He is Professor of Political and Social Theory at The University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, having previously taught in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies at Swansea University, and the Department of Politics and International Relations at Queen's University Belfast.

[3] He promotes the close study of political speech and argument on the grounds that this is a way of understanding the history and development of political ideologies.

Rhetoric in Contemporary British Politics" was awarded the Bernard Crick Prize for the best article in the journal Political Quarterly.

He is also a Trustee of the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust.

[7] and a Director of the left-wing publisher Lawrence and Wishart.