Richard Grayson (academic) explained

Richard Grayson
Birth Date:18 April 1969
Birth Place:Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
Nationality:British
Spouse:Lucy Grayson
Children:Edward Grayson
Party:Labour (2013–present)
Otherparty:Liberal Democrats (1988–2013)
Alma Mater:University of East Anglia
The Queen's College, Oxford
Occupation:Professor
Profession:Oxford Brookes University

Professor Richard Sean Grayson (born 18 April 1969 in Hemel Hempstead)[1] is a British historian. He is currently the Head of School of Education, Humanities and Languages at Oxford Brookes University.[2]

Education

Grayson was educated at Lime Walk Primary School, Hemel Hempstead (Comprehensive) School, the University of East Anglia (1st Class BA Honours in English and American History), and The Queen’s College, Oxford (Doctor of Philosophy in Modern History).[3]

Academic research

His historical research is currently concentrated on Ireland and the First World War, with his most important books being Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War (Continuum, 2009) and Dublin's Great Wars: The First World War, the Easter Rising and the Irish Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 2018). He also edited At War with the 16th (Irish) Division, 1914-18: The Staniforth Letters (2012)[4] and co-edited (with Fearghal McGarry) Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, the Somme and the Politics of Memory in Ireland (2016).[5] Previous work includes books on Austen Chamberlain’s term of office as foreign secretary and the inter-war Liberal Party, and articles on Leo Amery and appeasement, the Channel Tunnel project, and Mods and Rockers in the 1960s.[6]

Grayson is involved in a number of First World War centenary projects. He is the chair of the Academy Advisory Group for the digital projects run by the Imperial War Museums,[7] including Operation War Diary[8] and Lives of the First World War.[9] He is an Associate Member of the First World War Centenary Committee in Northern Ireland and contributed to the two-part Ireland’s Great War first broadcast on BBC 1 Northern Ireland in February 2015.[10] [11] He co-edits the IrelandWW1 website[12] and is involved in the Living Legacies 1914-1918 First World War Engagement Centre.[13] Work as part of this has included leading a walking tour of West Belfast around sites connected with First World War veterans.[14]

Political activities

Labour Party (since 2013)

Grayson joined the Labour Party in September 2013.[15] Later that year he co-authored with Dan Jarvis an article about commemoration of the First World War arguing that Britain needs to ‘emerge from 2014-18 having not only paid tribute to sacrifice, but also remembering survivors and service, and more accurately understanding the true significance of the Great War.’ During the 2015 general election Grayson actively supported Labour candidates in Hemel Hempstead,[16] St Albans[17] and Watford.[18] In the 2015 Labour leadership election Grayson declared support for Yvette Cooper[19] and for Caroline Flint as deputy.[20] In November 2015 he was elected to the executive of Hemel Hempstead Constituency Labour Party.[21]

Public policy and political commentary

His work on public policy includes an edited volume on social liberalism co-edited with David Howarth and Duncan Brack and including contributions from Chris Huhne, Matthew Taylor, Nick Clegg and Steve Webb. In 2002 he co-wrote a pamphlet with Nick Clegg on secondary education systems, based on research in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.[22] The pamphlet recommended the policy which became the ‘pupil premium’ included in the 2010 coalition agreement.[23] With Jonathan Rutherford he co-edited After the Crash: Reinventing the Left in Britain[24] which included chapters from Jon Cruddas, Caroline Lucas and Steve Webb. He has published an article on public policy in Newark, New Jersey, examining the work of Mayor Cory Booker, a friend from his time studying at Oxford.[25] He has commentated on politics for both The Independent and The Guardian (see ‘Political Commentary’ section below) and appeared on Any Questions[26] and was the only member of the panel to reach the venue on time when Any Questions? was cancelled for the first time in its history in April 2011.[27] He has blogged for the Huffington Post having written on subjects from politics and history to his support for Queens Park Rangers F.C.[28]

Liberal Democrats (1988–2013)

