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Elizabeth Simon

@elizabethsim0n.bsky.social
948 followers 665 following 55 posts

Political socialisation, attitudinal formation & electoral behaviour. Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter.

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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Thanks Dave!
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It's in the works! We'll get it to you asap :)
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Huge thanks go to all of our fabulous contributors, without without whom we quite literally would not have been able to put this volume together! This includes @philipjcowley.bsky.social @timbale.bsky.social @sajuria.com @lauraserra.bsky.social @jwbrown.bsky.social @tonymcn64.bsky.social
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It's been described as 'vital reading for anyone interested in understanding the volatile and fast changing political landscape in London and beyond' by @robfordmancs.bsky.social and something all politicians and policy makers 'should read' by @davehillonlondon.bsky.social.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This co-edited volume, put together by Patrick Diamond and myself, examines the changing demographics, attitudes and electoral behaviours of Londoners over the last 50 years and considers the impact these changes have had on the policy agendas of the capital, past, present and future.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🚨The Politics and Policy of London: Elections, Demography and the Reshaping of Power in the Capital is now available for pre-order.🚨 www.routledge.com/The-Politics...
routledge.com
The Politics and Policy of London: Elections, Demography and the Reshaping of Power in the Capital
This book examines the changing demographics, attitudes and electoral behaviours of Londoners over the last 50 years and considers the impact these changes have had on the policy agendas of the capita...
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University of Exeter News @uniofexeternews.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"First past the post could easily push Labour out of office. So if it isn’t going to change the rules under these circumstances, perhaps no government ever will" -@elizabethsim0n.bsky.social and @hannahbunting.bsky.social for @theconversationuk.bsky.social theconversation.com/electoral-re...
theconversation.com
Electoral reform is back on the agenda – here’s why things could genuinely be different this time
For once, it could serve the interests of the governing party to change the voting rules.
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University of Exeter News @uniofexeternews.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Featuring analysis by @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social from @exeterspspa.bsky.social www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
London Mayor Sadiq Khan addresses joining Keir Starmer's Cabinet rumour
Labour mayor Sadiq Khan has warned Londoners against a protest vote for the Green Party at the local elections as 'public office isn't about protest, it's about service'
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Centre for Computational Social Science (C2S2) @c2s2exeter.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
The University of Exeter (@exeter.ac.uk) are looking to hire a new permanent full-time Lecturer in Criminology to join C2S2 (@c2s2exeter.bsky.social) and the wider SPSPA department (@exeterspspa.bsky.social). Full details available here: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQC992/l...
jobs.ac.uk
Lecturer in Criminology (Education and Research) at University of Exeter
An opportunity for an academic position as a Lecturer in Criminology (Education and Research) is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openings.
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Laura Serra @lauraserra.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
🚨 New paper with Maria Grasso on generational shifts in political values. Despite talk of rising age polarisation, we show that gaps in attitudes are stable or even narrowing. Economic attitudes move in cycles, while social values have become more liberal – mainly due to generational replacement.
link.springer.com
Political Socialisation in the UK: Describing Generational Changes of Values - International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society
A growing bulk of research examines intergenerational shifts in attitudes and the extent to which they are attributable to new cohorts of voters being socialised under different socioeconomic and cult...
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Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
For the Guardian, @turnbulldugarte.com and I discuss our research that clearly shows one thing: Labour's anti-immigration strategy will only strengthen Reform and weaken its own electoral prospects. It won't win voters back but ultimately normalizes the far right www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte
Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte
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Maureen Eger @maureeneger.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
What is the liberalizing potential of higher education? In this @bjsociology.bsky.social research, we show substantial variation in the association between field of study and anti-immigrant sentiment — a pattern most pronounced among those with tertiary degrees doi.org/10.1111/1468...
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Thank you!
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
From today onwards, you can find me as a Lecturer in Politics at the beautiful University of Exeter @exeterspspa.bsky.social! Couldn't be a better time to start with EPOP coming up. Looking forward to catching up with old friends and (hopefully!) making some new ones later this week!
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Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
The London Mayoralty is 25 this year. As a birthday present, the Mile End Institute asked Londoners whether they feel politically empowered. In short, no. But why? For @theconversation.com, @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social and I dig into the clashing explanations. theconversation.com/its-25-years...
theconversation.com
It’s 25 years since London got a mayor – and our polling reveals discontent
Even though the position is now coveted by politicians, Londoners don’t feel their mayors are delivering.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Very happy to answer any questions about the role for those interested in applying. Just drop me a private message or email :)
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
If you're looking for a postdoctoral position and like the sound of all this, then please consider applying to be the MEI's new postdoc! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOE933/p...
jobs.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London
Explore an exciting academic career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more opportunities.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
After a fantastic few years, I'll soon be leaving @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social and the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social. I've been surrounded by inspiring and generous colleagues, had lots of time and freedom to pursue my own research agenda, and had the pleasure of running the Polling London project.
