Dr Paul Anderson
Humanities and Social Science
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: P.D.Anderson@ljmu.ac.uk
Paul Anderson is Senior Lecturer in Politics.
Paul's research largely focuses on comparative territorial politics. He is interested in autonomy and secessionist movements, regional political parties, majority and minority nationalisms, intergovernmental relations, and the use of autonomy as a tool of conflict resolution. He has published widely on these topics in various journals (Ethnopolitics, Journal of European Public Policy, Nations and Nationalism, Regional and Federal Studies) and book chapters in several edited collections. Paul is also the author of Territorial Politics in Catalonia and Scotland: Nations in Flux (Manchester University Press 2024).
Currently, Paul is leading a funded research project on metro mayors in England and the experience of relations between the combined authorities and central government.
Paul is co-director of the 50 Shades of Federalism project and was co-lead of the UACES-JMCT RN 'Reimagining Territorial Politics in Times of Crisis (2020-2023). He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Since 2017, Paul has been involved in an ongoing project with the Hanns Seidel Foundation on democracy and federalism in Myanmar, working with various stakeholders, such as activists, civil servants, parliamentarians and political parties. Paul has given evidence to, and been cited by, committees in the House of Commons, House of Lords, Scottish and Welsh Parliaments and is a regular media commentator on British politics.
Paul is currently PGR Co-ordinator for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He would be interested in supervising PhD topics on aspects of British or Scottish politics or territorial politics more broadly. Feel free to contact him directly.
Current PhD students:
Beti-Elen Thomas: 'Black Lives Matter in Wales: The Impact of 21st Century Activism' (Lead Supervisor)
Past Completions:
Jo Rothery: ''Left behind, looking forward'': The 2019 General Election, the Red Wall and the Labour Party' (MSc by research)
In 2024-25 Paul will lead the following modules:
L4: Comparative Politics (S1)
L5: British Politics: Continuity, Change and Crisis (S1)
L6: Comparative Nationalism, Secession and the Politics of Territory (S2)
Languages
Catalan; Valencian
Spanish; Castilian
Degrees
2019, Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom, PhD
2014, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain, Masters in Current Democracies: Nationalism, Federalism and Multiculturalism
2011, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, MA(Hons) Politics and Hispanic Studies
Certifications
2021, Advance HE, Advance HE Fellowship
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer in Politics, International Relations and Politics, Liverpool John Moores University, 2021 - present
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2019 - 2021
Sessional Lecturer, Politics and International Relations, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2016 - 2019
Highlighted publications
Anderson P. 2024. Territorial Politics in Catalonia and Scotland: Nations in Flux Manchester University Press 9781526163059
Internet publication
Anderson P. 2025. Intergovernmental Relations: Promising Steps Forward, but Cultural Change is Crucial Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2024. Painting England’s Towns (and Cities) Red: The 2024 Metro-Mayoral Elections Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2024. Metro mayors and Whitehall need a better way to work together Publisher Url
Brown Swan C, Sijstermans J, Anderson P. 2024. Of course the pandemic was political: the Covid Inquiry and the constitutional question Publisher Url Public Url
Brown Swan C, Anderson P, Sijstermans J. 2024. The pandemic and devolution – intergovernmental relations under stress Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Schnabel J. 2023. The UK’s intergovernmental relations remain a work in progress Publisher Url
Anderson P, Schnabel J. 2022. Review of intergovernmental relations: the new interministerial structures are a step in the right direction Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Keil S. 2017. FEDERALISM: A TOOL FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION? Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Brown Swan C, Anderson P, Sijstermans J. 2024. Politics and the Pandemic: The UK Covid-19 Inquiry and Devolution Political Quarterly, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Brown Swan C. 2024. An unstable Union? The Conservative Party, the British Political Tradition, and devolution in Scotland and Wales 2010–23 Parliamentary Affairs, :1-26 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Brown Swan C, Anderson P. 2024. Representing Scotland: Conservative Narratives of Nation, Union, and Scottish Independence Frontiers in Political Science, 6 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Swan CB, Ferreira C, Sijstermans J. 2023. State making or state breaking?’ Crisis, COVID‐19 and the constitution in Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom Nations and Nationalism, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Schnabel J, Anderson P, De Francesco F. 2023. Multilevel Governance and Political Leadership: Crisis Communication in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 Pandemic Journal of European Public Policy, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2020. Decentralisation at a Crossroads: Spain, Catalonia and the Territorial Crisis Ethnopolitics, 19 :342-355 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P. 2019. Independence 2.0: Digital activism, social media and the Catalan independence movement Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies, 11 :191-207 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P. 2018. Canada at 150: The view from Quebec Round Table, 107 :539-542 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P, Keil S. 2016. Minority Nationalism and the European Union L'Europe en Formation, n° 379 :40-57 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P. 2016. The 2016 Scottish Parliament election: a nationalist minority, a Conservative comeback and a Labour collapse Regional and Federal Studies, 26 :555-568 DOI Publisher Url
Conference publication
Anderson P. 2024. Myanmar Post-Coup: Hopes for a Federal Future Summer University 40th Anniversary Conference: Federalism and Conflict Proceedings, Summer University 40th Anniversary Conference: Federalism and Conflict DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Anderson P. 2024. Power-Sharing as a Tool of Conflict Management: The Experience of Northern Ireland and South Tyrol Mathieu F, Guénette D, Gagnon A-G. Comparative Federalism: A Pluralist Exploration :165-183 Palgrave Macmillan, Cham 978-3-031-51092-2 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2022. Spain and the United Kingdom: Between Unitary State Tradition and Federalization Keil S, Kropp S. Emerging Federal Structures in the Post-Cold War Era :49-72 Palgrave Macmillan 978-3-030-93669-3 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2022. Plurinationalism, Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations in the United Kingdom Fessha Y, Kossler K, Palermo F. Intergovernmental Relations in Divided Societies :91-112 Palgrave Macmillan 978-3-030-88787-2 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2022. Plurinationalism, Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations in the United Kingdom Comparative Territorial Politics :91-112 Springer International Publishing 9783030887841 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P, Keil S. 2021. Scotland, the UK and Brexit – At a Constitutional Crossroads Eppler A, Jeffery C, Lutgenau S. Qualified Autonomy ad Federalism versus Secession in EU Member States Studien Verlag Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Keil S. 2021. Territorial autonomy, ethnic conflict, and secession: between a rock and a hard place? Lago I. Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution and the State Edward Elgar 978 1 83910 327 8 Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2021. The Covid-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom: A Tale of Convergence and Divergence Steytler N. Comparative Federalism and Covid-19 Routledge 9781003166771 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P, Keil S. 2021. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Constitutional Politics in a ‘State of Minorities Lecours A, Brassard-Dion N, Laforest G. Constitutional Politics in Multinational Democracies :162-187 McGill-Queens University Press 9780228006602 DOI Publisher Url
Anderson P. 2021. A Consociational Compromise? Constitutional Evolution in Spain and Catalonia Keil S, McCulloch A. Power-Sharing in Europe: Past Practice, Present Cases, and Future Directions :201-225 Palgrave MacMillan 978-3-030-53590-2 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2021. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: A tale of convergence and divergence Comparative Federalism and Covid-19: Combating the Pandemic :142-159 DOI Publisher Url
Keil S, Anderson P. 2018. Decentralization as a tool for conflict resolution Handbook of Territorial Politics :89-104
Books (authored)
Anderson P. 2024. Territorial Politics in Catalonia and Scotland: Nations in Flux Manchester University Press 9781526163059
Book review
Anderson P. 2024. Constitutional Crises and Regionalism by Vito Breda. Cheltenham and Camberley: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023. 284 pp. $140 hardback Publius: the journal of federalism, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Anderson P. 2023. Filling in the ‘missing middle’? Devolution in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region: The first mayoral term by Georgina Blakely and Brendan Evans, Manchester University Press, 2023 Regional & Federal Studies, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Report
Anderson P, Keil S. 2020. Scotland, the UK and Brexit – At a Constitutional Crossroads: What Next for Scotland? Publisher Url Public Url
Media Coverage:
The National Newspaper Scotland on Scottish Labour (12 January 2025) 2025
