Research Interests: Applications of rational choice theory to politicians, bureaucrats and voters. Apportionment and redistribution. UK politics. C18 political thought - Condorcet, Smith, Jefferson.

Iain was born in Edinburgh and went to school there. He came to England for the first time as a student at Oxford where he obtained his MA, M.Phil and D.Phil. He has worked at the Universities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Warwick, and Oxford, and has held visiting professorships at Washington & Lee, Stanford, Yale, Charles University in Prague, and the Australian National University. He has been an elected councillor on Tyne & Wear County Council (committee chair) and Oxford City Council (group leader). For many years he has been a volunteer on one of the Welsh narrow-gauge steam railways, the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, where he has done most jobs including locomotive driver. Other hobbies include mountain walking and music (piano, singing (ARSM with distinction)). He has held various posts within Oxford Local Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). In recent years he has principally worked on UK public policy and C18 political thought. His work (with Martin Johnes) on the Aberfan disaster (21.10.1966) resurfaces at anniversaries.