Greetings from London! Reports from this summer's British Politics and Society Program

August 13, 2025

MSU Political Science Associate Professor Michael Wahman recaps his trip to London this summer as head of the British Politics and Society Program:

"The British Politics and Society Program was a great success. We spent four weeks in the UK, primarily in London, with additional trips to Oxford, Cardiff, and Brighton. Students learned about British politics at an interesting time, one year into the reign of a new Labour government, which is currently struggling in the polls amid the rise of the populist right.

During the program, we visited the BBC, the national and the Welsh Parliaments, enjoyed seminars at Oxford University, and workshops at Margaret Thatcher’s Center for Policy Studies and the Tony Blair Institute. Students learned about political campaigning by joining the Liberal Democrats in Wimbledon for a canvassing session. We explored the multicultural nature of London through a one-day excursion to Southall, the epicenter of South Asian immigration to the UK, and in a workshop at Brixton’s Black Cultural Archive.

We met with party strategists, local councillors, and a Welsh member of parliament. We even had a short encounter with former Prime Minister Tony Blair."