Staff and Associates

Phillip is an internationally recognised political thinker and social and economic commentator. He founded ResPublica in 2009 and is an academic, journalist and author. Prior to entering politics and public policy he was a senior lecturer in theology and philosophy – teaching at the Universities of Exeter and Cumbria. He is the author of Red Tory (Faber and Faber 2010) which sought to redefine the centre ground of British politics around the ideas of civil association, mutual ownership and social enterprise. His ideas have influenced the agenda around the Big Society and have helped to redefine British politics. Papers he has authored while at ResPublica include 'The Ownership State', 'Asset Building for Children' (with Dr. Sandra Gruescu of ResPublica) and 'To Buy, To Bid, To Build: Community Rights for an Asset Owning Democracy' (with Steve Wyler of the Development Trusts Association). He has written extensively in the British press including The Guardian, The Observer, The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Prospect and the New Statesman. He is a frequent broadcaster – appearing on the BBC and Sky as well as foreign media outlets. His ideas have attracted attention both nationally and internationally and he speaks all over the world on the idea of a new economic and social politics based around free association and group formation.

David Boyle is a fellow of the New Economics Foundation, a former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate and the author of several books including Authenticity and The Tyranny of Numbers, and co-author of Eminent Corporations.

Antonia is a journalist, former school governor and mother of three who first campaigned for the Conservatives in 1983. She worked as a community service volunteer between school and university and has been a patron of the Bloomfield Centre Appeal for child mental health services at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals in London.  She has worked in financial services, as banking correspondent of the Daily Telegraph and helped launch BreakingViews, an award-winning financial comment service. From 2001 to 2010 she was a leader writer at the London Evening Standard, and then became a policy adviser to the Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary. In 2004 she wrote the Policy Exchange publication "The Best Kit", calling for better support for Britain's armed forces. In 2010 she wrote "More Bang for the Buck", a publication on getting better value from the defence budget, for the Centre for Policy Studies. She was parliamentary candidate for Islington South and Finsbury in 2010 and increased the Conservative vote by over 80%.

Pete is a Director at Social Regeneration Consultants, which he set up in 1993. He has spent nearly all his career working in the field of community-led regeneration and neighbourhood planning, especially in our more deprived areas. He was a leading figure in the development of 25 housing cooperatives across North East England in the late 1970s and 1980s. Much of his more recent work has focused on the delivery of large scale community-based regeneration programmes, neighbourhood management and most aspects of the localism agenda. In 2010 he carried out case study research for the Scottish Government to inform its Community Empowerment strategy and also worked with Sally Thomas to develop a set of practical tools for assessing and delivering community empowerment for the Local Government Association. Pete is a regular speaker at national and regional conferences and seminars where housing, neighbourhoods and community empowerment are on the agenda. He has written many national good practice guides over the years, His most recent – for the Chartered Institute of Housing and Communities and Local Government – was researched and written jointly with Sally Thomas and is succinctly titled Successful Neighbourhoods. Pete is also a Parish Councillor.

Beatrice is a Research Assistant at ResPublica, working within the British Civic Life workstream.  She graduated with an MA in International Relations from Durham University and a BA in Theology from the University of Birmingham. Beatrice has expertise in the relevance to foreign policy of domestic policy-making structures, social forces and citizen participation. Her current research interests include the role of religion and nationalism in public political life, international and security affairs, and identity politics.

Duncan Fisher is the author of ResPublica's report published in June 2011, "Children and the Big Society: Backing communities to keep the next generation safe and happy". Duncan has been working on family policy for over 10 years, with an OBE for services to children. He is author of Baby’s Here! Who Does What?, which challenges the idea of a primary carer and recommends the sharing of responsibilities as the basis for a stable family life.

Dan Gregory is an independent advisor, who has worked for a number of years to support investment in mutual and social enterprises, developing policy at the Treasury and Cabinet Office and delivering in practice at the grassroots.