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Dr Joshua Wells @drjoshwells.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
My most recent interview for the Dods Research Interview series is out, talking to @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social of @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social www.dodspoliticalintelligence.com/resources/in...
dodspoliticalintelligence.com
In conversation with Elizabeth Simon: the Red Wall, electoral behaviour and do universities make students woke? | Dods Political Intelligence
Welcome to Dods Conversations, an interview series featuring leading academics from Queen Mary University of London, where they talk about their area of expertise and what they can tell us about UK po...
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
He always looks so worried. Perhaps he should be. Did this for The Standard off the back of @mileendinstitute.bsky.social's fab London polling.
standard.co.uk
London isn't a Labour city any more — the three key questions that new polling raises
“London is a Labour city” was always something of an exaggeration but it’s even more misleading today than it has been for quite a while. Polling just released by the Mile End Institute (MEI) at Queen...
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Yes - lots of other questions in the poll! The data tables are live now on the Mile End Institute webpage, linked below: www.qmul.ac.uk/mei/research...
qmul.ac.uk
Polling London - Mile End InstituteFacebookTwitter XInstagramYouTubeLinkedInTikTok
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
That's a good point! I can't speak to the former, but on the latter... UK wide polling seems to suggest that this figure is 63% for Labour nationally. So, they seem to be retaining at a slightly higher level in London than elsewhere (as we might expect).
d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
This means that Labour have a vote retention rate of just 74% in London, compared to the Conservative Party's 81%, the Liberal Democrat's and Green Party's 88% and Reform UK's 95%
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
New @mileendinstitute.bsky.social and @savanta.bsky.social polling out today shows that a quarter of Londoners who voted Labour in the 2024 GE would not do so again if there was a GE tomorrow - with Labour losing voters to parties on the right and left in roughly equal measure in the capital
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Matthew Barnfield @mbarnfield.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
New piece by @zoecrowther.bsky.social in @politicshome.bsky.social covering some of our ongoing research (w/ @karlpike.bsky.social @philipjcowley.bsky.social) into voters' time horizons and its implications for the current UK government's "politics of patience": www.politicshome.com/news/article...
politicshome.com
Public Expects To See Improvements In NHS, Education And Housing Before The Next General Election
The public expects to see tangible improvements in this Parliament in the NHS, schools and housing, according to new polling.
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Dr Nigel Fletcher @nigelfletcher.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
What better way to spend this sunny day than signing up to hear @timbale.bsky.social, @rmcunliffe.bsky.social and me discussing the state of the Conservative Party this coming Monday? www.qmul.ac.uk/mei/events/m...
qmul.ac.uk
Does the Conservative Party have a future?
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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
I may mention this, occasionally, over the next few months.
bitebackpublishing.com
The Smallest Room in the House
The best politics “loo” book you will ever buy! Based on Philip Cowley’s fascinating column in The House magazine, this is a book perfect for multiple sittings, discussing the politi...
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Thanks Javier, couldn't have done it without the support and generosity of yourself and many other fabulous SPIR and MEI colleagues!
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British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
NEW - Family Matters: How Concerns about the Financial Wellbeing of Young Relatives Shape the Political Preferences of Older Adults - cup.org/3Gny1bz - @zackgp94.bsky.social, @profjanegreen.bsky.social & Geoffrey Evans #OpenAccess
BJPolS abstract discussing the financial and political polarization, the support for government spending on welfare measures, and the struggles of younger individuals and families in managing economic hardships, possibly in the context of British assets and family-centric economical approaches.
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Jona de Jong @jonadejong.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
In the latest issue of @cpsjournal.bsky.social, my article with Jonne Kamphorst in which we propose that educationally homogeneous social networks contribute to the stabilization of political conflict on the cultural dimension. A short thread on the main findings: Link: doi.org/10.1177/0010...
