Dr Liam Stanley
Department of Politics and International Relations
Lecturer

Full contact details
Department of Politics and International Relations
Elmfield Building
Northumberland Road
Sheffield
S10 2TU
- Profile
-
I am a Lecturer in Politics. My research is centred on developing innovative methods and approaches to make sense of how the world has changed since the 2008 global financial crisis.
From 2019-2021 I was Deputy Director at the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI).
I have held visiting fellowships at the University of Amsterdam, European University Institute, and Copenhagen Business School; and my research has been funded by the ESRC, the Leverhulme Trust, and the British Academy.
- Qualifications
-
- BA hons (Birmingham)
- MSc (Sussex)
- PhD (Birmingham)
- Research interests
-
I am currently working on two projects:
- Britain after the crash. How did we get from the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 to the backlashes that characterise contemporary politics? The majority of my work explores this question in one way or another, including my 2022 book Britain Alone.
- The social meaning of wealth taxes in the asset economy. In a world where wealth (and property ownership especially) is as or more important than wages in driving inequality and in differentiating middle-class life chances, how will these voters interpret the prospect of new or increased wealth taxes? In collaboration with SPERI and Tax Justice UK, this project looks at public attitudes to wealth taxes in the UK.
- Britain after the crash. How did we get from the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 to the backlashes that characterise contemporary politics? The majority of my work explores this question in one way or another, including my 2022 book Britain Alone.
- Publications
-
Books
Journal articles
- From ‘there is no alternative’ to ‘maybe there are alternatives’: Five challenges to economic orthodoxy after the crash. The Political Quarterly, 90(3), 479-487. View this article in WRRO
- Tax Preferences, Fiscal Transparency, and the Meaning of Welfare: An Experimental Study. Political Studies, 66(4), 830-850. View this article in WRRO
- Governing austerity in the United Kingdom: anticipatory fiscal consolidation as a variety of austerity governance. Economy and Society, 45(3-4), 303-324. View this article in WRRO
- Introduction: Everyday Narratives in World Politics. Politics, 36, 223-235. View this article in WRRO
- Using focus groups in political science and international relations. Politics, 36(3), 236-249. View this article in WRRO
- Legitimacy gaps, taxpayer conflict, and the politics of austerity in the UK. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 18(2), 389-406. View this article in WRRO
- Digital Debt Management: The Everyday Life of Austerity. New Formations: a journal of culture/theory/politics, 87, 64-82. View this article in WRRO
- Questions to the Prime Minister: A Comparative Study of PMQs from Thatcher to Cameron. Parliamentary Affairs, 67(2), 253-280.
- ‘We're Reaping What We Sowed’: Everyday Crisis Narratives and Acquiescence to the Age of Austerity. New Political Economy, 19(6), 895-917.
- Rethinking the Definition and Role of Ontology in Political Science. Politics, 32(2), 93-99.
- The Difference between an Analytical Framework and a Theoretical Claim: A Reply to Martin Carstensen. Political Studies, 60(2), 474-482.
- The Political Economy of the Weinstein Scandal. Global Society, 1-21.
Reports
- From ‘there is no alternative’ to ‘maybe there are alternatives’: Five challenges to economic orthodoxy after the crash. The Political Quarterly, 90(3), 479-487. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
-
I am interested in supervising enthusiastic and dedicated students on any topic within my areas of interest. I am currently supervising doctoral students on topics that include the everyday political economy of globalisation, the politics of industrial policy, neo-liberalism in the Global South, and worker-led governance.
- Grants
-
Key projects/grants
Awarding Body: ESRC/University of Sheffield
People Involved: Principal Investigator, with Tax Justice UK
Title of Research: Reframing tax
Years funded for: 2020-21
£ Amount: £22,000Awarding Body: ESRC/University of Sheffield
People Involved: Principal Investigator, with Rebecca Bramall (LCC)
Title of Research: Reimagining tax through speculative design
Years funded for: 2017-18
£ Amount: £8,000
- Teaching activities
-
Liam currently leads two modules:
POL6607 Approaches to Political Economy
In 2019, I was awarded the University of Sheffield Senate Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.