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HomeAcademic staffDr Alex Prior
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I work as a Lecturer in Politics (with International Relations). I joined LSBU in 2021, having previously lectured at the University of East Anglia and working with the Inter-Parliamentary Union as a research consultant.

I studied at the University of Leicester and the University of York, studying Soviet Russia and the early Abolitionist movement in the UK.

I have published several articles on parliaments and legislatures, and the way in which citizens relate to these institutions. Alongside this, I research narratives and the process of storytelling, and how this can help in understanding (and strengthening) public engagement.

More recently, I have explored the physical and symbolic functions of parliaments and legislatures as built environments (this is the focus of an upcoming book chapter, to be published by UCL press).

I work extensively with international organisations and NGOs, helping to research and produce reports on public perceptions, institutional change, and parliaments worldwide. Most recently, I have worked with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Development Programme, on the third Global Parliamentary Report (focusing on public engagement with the work of parliaments).

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
Mr John Edward CornwellThe absence of myth: what can Georges Bataille’s critique of modernity tell us about the rise of the contemporary far-right in the UK?PhD
FunderYear wonProjectRole
Common Wealth Parliamentary Association2024Commonwealth Parliamentary Association - Parliamentary Academic FellowshipPrincipal Investigator

Global Challenges and Opportunities for Parliamentary Public Engagement during the Covid-19 Crisis
Prior, A. and Kornberg, M. (2021). Global Challenges and Opportunities for Parliamentary Public Engagement during the Covid-19 Crisis. Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen. 52 (4). https://doi.org/10.5771/0340-1758-2021-4-776

Parliamentary storytelling: a new concept in public engagement with parliaments
Prior, A. and Leston-Bandeira, C. (2020). Parliamentary storytelling: a new concept in public engagement with parliaments. The Journal of Legislative Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2020.1848081

Getting the Story Right: A Constructivist Interpretation of Storytelling in the Context of UK Parliamentary Engagement
Prior, A. (2018). Getting the Story Right: A Constructivist Interpretation of Storytelling in the Context of UK Parliamentary Engagement. Politics and Governance. 6 (4). https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v6i4.1580

Public engagement in the work of parliament
Prior, A. and Inter-Parliamentary Union (2022). Public engagement in the work of parliament. Geneva, Switzerland Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Keir Starmer’s chance to sparkle: Labour leader finally puts his working class credentials to work for him
Eroukhmanoff, C. and Prior, A. (2023). Keir Starmer’s chance to sparkle: Labour leader finally puts his working class credentials to work for him. The Conversation The Conversation.

Political leaders need a grand narrative – Rishi Sunak’s is a story of decline
Eroukhmanoff, C. and Prior, A. (2023). Political leaders need a grand narrative – Rishi Sunak’s is a story of decline. The Conversation.

Conclusion
Kornberg, M. and Prior, A. (2023). Conclusion. The Journal of Legislative Studies. 29 (3), pp. 482-848. https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2023.2249736

Our future in space: The physical and virtual opening-up of parliaments to publics
Prior, A. and Sivashankar, M. (2023). Our future in space: The physical and virtual opening-up of parliaments to publics. The Journal of Legislative Studies. 29 (3), pp. 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2023.2202090

Public Engagement in the Welsh Parliament
Prior, A. and Stirbu, D. (2023). Public Engagement in the Welsh Parliament. International Journal of Parliamentary Studies. 3 (1), pp. 63-93. https://doi.org/10.1163/26668912-bja10059

'TaxTrack': Introducing a Democratic Innovation for Taxation
Prior, A., Gagnon, J.P., Emiljanowicz, P., Parry, L.J., Zeka, B., Vlahos, N., Tan-Kantor, A., Bua, A. and Hawkins, J. (2022). 'TaxTrack': Introducing a Democratic Innovation for Taxation. Australasian Parliamentary Review. 32 (2), pp. 93-116. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.166680564.46910868/v1