"If politicians would only browse here, historians hope, they might learn from what has gone before and stop reinventing so many square wheels. They would boast less about 'new' ideas and their own 'successes' compared with the past."
Polly Toynbee, The Guardian
History & Policy works for better public policy through an understanding of history. See what we do and who we are.
History & Policy website
This site has a wide range of resources for historians, policymakers and media.
The History & Policy papers are our core output, you can:
On this site you can also:
- Join the History & Policy network if you are a historian wanting to keep up-to-date on relevant policy developments and engage more effectively with policy and media audiences
- Subscribe to our email list to keep up to date on new papers and events
- Find out how to contribute a paper
- Access other useful resources, including our submissions to parliamentary select committee inquiries and policy-related research
- Find out about our events that bring together historians, politicians, civil servants and representatives of think-tanks, charities and industry
- Read the latest media coverage about History & Policy on our news page
- Contact us if you are trying to get in touch with a historian - we have a database of over 100 historians wanting to engage with policymakers and media
We welcome feedback about our website, please email any comments to Ruth Evans (ruth.evans@sas.ac.uk). For more resources on the site and how we can help you, see what we do.
Latest news
Travellers and the State: past and present policy
History & Policy organised a discussion in the House of Commons on Wednesday 7 May. Working with Julie Morgan MP and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform we brought stakeholders, politicians and academics together to discuss the issues affecting Gypsy and Traveller communities in the present and the past. The speakers were Becky Taylor, author of 'A Minority and the State; Travellers in Britain in the Twentieth Century', Romani journalist Jake Bowers, and Peter Bates from the Gypsy and Traveller Unit, Department for Communities and Local Government. The event was chaired by the Guardian's Michele Hanson and was recorded by the BBC's Rokker Radio team.
History & Policy series in BBC History magazine
Every month a historian in the History & Policy network will examine a topical news issue, exploding historical myths and sharing their thoughts on how history might help solve current problems. In the current issue Michael Pinto-Duschinsky explores the problematic question of political funding in Britain. Last month Peter Shapely gave an historian's insight into the housing crisis. Previous articles have investigated immigration, obesity, and youth culture and crime. To read these go to the BBC History Magazine website. Look out for James Whitfield's article on Stop and Search, coming in June.
History & policy in action
A new resource, History & policy in action shows how historians from the History & Policy network have been involved in public policy, providing valuable lessons for future engagement. Mark Roodhouse discusses his role in the carbon rationing debate and Abigail Woods describes how she was caught up in the media storm surrounding the 2001 Foot and Mouth disease outbreak. David Cesarani explains his role in the investigation of war crimes and the campaign for Holocaust Memorial Day.
Maximising Research Impacts
The British Academy is investigating the impact of Humanities and Social Science research carried out in the UK, including impacts on policymaking and the media. History & Policy is keen to ensure that historians' views are represented; please fill out the survey on the British Academy website.
Why Policy Needs History
History & Policy had its public launch, Why Policy Needs History, at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms on Wednesday, 5 December. Leading historians Pat Thane, David Reynolds and David Cannadine addressed the major policy areas of social change, international relations and national identity and devolution.
Pat Thane's paper, Are things getting better? Governing a changing society [pdf file, 59KB], David Reynolds' paper, The Prime Minister as world statesman [pdf file, 66KB] and David Cannadine's paper, Britishness: devolution, evolution and revolution [pdf file 61kb], are available to download. All of the papers are drafts and have not been checked against delivery.
The launch event also sparked widespread media discussion, including:
- Peter Riddell's article in The Times .
- Polly Toynbee's article in The Guardian.
- A leading article in The Independent.
- Simon Szreter's article in Education Guardian.
- Pat Thane's interview for BBC Radio Four's Start the Week.
- Richard Aldous' article for the Sunday Tribune.
Call for government to appoint Chief Historical Adviser
Ahead of the History & Policy launch on 5 December, leading historian David Cannadine called for the appointment of historical advisers to Whitehall departments and a Chief Historical Adviser to the government. For more details, read our news release [pdf file, 61KB] or listen to David's interview BBC Radio Four's Today Programme.