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Philip Cowley

@philipjcowley.bsky.social

7.4K followers 440 following 500 posts

Professor of Politics.

Philip Cowley is a British political scientist and an academic at Queen Mary University of London in the School of Politics and International Relations. He previously held the same title at the University of Nottingham. Within academia he is particularly notable for his analysis of Parliamentary voting behaviour in the UK House of Commons and House of Lords and secondly his opposition to a lowering of the UK voting age below 18. .. more

Political science 86%

Sociology 5%

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 38m

I don't - not least b/c am not sure what % is historically. (Don't have data of that level of precision). It *feels* high to me, but not sure if I'm right to think that. RA without 2R vote also happened on House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. Again, not sure how common that's been b4.

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 41m

I've always said he was under-rated.

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Will Cooling @willcooling.bsky.social · 42m

When Alec Douglas-Home went to the numerous orgies you write about in your book, do you think he needed matchsticks to work out how many people he was having sex with?

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 43m

Subtle as always.

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 44m

Read all about it: Lord Salisbury's romps with Vesta Tilley...

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 48m

BREAKING: new book reveals Alec Douglas-Home once had a threesome with Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.

It doesn't - and there's no evidence for it, because I've made it up. But buy my book anyway. Seems to be how it's done.

www.amazon.co.uk/Smallest-Roo...

The Smallest Room in the House: 50 political oddities to read in more than one sitting

Buy The Smallest Room in the House: 50 political oddities to read in more than one sitting by Philip Cowley (ISBN: 9781785909702) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

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Reposted by Tim Bale

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 18h

Latest article in @thehousemag.bsky.social - on opposition. What % of government bills do you think are opposed in full by the opposition? That is, what % see the opposition vote against at second and/or third reading?

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

The Professor Will See You Now: Opposition

Lessons in political science. This week: opposition

www.politicshome.com

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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Philip Cowley

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 22h

Oh no not again www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/ne...

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Reposted by Steve Peers, Philip Cowley

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 23h

That's... not how nationalisation traditionally works?

They are aware that we had water and electric bills prior to privatisation, right? It doesn't just become a service like the NHS (nor should it - surely everyone can see the incentive issue there!)

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 1d

This brutal drive-by is in young @stephenkb.bsky.social's FT newsletter...

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 2d

Just having fun with the headline - @gabrielmilland.bsky.social is making a serious point about stuff being put on the curriculum as a cheap but incoherent way for governments to look as if they’re doing something.

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Mile End Institute @mileendinstitute.bsky.social · 2d

Next Monday, 20 October, we will be exploring Thatcher's legacy and her impact on British politics today. With former Thatcher minister Gillian Shephard, Conservative peer Simone Finn, @philipjcowley.bsky.social and @robertsaunders.bsky.social. All welcome!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/still-that...

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Gabriel Milland @gabrielmilland.bsky.social · 2d

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Peter Allen @peterallen.bsky.social · 2d

A delightful but poignant find in a second-hand copy of Ulysses that bought this weekend. I doubt that someone today would think that they could ‘make their life useful again’ after a divorce by getting more involved in politics.

A card that reads: Dear Name and Name, How are you both? I are still in Shropshire , inspite of one valiant attempt fo get back to Oxfordshire , my parents’ home county. Name and I finally parted for good and all last July (1982)
He met someone in the Psychology Dept at Keele and they are now living together in Sussex. I was very upset, as you can imagine, and I am still not properly back to my old self. Such is life though and I try to make my life useful in other respects. I am once again involned in the L.P. and C.N.D. I would love to hear from you and hear how life treats you in South Wales. Have a lovely time at Christmas. Take care, Name XX

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

The other thing we did that was great fun was (ten years ago, over on Twitter, when it was good) to recount the Thatcher leadership election of 1975 day-by-day, hour-by-hour, sometimes even minute-by-minute.

conservativehome.com/2015/03/23/m...