Grayson was involved in the Liberal Democrats at several levels of the party between 1988 and 2013 when he left, joining Labour shortly afterwards. He was the party’s National Youth and Student Officer in 1991–92, Director of the Centre for Reform (now called CentreForum) in 1998–99, and was Director of Policy of the Liberal Democrats in 1999–2004. That role also included spending two years as Charles Kennedy’s speechwriter.[29] He was the party’s parliamentary candidate for Hemel Hempstead constituency in the 2005 and 2010 general elections, gaining 4.4% and 6% increases in the vote to move into second place.[30] [31] In 2008 he was listed as 48th on the Daily Telegraph’s list of the 50 most influential Liberal Democrats[32] and in 2009 was placed in 39th.[33] He was Vice-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee in 2008–2010[34] and was a critic of the coalition between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. In particular, he argued that ‘The Liberal Democrat leadership believed in "savage cuts" long before they entered government’, that they have ‘no electoral mandate’ for parts of the 2010 Budget and that ‘Liberal Democrats may soon realise that a centre-left party is being led from the centre-right.’[35] [36] This argument was cited in several newspapers, and was developed in longer pieces for Compass and the New Statesman.[37] [38] [39] In December 2010 he urged Liberal Democrat members to seize the opportunity of Ed Miliband's leadership by engaging in dialogue with Labour.[40] Following that, he was invited by Ed Miliband to contribute to Labour's policy review and he accepted the invitation.[41] [42] However, he remained a member of the Liberal Democrat 'Facing the Future' policy review, which reported in July 2011.[43] Grayson left the Liberal Democrats in 2013[44] and has since joined the Labour Party.[45]

Cricket

Grayson is Chairperson of Hemel Hempstead Town Cricket Club.[46] His main Twitter account is @ProfRSGrayson[47] but he also Tweets on inter-war cricket history as @InterWarCricket.[48]

