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, and a Fellow of Brasenose College, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He is one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues. He is an advocate of constitutional reform including proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, but supports the retention of the British Monarchy
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
.
Career
Educated at Bishopshalt SchoolBishopshalt School
Bishopshalt School is a comprehensive secondary school based in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It has been awarded Arts College status.-History:...
, Vernon Bogdanor gained his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, politics, and economics is a popular interdisciplinary undergraduate/graduate degree which combines study from the three disciplines...
(with congratulatory First Class honours) from The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
. He has been Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford, since 1966, where he has been Senior Tutor (1979–85 and 1996–97), Vice-Principal, and (in 2002-03) Acting Principal. He is a Fellow of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
, and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. In 1998 he was awarded the CBE for contributions to constitutional history, and in 2009 he was appointed Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
He has been a Member of Council of The Hansard Society
Hansard Society
The Hansard Society was formed in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. Founded and chaired by Commander Stephen King-Hall, the first subscribers were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee...
for Parliamentary Government, Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
Select Committee on the European Communities, Member of the Court of Essex University, Adviser (as a member of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
delegations) to the governments of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
on constitutional and electoral reform, Member of the Academic Panel of Local Authority Associations, Member of The Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process, Member of the UK Government delegation on Democratic Institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and Conference on the Protection of Minorities, Consultant to Independent Television News
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
(ITN) on the General Election, Member of the Economic and Social Research Council
Economic and Social Research Council
The Economic and Social Research Council is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides funding and support for research and training work in social and economic issues, such as...
’s committee administering the 'Whitehall' programme, Special Adviser to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Select Committee on the Public Services, Member of the Swedish Constitutional Reform Project, Member of the Advisory Group to the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Adviser to the President of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
on the Constitution of Trinidad, and Member of the ESRC's committee administering the Devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
programme.
Professor Bogdanor is a frequent contributor to TV, radio and newspapers. Between 2004 and 2008 he gave public lectures as Professor of Law
Gresham Professor of Law
The Professor of Law at Gresham College, London, gives free educational lectures to the general public. The college was founded for this purpose in 1596/7, when it appointed seven professors. This has since increased to eight and in addition the college now has visiting professors...
at Gresham College
Gresham College
Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
, London. He continues to give public lectures at the College, now as Visiting Professor of Political History
Visiting Gresham Professor
Visiting Professors at Gresham College, Holborn, London, give free educational lectures to the general public. The college was founded for this purpose in 1596 / 7, when it appointed seven professors; this has since increased to eight and plus the Visiting Professors.The first Visiting Professors...
. He has published numerous books and articles. Recently, he edited The British Constitution in the 20th Century (published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
to mark the centenary of the British Academy) and authored The New British Constitution (2009) which analyses constitutional changes under the Labour government since 1997.
Professor Bogdanor is not a member of any political party. He is a member of the Henry Jackson Society
Henry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics". The society is named after after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State...
, a think tank based in Cambridge, which seeks to spread ideas about democratic government.
Professor Bogdanor appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's coverage of the 2010 election night offering thoughts and insight onto the result, and their implications, as they came in.
David Cameron
Professor Bogdanor's most famous former student is the current Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
and Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
whom he has described as "one of the ablest" students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible Conservative". Professor Bogdanor has, however, expressed reservations about certain policies of Cameron's, notably his proposal for a British "Bill of Rights", about which Bogdanor said, "I believe it's ill thought-out and confused.... He [Cameron] may have forgotten some of the things I've taught him. I'd be happy to give him a few more tutorials on civil liberties."
Damian Green
He referred to the arrest and questioning of the Conservative MP Damian GreenDamian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4's business editor...
, by police from Special Branch as "a storm in a teacup" – "The important principle is that MPs – apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence – are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us."
Books
Among books written or edited by Vernon Bogdanor are:- The Coalition and the Constitution
- Constitutions in Democratic Politics
- Devolution in the United Kingdom
- Joined-Up Government
- Multi-Party Politics and the Constitution
- The Monarchy and the Constitution
- What is Proportional Representation?
- Power and the People: Guide to Constitutional Reform
- The New British Constitution
- The Age of Affluence, 1951-1964
- The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Political Institutions
Noteable Former Students
Bogdanor's most notable former student is David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
. Others include: Kate Allen
Kate Allen
Katherine Jessie Jean Allen is an Australian-Austrian triathlete. She won the gold medal in the women's triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-Early life:...
, Camilla Cavendish
Camilla Cavendish
Camilla Hilary Cavendish is a British columnist and leader writer for The Times. She graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford in 1989 with a first-class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics . She has worked as a McKinsey management consultant, an aid worker, and CEO of a not-for-profit...
, Peter Conradi
Peter Conradi
Peter Conradi is a British author and journalist.-Biography:He is the author of The Red Ripper: Inside the Mind of Russia's Most Brutal Serial Killer ; Mad Vlad: Vladimir Zhirinovksy and the New Russian Nationalism and Hitler's Piano Player...
, Diane Coyle
Diane Coyle
Diane Coyle, OBE , is a freelance economist, and a former advisor to the UK Treasury. She is a member of the UK Competition Commission and Vice Chairman of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation....
, Guy Spier
Guy Spier
Guy Spier is a Zurich based investor, and commentator. In June 2007 he made headlines by bidding US$650,100 with Mohnish Pabrai for a charity lunch with Warren Buffett...
and Toby Young
Toby Young
Toby Young, MA, FRSA is a British journalist and the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the tale of his stint in New York as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair magazine...