Welcome

I am a researcher on the cross-national POLPOP project based at the University of Antwerp. The project examines politicians' evaluations of public opinion based on surveys with politicians.

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In spring and summer 2025 I am leading the new UK team who will join the third round of POLPOP fieldwork, interviewing MPs in the UK.

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My main research interest lies in how political elites conceive of, and respond to, public opinion. I am particularly interested in how political actors' perceptions of public opinion are affected by their backgrounds and by cognitive biases.

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I have published research on how political actors' perceptions of public opinion are affected by motivated reasoning and heuristics, and how UK politicians are dealing with the crisis of political trust. I have also published on the backgrounds of UK politicians, how these affect politicians' behaviour in party leadership contests, and on which types of candidates fare better in contested candidate selection contests. I previously worked as a Lecturer at UCL and at the University of Manchester, where I completed my PhD in 2021. I am currently a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton and at the Department of Political Economy at Kings College London.

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On this website you can find out more about my current projects and previous work. I have also conducted research for political parties and charities and am open to future commissions, particularly relating to how political actors respond to public opinion.