Senior figures from both UK and US politics will be taking part in two major events at the University of Glasgow, offering students from the College of Social Sciences an insight into how politics works and providing advice to those interested in pursuing political careers.

On Wednesday 7 November a round table discussion on the Political Impact of the UK Leaders’ TV debates will involve contributions from David Muir, former Director of Political Strategy for Gordon Brown; Ric Bailey, Chief Political Advisor for the BBC; Michael Jeremy, Director of News for ITV; and Michael Salter, Head of Broadcasting for the Conservative Party.  The event will be chaired by Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

On Friday 9 November, as the result of the US Presidential Elections are being digested, students will hear, amongst others, from Peter Brodnitz, from the Obama Campaign team and US Pollster of the Year in 2007 and David Muir, who is a former politics graduate of the University of Glasgow and is Honorary Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences. 

The Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Professor Anton Muscatelli said “The University of Glasgow is delighted that so many senior figures from both UK and US politics will be on campus to take part in these debates and then to network and provide advice to our students on careers in politics or related disciplines. Both sessions will provoke lively opinion, and the timing of the session on the US Election Campaign will make for an especially interesting session.”

Professor Anne Anderson, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences added, “It is fantastic that our students will have the opportunity to hear, first hand, of how politics on both sides of the Atlantic works and to quiz some of the most senior figures from within the industry. The events are timely and topical and we are looking forward to some stimulating debate.” 

Editorial Notes

  • The sessions are not open to the public, but further details can be obtained from the Media Relations Office, University of Glasgow; 0141 330 3535; media@glasgow.ac.uk

  Biographies

 

Peter Brodnitz

In 2008 Peter Brodnitz guided Democratic candidates to successfully gain control of Republican-held seats in both houses of Congress as well as on the state level. With Brodnitz’s strategic advice, Jeff Merkley became the first challenger in nearly 40 years to defeat an incumbent Oregon senator, ousting two-term Sen. Gordon Smith. Rep. On the state level, Brodnitz’s analysis and strategy in 2008 on behalf of the Campaign for a Moderate Majority’s independent-expenditure effort to elect Democrats to the Ohio Statehouse helped the Democrats capture the Statehouse for the first time in 14 years. In 2007 Brodnitz was named Pollster of the Year, the industry’s top honour.

 

David Muir (University of Glasgow Alumni and Honorary Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences)

David Muirwas Director of Political Strategy for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown between 2008 and 2010. In 1992 he graduated with a MA Hons 1st Class in Politics and Economics. He also won the Alistair Reid Prize for Politics for the outstanding study of politics and an ESU Scholarship to work with the US politician Byron Dorgan. In 1992 Muir joined the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, becoming New Business Director until taking a leave of absence to complete his MBA in 1999. In 2003 he wrote with Jon Miller “The Business of Brands”, looking at how businesses could nurture and value their brands. In 2008 Muir left WPP to become the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown's, Director of Political Strategy.

 

Ric Bailey

Ric Bailey is the BBC's Chief Adviser, Politics, taking up the post in Editorial Policy in September 2006. He joined the BBC in 1982 and was appointed Editor of Political Newsgathering in 1995, leading the team of BBC Political Correspondents and newsgatherers at Westminster. Between 2000 and 2006, he was Deputy Head of Political Programmes, with responsibility for Question Time, for which he was the BBC's Executive Editor. In the run-up to the 2010 UK General Election, Ric represented the BBC on the team which negotiated the first ever television election debates between the Prime Ministerial candidates.

 

Michael Jermey

Michael Jermey is ITV’s Director of News and former Programme Director from ITN. His career in television began in 1985 as a researcher in current affairs at Central Television.  Later joining ITN, he was Programme Editor of News at Ten and head of both home and foreign newsgathering.  Michael led ITN's award-winning coverage of many of the major stories of the 1990s including the war in Bosnia, the Rwandan genocide and the Dunblane massacre.  In the early years of this decade he led the ITN team that launched Europe's first 3G video news service on mobile phones and set up an international consultancy team that advised on the launches of 24 hour news channels in Europe and Asia.  His roles at ITV have included Launch Managing Director of the ITN News Channel and Deputy Editor of ITN’s national news service for ITV.

 

Michael Salter

Michael Salter is Political Head of Broadcasting for the Conservative Party and is based at10 Downing Street.

 

First published: 5 November 2012

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