Rafal Heydel-Mankoo B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., M.A. is an historian, writer and broadcaster on the Monarchy and British heritage & culture

Tom is a research assistant at ResPublica, working within the 'Models and Partnerships' workstream. He is a graduate in Russian and East European Studies from Oxford University, and History and Politics from Manchester University. He was elected as a councillor for the East Cambridgeshire ward Ely south in May. He is particularly interested in exploring the possible connections between patriotism and the "big society", and looking for ways to re-invigorate local economies.

Caroline is a Senior Researcher and Project Manager at ResPublica, managing work within the workstreams on British Civic Life and Models and Partnerships for Social Prosperity. She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Masters in Philosophical Theology and holds particular expertise in the role and value of faith groups, the Church and Aristotelian ethics in public political life.

Caroline has a keen interest in the importance of ‘civic institutions’ – from schools and local services, to cultural outlets and national governing bodies, and is currently leading ResPublica's research into the British constitution. She also co-ordinates ResPublica's policy work on public and private services - including the health, housing, work and energy sectors - and the importance of the social value that such services can deliver. 

Dr Patricia Kaszynska is a Senior Researcher at ResPublica. Her current research interests lie in the field of education and skills policy, culture and sport, as well as capabilities and behaviour change. She is also interested in the role of the arts in promoting political engagement. Prior to joining ResPublica Patricia conducted research in higher education policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of the Arts London. Previously Patricia worked for Demos and the Fabian Society and held the role of parliamentary researcher. Prior to entering the world of public policy she completed her PhD (DPhil) investigating the political significance of the aesthetic domain at the University of Oxford, where she also taught aesthetic theory. Besides the PhD she holds an MSt with Distinction from Oxford and a First Class Degree in Philosophy and Art History from University College London. Patricia is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.  

Mark is an Independent Housing Policy Analyst who has written extensively on housing policy issues and has managed a wide range of policy and research projects.  Mark has wide-ranging experience in the housing sector having worked with the CIH as Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive and from 1997 to 2007, was Policy Analyst at CIH with responsibility for co-ordinating the research and policy analysis. Prior to this Mark was for over 10 years the Housing and Development Director of a major housing association. He has been a board member of two housing associations and was for four years chairman of a local authority housing committee.

 

Caroline has worked at ResPublica since its launch in November 2009 and played an integral part in its development from a start-up to a leading think tank. In 2012 she was appointed as Managing Director by the Board of Trustees and looks after the operations, business development, fundraising and communications strategy for the ResPublica Trust, the not-for-profit entity established in July 2011 which undertakes all of ResPublica's domestic activity.

Andrew is a Business Development Assistant at ResPublica. He is a graduate in politics from the University of Greenwich and previously worked in the recruitment industry. Andrew is an active political blogger with a particular interest in political history and constitutional affairs. He is an active member of the Conservative Party and was a council candidate in the 2011 local elections.

Guy Shrubsole is Director of Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC), an independent charity whose work is aimed towards building a sustainable society. He previously worked for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Sally Thomas is Director of Social Regeneration Consultants (SRC), specialising in the social and community aspects of successful communities and neighbourhoods. She has written a number of books for the Chartered Institute of Housing, government departments, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Housing Corporation. Sally has extensive experience in the housing and social sectors, having worked for several housing associations, the Housing Corporation and Tyne and Wear Development Corporation. Her consultancy work has involved project managing many and varied commissions for local authorities, government agencies, housing associations and developers. She has been a member of and chaired a number of boards in the health, arts and charitable sectors. Sally contributed to ResPublica's report ‘At the Crossroads: A progressive future for social housing’.

Richard Wilson is the founder of Involve.  He has designed and delivered 100's of public engagement programmes for governments and businesses across the world including: the European Commission, the BBC, most UK government departments, the French treasury and the State of California. Richard has written four books and regularly appears in the national print and broadcast media.