Matthew Bailey and Philip Cowley: The conventional wisdom is wrong. As Tory leader, Thatcher stood for ideology - right from the start | Conservative Home

The day-in-day-out reporting of the 1975 leadership contest stressed her dogmatism - and the risks for the Party should its MPs be foolhardy enough to vote for her.

conservativehome.com

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

Almost all of my good Thatcher stuff has been done with @whyoutloud.bsky.social, of which this was the first. Still one of the best things I've written - and we did it just in time, before too few of them were around. Hardly ever gets cited, but such is life.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Peasants' Uprising or Religious War? Re-examining the 1975 Conservative Leadership Contest | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core

Peasants' Uprising or Religious War? Re-examining the 1975 Conservative Leadership Contest - Volume 30 Issue 4

www.cambridge.org

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

Have I mentioned I've got a book out? Slips my mind occasionally.

Anyway, that's from there, and there are a further ten mentions of Mrs T in it, if that's the sort of thing you like.

And here's the book and Milk Street united.

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

Have I mentioned I've got a book out? Slips my mind occasionally.

Anyway, that's from there and there are a further ten mentions of Mrs T in there, if that's the sort of thing you like.

And here's the book and Milk Street united.

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

Lots of Thatcher stuff coming today, to mark her 100th birthday. Here's one of mine.

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Reposted by Tim Bale

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d

Me, on @markpackuk.bsky.social's polling podcast, taking about the book... Or: "50 gems from political science", as Mark puts it...

www.markpack.org.uk/175771/the-s...

50 gems from political science: Phil Cowley's new book

The Smallest Room in the House is Phil Cowley's latest book, collating 50 fun yet useful insights from political science.

www.markpack.org.uk

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Jeremy Limb @jlimb.bsky.social · 3d

That really moving Marseillaise scene in Casablanca is now 400% more moving youtu.be/CbWgOpG1988

Casablanca - Marseillaise Scene (extended edition)

YouTube video by Jeremy Limb

youtu.be

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 4d

If we can’t even talk in general terms about MPs’ workload- which MPs of all parties agree is v casework- heavy and getting heavier- without a lot of responses being to assume that MPs are not telling the truth/just whinging/ working on the wrong things etc- then I think we’re in a bad place

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 5d

Amazing to me how expensive it is to buy a (complete) copy of this. Doesn't seem to be in print any more - I had assumed there would be dozens of cheap second hand copies floating around, but no.

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 5d

Production standards were clearly low.

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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 5d

It's-a-me, Mario!

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Reposted by Will Jennings, Ben Worthy, Philip Cowley

Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 5d

Really interesting- and, I think, welcome- to see MPs sharing this kind of data about casework.

Casework is largely invisible (other than to the constituents it helps!) compared to what MPs do in the Commons chamber but is a huge part of MPs’ workload, and it’s really hard to get robust data on it

Dr Beccy Cooper MP @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social · 5d

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Reposted by Paul Cairney

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 5d

A reminder: people say "guru" because it uses fewer characters than "charlatan". But still, do come along...

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 5d

We'll be exploring the Thatcher legacy & her impact on British politics today at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on 20 Oct.

With former Thatcher minister, Gillian Shephard; Conservative peer Simone Finn; legendary politics guru @philipjcowley.bsky.social & me.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/still-that...

Still “Thatcher’s Britain”? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025

Join the Mile End Institute to explore why Margaret Thatcher continues to cast such a shadow across British politics!

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Reposted by Tim Bale, Philip Cowley

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 5d

Still “Thatcher’s Britain”? The Thatcher Legacy, 1925-2025

Join the Mile End Institute to explore why Margaret Thatcher continues to cast such a shadow across British politics!

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Reposted by Philip Cowley

Andrew R @excelpope.net · 6d

See yer da’s got a new car.

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Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Tim Bale , and 5 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Tim Bale, Charles West, Chris Hanretty, Philip Cowley, Holger Nehring, Catherine J. Frieman

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 6d

Something grimly predictable about the way that the conversation about 'ripoff degrees' in the UK is always about degrees that aren't rip-offs, but are instead fairly obvious 'this student has chosen something unlikely to pay off economically' rather than the short tail of crap business degrees:

Everyone needs educating in the fight over university degrees

Political confusion over the purpose of these institutions means the obvious fixes are being neglected

www.ft.com

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