Meet the Democracy Matters Project Team

The Democracy Matters project was comprised of the Electoral Reform Society together with academics from the University of Sheffield, the University of Southampton, the University of London and the University of Westminster.

Dr Alan Renwick

Dr Alan Renwick

Dr Alan Renwick is the Director (Principal Investigator) of the Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit research project and Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London.  He is an expert on the institutions through which citizens participate in democratic politics, including elections, referendums and deliberative bodies such as citizens’ assemblies.  He was a co-investigator […]

Professor Matthew Flinders

Professor Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders is Professor of Politics and Founding Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield. He is also currently Chair of the Political Studies Association of the UK and is a board member of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is passionate about working with the public to promote new […]

Professor Graham Smith

Professor Graham Smith

Professor Graham Smith is Co-investigator of the Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit project and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster. He is an expert on participatory democratic institutions that aim to increase and deepen citizen engagement in political decision making. He is author of Democratic Innovations (Cambridge University […]

Katie Ghose

Katie Ghose

Katie Ghose is currently Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, where she has been a prominent commentator on a number of initiatives including reform of the House of Lords, voting systems and a UK-wide constitutional convention. A barrister by training, she was previously the Director of the British Institute of Human Rights and prior […]

Professor Will Jennings

Professor Will Jennings

Professor Will Jennings is Survey Consultant for the Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit, providing expert guidance on the design and analysis of the survey components of the project.  He is also Professor of Political Science and Public Policy and Director of the Centre for Citizenship, Globalisation and Governance at the University of Southampton.

Professor Gerry Stoker

Professor Gerry Stoker

Gerry Stoker is Centenary Research Professor at the University of Canberra, Australia and also Professor of Politics and Governance at the University of Southampton, UK. Professor Stoker has always been an engaged scholar. In 2001 he was designated by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as a Hero of Dissemination and in 2004 […]

Edward Molloy

Dr Edward Molloy

Dr Edward Molloy is the Democratic Innovations Officer at the Electoral Reform Society and is coordinating the ERS’s role as the Citizens’ Assembly’s Impact and Public Engagement Partner.

Doctor Paolo Spada

Dr Paolo Spada

Paolo Spada received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University in May 2012. Spada also holds a Ph.D. in economics from Bologna University (2006). His research interests lie in the diffusion and impact evaluation of Democratic Innovations. He is a member of the core development team of Participedia, of the research board of the […]

Dr Brenton Prosser

Dr Brenton Prosser

Brenton Prosser is a member of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre at the University of Sheffield. He is an expert on minority government, federal government and public policy in Australia. His experience outside of academia includes a time as Chief of Staff to a ‘balance of power’ Senator during the global financial crisis, and as Director […]