James Mitchell holds the Chair in Public Policy at Edinburgh University having previously been Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University and of Public Policy at Sheffield University.  He is the author or editor of seventeen books on government, politics and public policy and over 70 articles in academically refereed journals.  

 

His most recent books include, The Scottish Question (Oxford University Press, 2014); Takeover: explaining the extraordinary rise of the Scottish National Party  (Biteback Publishing 2016); co-editor (wit Jim Johnston) of The Scottish Parliament at 20, (Luath 2019).  He is currently completing work on the Scottish independence referendum, the surge in SNP and Green party members, a systems approach to public service reform.  

 

He has been involved in various public service leadership and other training programmes including working with Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, including the Justice sector Leadership for Outcomes programme.  He has been a member of the team evaluating the establishment of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.  In 2017, he was appointed to the joint Scottish Parliament/Scottish Government Budget Review Group to carry out a fundamental review of the Scottish Parliament’s budget process following the devolution of further powers in the Scotland Act 2012 and Scotland Act 2016 and bring forward proposals for a revised budget.  In 2018, he was appointed academic member of the 'Enabling Group' advising Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the review of local governance.  He has also been advising the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the future of local governance.

 

James Mitchell's University of Edinburgh profile - 
https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/james-mitchell