John Stewart, Britain's teacher on local democracy

Professor John Stewart was a unique figure in the world of British local government with a profound influence on both theory and practice.

He led the creation of the UK side of the university’s Institute of Local Government Studies (Inlogov) from 1966 and acted as Head of Department through four decades, after which his writing and influence continued until the late 2010s.  Following John’s death in November 2022, the department is organising a memorial panel to celebrate his contribution to the local government sector and the discipline of public administration. The panel, chaired by Professor Richard Black, will be in the evening of Thursday 22 June 2023 (refreshments available from 18:00 for 18:30 start), involving three experienced local government leaders (Barry Quirk CBE, Sir Michael Lyons and Sir Rodney Brooke CBE) and three esteemed academics (Professors Gerry Stoker, Janet Newman, and Steve Leach) discussing John and the impact of his work and ideas. Please register for a free place.

Register now