International financial austerity has had dramatic consequences for political leaders around the world, in and out of office. For many it has undermined their political capital as they campaign for (re)election with public deficits and stagnant economies.

The University of East Anglia is hosting the annual PSA Workshop on Political Leadership on 17 January 2014 on ‘Political Leadership and Statecraft in Challenging Times’ to unpack this problem.

The keynote speaker is Tim Bale (Queen Mary, University of London) who will address the workshop on ‘If opposition is an art, is Ed Miliband an artist?’. Other speakers include Paul Whiteley, Andrew Gamble, Mark Bennister, Alan Finlayson and many more.

Panels will focus on how we should conceptualise political leadership and the nature of the challenges facing leaders. They will also explore a range of cases of how leaders have confronted these challenges in the UK and elsewhere.

Registration is now open. It is free for paper givers and £21.95 for non-paper givers. For further information, see: http://politicalleadership.org/events/uea-2014/ or contact me!