Prestigious appointment for politics lecturer

A Lancaster University lecturer has been appointed as an academic advisor to a House of Lords International Relations Select Committee. Dr Simon Mabon will work with the Committee which has this week launched its inquiry into transformations of power in the Middle East and their implications for UK foreign policy. The 12-strong Committee , chaired by Lord Howell of Guilford, includes former Home Secretary Lord Reid, Baroness Coussins, Lord Grocott and Lord Inglewood. Over the past ten years, the Middle East has experienced significant political, economic and social change, including sometimes violent upheavals. Centres and sources of power have shifted dramatically. Major implications follow for both the policy of the UK and its and relationship with the region, which demand extensive re-appraisal. The Committee will examine the transformation of power in the region during its inquiry.