About My PHD
Why Politicians Switch Sides and Shape History…
My name is Josh Wright, and I’m a PhD researcher at the University of Nottingham, diving into the fascinating and often dramatic history of UK parliamentary defections. My work explores the intriguing stories behind why MPs switch political allegiances—and how these pivotal moments reshape British politics. Alongside my studies, I’ve honed strong cross-cultural communication skills by working full-time for an international student charity, organising community-building events that brought people together from around the world.
As a passionate podcast enthusiast who consumes hours of audio storytelling daily, I’m constantly inspired by podcasts’ power to illuminate complex political histories and spark conversations that matter. After completing my PhD, I’m eager to bring my research, storytelling skills, and infectious enthusiasm for political narratives to a career in podcast production.
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LAtest Posts
My latest musings on my PhD research, podcast listening and other stuff…
In a recent recording of Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast, three protesters were escorted off the premises for disturbing an interview with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. In a sense, there’s nothing unusual about a political live show being protested, especially not when the political guest in question has been carrying out one of the most…
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Late on the afternoon of Thursday the 15th of January, the former Conservative Party leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick joined to the Reform Party. The poach was an undeniable coup for Farage’s insurgent operation, and yet its execution was a communications car crash. For a party with a penchant for garnering press coverage, the switch of…
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If you’d asked me a year ago I would have been confident in my conviction that the world doesn’t need more celebrity podcasts. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing social media clips from Amy Poehler’s Good Hang as much as the next person, but in an industry that once promised a widening horizon of radio…
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All things must come to an end, and TV shows are no exception. How a programme ends though remains an open question. Some writers seek to put a bow on their creations in a celebratory finale, bringing the stories of their beloved characters to a definitive close. For other creators, this option is taken out…
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On Monday night I had the good fortune of seeing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer interviewed for a live recording of Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast. It was an amazing evening. Simultaneously funny, educational and inspiring. Afterwards I was excitedly messaging some of my politics friends and one messaged asking “Why did he go to…
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Late last year, Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO (DOAC) podcast issued a press release blog post claiming to be the ‘First Major Podcast to Implement Consistent On-Screen Fact-Checking’. Accuracy in free-form conversational podcasts has long been a problem for the industry and so any attempt to improve the state of play in that regard…
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Josh Wright 