British Social Attitudes 43: Deep Dive

Sir John Curtice is Senior Research Fellow at NatCen, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, and Chief Commentator on the What UK Thinks: EU and What Scotland Thinks websites.

He has been a regular contributor to the annual British Social Attitudes report since 1986 and an editor since 1994. He has also been a Co-Director of the Scottish Social Attitudes survey since its foundation in 1999, and his analyses of Scottish public opinion in the run up to the independence referendum were frequently featured throughout the campaigns.

In 2018, he received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list. Sir John is a regular media commentator on both British and Scottish politics. 

Alex is a Research Director on the Attitudinal Surveys and NatCen Opinion Panel team, where he leads on delivery of the British Social Attitudes survey. He first joined the organisation as a Researcher on the ScotCen team following the completion of his Masters in September 2018. Alex has worked on a variety of projects since then, including the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, the Scottish Health Survey and the ESRC funded 'WhatUKThinks:EU' and 'WhatScotlandThinks' websites.

As well as the British Social Attitudes survey, Alex also works on the NatCen Opinion Panel and the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), a cross-national survey programme with over 40 members.

Professor Diana Beech joined City St George’s, University of London in April 2025 as Director of the Finsbury Institute, the University’s new public policy hub, and also serves as Assistant Vice-President (Policy & Government Affairs). Diana holds a PhD in German Studies from the University of Cambridge and has held senior leadership and policy roles in higher education and within national government, including as Policy Advisor to four Universities and Science Ministers under the last UK government and as CEO of London Higher, the representative body for higher education in the capital. Diana was also the first Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) – for which she continues to produce thought-leadership – and was the first Head of Government Affairs at the University of Warwick.

Annabel Denham is a Columnist and Senior Political Commentator at The Telegraph. Previously she edited the newspaper's Comment and Opinion pages. Before this, Annabel worked at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Adam Smith Institute, City AM, and as a Parliamentary researcher for Lord (Peter) Lilley.

Sara has almost twenty years’ experience in executive advice, corporate affairs and political consultancy. Previous roles include Director of External Affairs at the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Associate Director and Edelman, and Chief of Staff to the CEO and Strategy Adviser to the Chairman of Network Rail. Sara has also worked for the UK Government as Special Adviser to two consecutive Environment Secretaries.

Sara co-authored A Portrait of Modern Britain with Rishi Sunak at Policy Exchange in 2014 and was researcher to Professor Alison Wolf for her book The XX Factor: How Working Women Are Creating a New Society.