Main publications

Political commentary

References

  1. Jock Gallagher, ed., Who’s Who in the Liberal Democrats, 3rd Edition, (Malvern: PCA Books, 2002), pp. 154-5
  2. Web site: Professor Richard Grayson . Oxford Brookes University.
  3. Web site: (accessed 24 June 2010); Jock Gallagher, ed., Who's Who in the Liberal Democrats, 3rd Edition, (Malvern: PCA Books, 2002), pp. 154-5.. 8 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100717223009/http://hhlibdems.org.uk/pages/richardgrayson.html. 17 July 2010. dead. dmy-all.
  4. Book: (accessed 11 July 2014).. 13 August 2012 . 9781848846340 . Staniforth . John .
  5. Web site: Remembering 1916 easter rising somme and politics memory ireland - Twentieth century British history. Cambridge University Press.
  6. Web site: (accessed 11 July 2014)..
  7. http://www.1914.org/news/academic-advisors-help-iwms-digital-centenary-programme/ (accessed 11 July 2014).
  8. Web site: 11 July 2014)..
  9. Web site: Lives of the First World War - WW1 Digital Memorial. livesofthefirstworldwar.org.
  10. Web site: (accessed 11 July 2014).
  11. Web site: Episode 1, Ireland's Great War - BBC One. BBC.
  12. Web site: (no title). www.irelandww1.org.
  13. Web site: (no title). www.irelandww1.org.
  14. Web site: (accessed 3 December 2015)..
  15. News: The Lib Dems left me disillusioned. Labour has made me hopeful again. 15 September 2013. The Guardian . Grayson . Richard .
  16. Web site: A candidate's lessons from Hemel Hempstead. www.newstatesman.com. 19 May 2015 .
  17. Web site: FORMER SENIOR LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BACKS KERRY POLLARD -. www.kerrypollard.co.uk.
  18. Web site: Labour and Lib Dems in war of words over election leaflets. Watford Observer.
  19. Web site: I'm backing #YvetteForLabour. Join me here --> www.bit.ly/1S11GmS @YvetteForLabour. Prof Richard. Grayson. 14 August 2015.
  20. Web site: I signed up to volunteer for caroline4deputy. Join me! www.caroline4deputy.com/join_my_campaign?recruiter_id=191 …. Prof Richard. Grayson. 26 May 2015.
  21. Web site: Pleased to be elected this evening to Executive of @Hemellabour and take on role of Political Education Coordinator. Prof Richard. Grayson. 24 November 2015.
  22. Web site: (accessed 24 June 2010).. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091009203502/http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/wp_education.pdf. 9 October 2009.
  23. Web site: The Coalition documentation - GOV.UK. www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
  24. Web site: (accessed 24 June 2010).. 8 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120324192503/http://www.lwbooks.co.uk/ebooks/After%20the%20Crash%20(Final).pdf. 24 March 2012. dead. dmy-all.
  25. 'Localism the American Way', Public Policy Research, 17, 2 (2010), pp. 75-9.
  26. Web site: BBC - Error 404 : Not Found. https://archive.today/20120720110653/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/anyquestions_transcripts_20060303.shtml. dead. 2012-07-20.
  27. Web site: Any Questions? cancelled for first time in its history. https://archive.today/20130505052629/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8454990/Any-Questions-cancelled-for-the-first-time-in-its-history.html. dead. 2013-05-05.
  28. Web site: Richard Grayson - HuffPost UK. huffingtonpost.co.uk.
  29. Web site: (accessed 29 June 2010).. 8 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100717223009/http://hhlibdems.org.uk/pages/richardgrayson.html. 17 July 2010. dead. dmy-all.
  30. Web site: BBC NEWS - Election 2005 - Results - Hemel Hempstead. news.bbc.co.uk.
  31. Web site: BBC News - Election 2010 - Constituency - Hemel Hempstead. news.bbc.co.uk.
  32. Web site: The 50 most influential Liberal Democrats: 41-50. https://web.archive.org/web/20080918032723/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/liberaldemocrats/2824165/The-50-most-influential-Liberal-Democrats-41-50.html. dead. 2008-09-18. Iain. Dale.
  33. Web site: Top 50 most influential Liberal Democrats: 50-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20090924181852/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/liberaldemocrats/6206525/Top-50-most-influential-Liberal-Democrats-50-26.html. dead. 2009-09-24.
  34. Web site: Richard Grayson. The Guardian.
  35. News: The Lib Dem leadership's self-flagellating appetite for cuts. 22 June 2010. The Guardian . Grayson . Richard .
  36. News: Budget 2010: Senior Liberal Democrat warns concessions are a 'fig leaf'. Allegra. Stratton. political. correspondent. 22 June 2010. The Guardian.
  37. News: The Times. 23 June 2010. 7 . VAT increase poses first real challenge to unity of the coalition. 29 June 2010.
  38. News: The Guardian. 24 June 2010. Budget 2010: Osborne's claims of fairness are now exposed as a fraud. 29 June 2010. 33.
  39. News: Daily Mirror. 24 June 2010. 8 . CLEGG REVOLT The Lib Dem rebellion against the Budget grew yesterday. 29 June 2010.
  40. News: Richard Grayson . Liberal Democrats should engage with like-minded members of Labour | Richard Grayson | Opinion . The Guardian . 11 December 2010. 2015-12-23.
  41. News: Patrick Wintour, political editor . Ed Miliband calls on disillusioned Liberal Democrats to work with Labour | Politics . The Guardian . 13 December 2010. 2015-12-23.
  42. Web site: Richard Grayson . The Guardian . 2010-10-06 . 2015-12-23.
  43. Web site: (accessed 7 September 2011). 7 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110622230819/http://libdems.org.uk/siteFiles/resources/PDF/Consult/101%20-%20Facing%20the%20Future.pdf. 22 June 2011. dead. dmy-all.
  44. News: Richard Grayson . Why I'm leaving the Liberal Democrats | Richard Grayson | Opinion . The Guardian . 11 July 2013. 2015-12-23.
  45. News: Richard Grayson . The Lib Dems left me disillusioned. Labour has made me hopeful again | Richard Grayson | Opinion . The Guardian . 15 September 2013. 2015-12-23.
  46. https://www.hhtcc.co.uk/about-us/
  47. Web site: Prof Richard S Grayson (@ProfRSGrayson) . Twitter . 2015-12-23.
  48. Web site: InterWarCricket (@InterWarCricket) . Twitter . 2015-12-23.
  49. Web site: British Politics - A Beginner's Guide. https://archive.today/20110101140932/http://www.oneworld-publications.com/cgi-bin/cart/commerce.cgi?pid=564&log_pid=yes . dead . January 1, 2011 . November 17, 2010 .
  50. Web site: After the Crash - Reinventing the left in Britain. July 8, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120324192503/http://www.lwbooks.co.uk/ebooks/After%20the%20Crash%20(Final).pdf . March 24, 2012 .
  51. Web site: Learning from Europe - Lessons in education. July 8, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091009203502/http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/wp_education.pdf . October 9, 2009 .
  52. News: Richard Grayson . Clegg and Cameron's illiberal 'Big Liberal Society' | Richard Grayson | Opinion . The Guardian . 20 July 2010. 2015-12-23.
  53. Web site: Grayson . Richard . Yellows in peril: the struggle for the soul of liberalism . Newstatesman.com . 2010-07-12 . 2015-12-23.
  54. Web site: Archived copy . 2010-07-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110208100658/http://clients.squareeye.com/uploads/compass/documents/Compass%20LD%20Journey%20WEB.pdf . 2011-02-08 . dead .
  55. News: The Lib Dem leadership's self-flagellating appetite for cuts. 22 June 2010. The Guardian . Grayson . Richard .
  56. News: Lib Dems must dare to be different over prisoners' voting rights. 9 June 2010. The Guardian . Grayson . Richard .
  57. News: Lab and Lib: a dream team. Neal. Lawson. Richard. Grayson. 9 May 2010. The Guardian.
  58. Web site: Richard Grayson: The Liberal Democrats still face a long journey. . 14 May 2005.

External links

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