BCC Radio Merseyside 'This Week in Westminster', 6 December 2024 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview "100 days of a Labour Government', 14 October 2024 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview 'This Week in Westminster' (13 September 2024) 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview 'Week in Westminster' 26 July 2024 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on King's Speech (18 July 2024) 2024
Interview with National newspaper Scotland on Territorial Politics in Scotland (18 June 2024) 2024
'Pundits: Humza Yousaf's departure due to political failures, not racism' TRT, 30 April 2024 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on the Post Office Scandal (9 January 2024) 2024
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Rishi Sunak and Rwanda Policy (11 December 2023). 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on UK Covid Inquiry (20 November 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Conservative Party Conference (4 October 2023) 2023
Xinhua News Agency. ‘UK Labour leader promises “decade of national renewal”’. 10 October 2023. 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Labour Party Conference (10 October 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Boris Johnson (19 June 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on the Privileges Committee and Boris Johnson (15 June 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview (25 April 2023) 2023
Who is Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s new first minister? Interview with Deutsche Welle (28 March 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on The Windsor Agreement (28 February 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on the Sunak Reshuffle (7 February 2023) 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview (11 January 2023) on Industrial Action 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview - Starmer V Sunak 2023
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on the Autumn Budget (17 Nov 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Thursday's budget (14 November 2022) 2022
BBC Merseyside Interview on Rishi Sunak’s cabinet and challenges (26 October 2022) 2022
BBC Merseyside Interview on Rishi Sunak as PM (25 October 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Rishi Sunak as PM (24 October 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Liz Truss Resignation (21 October 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on Liz Truss as Conservative Leader (18 October 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside Interview on the Conservative's new economic strategy (17 October 2022) 2022
BBC Merseyside Interview on Conservative Conference (3 October 2022) 2022
BBC Radio Merseyside - Interview on the Mini-Budget (23 September 2022) 2022
BBC Merseyside Interview on expectations of a Liz Truss premiership (5 September 2022) 2022
BBC Merseyside Interview on the Conservative Leadership race 2022 (13 July 2022) 2022
Comment to Newspaper. 'Are we approaching conflict in Catalonia?’, Pravda, 2017
Other invited event:
Scotland's Independence Referendum 10 Years On, Centre on Constitutional Change, University of Edinburgh, Presentation: 'Our Friend over the Waster: EU Perceptions of Scottish Independence before and after Brexit'. 2024
Summer University, Institute of Federalism, Fribourg, Switzerland, International Staff Mobility Exchange. 2024
Maximising Impact in the Policy World, Liverpool John Moores University, 'Informing Policy Debates on Territorial Politics'. 2023
Devolution Capability in Whitehall, Westminster, London, ‘Mayoral Combined Authorities, Intergovernmental Relations and Devolution Capability in Whitehall’. 2023
Academic and Practitioner Workshop: Territorial Politics in Europe after Covid-19, University of Wroclaw, Poland (, ‘Devolution in the UK Post-Pandemic: Levelling up or levelling down? '. 2023
Democracy in Crisis? Centre for the Study of Law in Theory and Practice, Liverpool, ‘Crisis, Covid and the Constitution’. 2023
EURAC Research Multi-disciplinary Authors Workshop, Bolzano, Italy, Paper: ‘Building the Economic Case for Scottish Independence’. 2023
Territorial Politics in Europe: The Covid-19 Pandemic as a ‘Critical Juncture’?, Aston University, Birmingham, Discussion on Multi-level governance and Covid-19. 2023
Book Launch ‘I want to Break Free: A Practical Guide to Making a New Country’ (Matt Qvortrup)., Manchester, Discussant. 2022
Managing the Pandemic under a Federal Structure: Lessons Learned and Good Practices (Invited Talk), Online Event, Discussion on UK. 2022
Federalism, proportionality and subsidiarity in Covid-19 times: Are there any advantages compared to unitary states? (Invited Talk) (30 June 2022), Online Event, Cases from Local Government: Barcelona and Manchester. 2022
Covid nationalism and bordering: contestation in practice, Virtual event, Webinar organised by SSAHE. Title of presentation: ‘ Coronationalism in the United Kingdom – Between and Beyond Borders’. 2021
