Dr Robert Ford is a professor of political science at The University of Manchester. His areas of expertise comprise elections, public opinion, immigration, and the rise of the radical right. He is the author of “Revolt on the Right” which charts the rise of UKIP and was widely praised by politicians and media commentators and was selected as Paddy Power Political Book of the Year (2015). He also co-edited Sex, lies and the ballot box, a widely praised collection of short essays about the curious, often contradictory, attitudes and behaviour of British voters. Both books were acclaimed for their ability to communicate complex political ideas in clear and compelling language to a wide audience.

Robert has extensive experience with written and broadcast media. He has written for The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, New Statesman, and Financial Times, and has contributed interviews and comment to a wide range of national and international print outlets. He regularly comments on politics on TV and radio, including BBC Radio 4’s The Today programme, World at One, The World Tonight, Start the Week, and Thinking Allowed. For television, Robert has appeared on BBC2’s The Daily Politics and The Politics Show, BBC News 24, as well as Sky News and Channel 4 News.

Robert also regularly presents and consults with public and private sector organisations interested in political developments. He has presented to the Home Office and senior members of the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and UKIP political parties. Cumberland Lodge, Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Policy Network, Westminster Advisers, Brevan Howard Asset Management, British Future, and BBC North West is a sample of some of the organisations that have made gains from Robert’s intellectual acumen.