I joined the University of Westminster in October 2019 as a PhD student under the supervision of Professor Jean Seaton and Dr Maria Michalis. Previously, I have studied at the University of Kent (BA) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil). My MPhil thesis explored attitudes towards European integration within the Conservative party in the early-to-mid 1960s, focusing especially on Young Conservatives and the European Union of Women.

The BBC and European integration, c. 1957-1975

My thesis aims to investigate the role of the BBC in shaping and reflecting elite and public attitudes towards British involvement in European integration between c.1957 and 1975. It will explore the impact of the BBC in both the domestic and global spheres through analysis of its British and External Services. Through considering the role of the BBC in discourses surrounding European integration, it will link to broader historiographical topics including: ideas of ‘Britishness’; contemporary perceptions of Britain’s place in the world; and changes and continuities in British political and broadcasting cultures. By using the BBC Written Archives to investigate a previously unexamined topic, this project will shed new light on the relationship between Britain and European integration. This historical background will enable a deeper understanding of how discourse within Britain on European integration was shaped, and how the British public came to understand the idea of European integration.