The United Kingdom and Switzerland After Brexit: Challenges and Ongoing Issues in Relations to the EU, Fribourg, Switzerland, Invited talk and panel discussion on what Brexit means for the UK and the prospects of a border poll in Northern Ireland and a second Scottish independence referendum.. 2021
'Covid-19 and Centralism in British Government', Online, Discussion on the territorial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the UK and devolved governments have handled the crisis.. 2021
Award:
Shortlisted for ‘Best Paper in Territorial Politics’ by the Institute of Self-government Studies, Catalan Government., Generalitat de Catalunya. 2024
Shortlisted for LJMU Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies 'Outstanding Teacher Award', LJMU. 2024
Other Professional Activity:
Editorial Board Member (Nationalism and Ethnic Politics). 2024
Conference presentation:
Intergovernmental Relations and Devolution in England: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Prospects, Canadian Political Science Association, McGill University, Montreal, Oral presentation. 2024
Making English Devolution Work? Mayoral Combined Authorities and Intergovernmental Relations, PSA Annual Conference 2024, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Oral presentation. 2024
Should We Stay or Should We Go?, PSA Annual Conference 2024, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Oral presentation. 2024
Federalism, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction after Conflict: The Cases of Bosnia and Myanmar, CIFE Federalism Workshop: Can Federalism Answer the Big Questions of the 21st Century?, Nice, France, Oral presentation. 2024
Levelling Up English Devolution, UACES 53rd Annual Conference, Queen's University, Belfast, Oral presentation. 2023
Myanmar: The Prospects of Federalism, PSA Annual Conference 2023, Liverpool, Oral presentation. 2023
The Federation That Never Was – Emergence and Failure of Federalism in Myanmar/Burma, The Making and Breaking of Federal States, Innsbruck, Austria, Oral presentation. 2021
‘The Coronavirus Pandemic in the United Kingdom: A Tale of Divergence and convergence’, IACFS Conference: ‘Confronting Covid-19: Federalism a Boon or Bane’, Virtual, Oral presentation. 2020
Federalism and Conflict Resolution: Some Empirical Insights, IPSA Joint Conference: ‘Diversity and Democratic Governance’, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Oral presentation. 2019
‘Locating the Federal Trajectory: Brexit, the UK and Ireland’, ‘Federalism and Conflict Resolution’: Multidisciplinary Authors’ Workshop, Fribourg, Switzerland, Oral presentation. 2019
Gambling with the Future? Balancing Brexit, Scottish Secessionism and Unionism, PSA Annual Conference, Cardiff, Wales, Oral presentation. 2018
Federalism and Conflict Resolution in the Western world: Secession and Conflict Resolution in Spain and the UK, EURAC Research Multi-disciplinary Authors Workshop, Bolzano, Italy, Oral presentation. 2018
External collaboration:
https://business.senedd.wales/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=734&MId=13895&Ver=4, Senedd Cymru, Finance Committee, Inquiry: Fiscal Intergovernmental Relations (oral evidence). 2024
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/129412/pdf/, House of Lords, Constitution Committee Inquiry 'Future Governance of the UK'. 2024
https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s500010873/FIR_01%20-%20Dr%20Anderson%20Prifysgol%20John%20Moores%20Lerpwl%20Saesneg%20yn%20unig.pdf, Welsh Parliament, Finance Committee, Inquiry: Fiscal Intergovernmental Relations. 2024
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/124359/pdf/, House of Commons Public Affairs and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, Inquiry: Devolution Capability in Whitehall.. 2023
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/124910/pdf/, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, Inquiry: Intergovernmental Relations 25 years after the Scotland Act. 2023
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-constitution-europe-external-affairs-and-culture-committee/meetings/2022/ceeacs62215/agenda, Scottish Parliament, Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. 2022
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/25987/pdf/, House of Lords, Constitution Committee. 2021
Hanns Seidel Foundation Myanmar, Hanns Seidel Foundation Myanmar. 2018
Public engagement:
Public talk or lecture, General Public, Speaker, Liverpool John Moores University, Big Ideas, https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/about-us/news/articles/2024/3/11/englishdevolution. 2024
Conference organisation:
UACES-JMCT RN 'Territorial Politics in Crisis' workshop, held at LJMU, Lead organiser. 2023
Research Grants Awarded:
James Maddison Charitable Trust, Intergovernmental Relations and Metro Mayors in England, Grant value (£): 4988.40, Duration of research project: 12 Months. 2023
UACES-JMCT, 'Reimagining Territorial Politics in Times of Crisis', Dr Karlo Basta (University of Edinburgh); Dr Anwen Elias (Aberystwyth University), Grant value (£): 5000, Duration of research project: 4 years. 2020
Teaching qualification:
Fellowship of Advance HE. 2020