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British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
NEW - Does the Accumulation of Assets Shape Voting Preferences? Evidence from a Longitudinal Study in Britain - cup.org/42JWcZl - Justin Robinson, @pavlosvas1.bsky.social & @sofiavasilopoulou.bsky.social #OpenAccess
BJPolS abstract discussing the relationship between asset accumulation and voting patterns in Britain, focusing on the Conservative Party and generational differences in political behavior.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
We define HSS students as those taking courses in humanities, social sciences, psychology and education. This follows the British Election Study's main subject area classification rules. All other students are then STEM or other non-HSS students.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Thanks Rob!
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Ultimately, we find evidence to suggest that the socialisation experiences individuals are exposed to while studying have important shaping effects on their attitudes. The effect of university study on political attitudes varies according to what, how and where individuals have studied.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
…and for those who live in ‘university towns’ and ‘cosmopolitan London’ while studying, both places which are likely to have more left-leaning economic attitudinal profiles than average.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
We also find the average effect of university study on economic attitudes is larger for those who move away from home to study and those who attend single campus institutions, who are likely to be more embedded in campus life and culture…
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
While all students tend to shift their social attitudes in a liberal direction whilst at university, STEM and non-HSS students typically experience a greater degree of liberalisation than HSS students, as their attitudes are less liberal to begin with, and so there is more scope for change in these.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
We find that those who will go on to study for HSS degrees are much more socially liberal prior to commencing their studies than those who will later study STEM and other non-HSS degrees, and therefore believe our findings likely reflect a ‘ceiling effect’ for HSS students.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Though the latter finding was unexpected – given HSS students are likely more exposed to liberal social values, and learnings which encourage the development of these than other students – we argue this can be contextualised by the non-trivial subject-specific self-selection effects we uncover.
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
We find that students tend to shift their attitudes subtly in a leftward and liberal direction whilst at university, but that this average effect is larger for: those who graduate younger and those who study STEM and other non-HSS subjects (when it comes to social attitudes only).
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
New paper out in @electoralstudies.bsky.social w/ @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jwfurlong.bsky.social What drives the link between university study and attitudinal change? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
What drives the link between university study and attitudinal change?
What drives the link between university study and attitudinal change? While research shows that obtaining a degree tends to make students more sociall…
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Inequality and Distributive Politics - IDP @inqdp.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
4/6 🧵 In @thejop.bsky.social‬ @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social & @turnbulldugarte.com do a meta-analysis of role of candidate education in conjoint experiments. More educated candidates preferred by all, but more so by more educated respondents, suggesting a possible in-group bias doi.org/pft8
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Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
A bump for this in case you missed it the other week... Any suggestions for my and @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social's meta-analysis much appreciated!
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Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
📣 CALLING ALL QUANT SOCIAL SCIENTISTS! 📣 Do you know of causally identified research that estimates the effect of higher education on political attitudes? @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social and I are currently working on a meta-analysis on this question and we need your help!
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Matthew Barnfield @mbarnfield.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
My article with @robjohns75.bsky.social, "Hope, Optimism, and Expectations for the Political Future", is now out open access at @polbehavior.bsky.social. It's about the psychology of expecting good things to happen in politics. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Hope, Optimism, and Expectations for the Political Future - Political Behavior
Expectations of what the future holds are a significant driver of political behavior. It is therefore important to understand the sources of those expectations. In this paper, we explore the psycholog...
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Elizabeth Simon @elizabethsim0n.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Do we systematically prefer educated candidates? Or do educational groups select in ways that reward their own? This article by @turnbulldugarte.com and I suggests the answers are yes, and yes - but only for the graduate group. Huge thanks to all who shared their data with us!
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Dr. Hannah Bunting @hannahbunting.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
🚨 EPOP 2025 Call for papers now open! 🚨 Please fill out this form before the end of April to submit your paper proposal forms.office.com/e/4wBNMq4qwi Accepting presentations on all aspects of elections, public opinion and parties using all methods.
forms.office.com
Microsoft Forms
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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
The poisoning of minds through Higher Education, huh? www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...
politicshome.com
The Professor Will See You Now
In an occasional series, Professor Philip Cowley offers a political science lesson for The House readers. Here: the graduate voter. Illustration by...
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Daniel Devine @danjdevine.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Our paper on global trends in trust is online! Led by @viktorv.bsky.social we use >3k surveys from ~50 projects in 143 countries, the paper provides a framework for understanding changes in trust and: (1) Trust in representative institutions is in decline (2) but stable in implementing institutions
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Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
What do you think the government's average *actual* majority in the House of Commons has been...? inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk
Starmer has a 'bigger majority than Blair' thanks to splintered opposition
Until the opposition groups can agree to join forces, any rebellion by unhappy Labour MPs is likely to be doomed, research shows
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