Vernon Bogdanor, CBE, FBA (born 1943) is Professor of Government at the University of Oxford, England, and a Fellow of Brasenose College. He is one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues. He is an advocate of constitutional reform including proportional representation, but supports the retention of the monarchy.
Educated at Bishopshalt School, Vernon Bogdanor gained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (with congratulatory First Class honours) from The Queen's College, Oxford. He has been Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Brasenose College, Oxford, since 1966, where he has been Senior Tutor (1979—85 and 1996—97), Vice-Principal, and (in 2002-03) Acting Principal. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. In 1998 he was awarded the CBE for contributions to constitutional history, and in 2009 he was appointed Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur.
He has been a Member of Council of The Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government, Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Member of the Court of Essex University, Adviser (as a member of the Council of Europe and American Bar Association delegations) to the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel and Slovakia on constitutional and electoral reform, Member of the Academic Panel of Local Authority Associations, Member of The Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process, Member of the UK Government delegation on Democratic Institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and Conference on the Protection of Minorities, Consultant to Independent Television News (ITN) on the General Election, Member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s committee administering the 'Whitehall' programme, Special Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on the Public Services, Member of the Swedish Constitutional Reform Project, Member of the Advisory Group to the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Adviser to the President of Trinidad on the Constitution of Trinidad, and Member of the ESRC's committee administering the Devolution programme.
Professor Bogdanor is a frequent contributor to TV, radio and newspapers. Between 2004 and 2008 he gave public lectures as Professor of Law at Gresham College, London. He has published numerous books and articles. Recently, he edited The British Constitution in the 20th Century (published by Oxford University Press to mark the centenary of the British Academy) and authored The New British Constitution (2009) which analyses constitutional changes under the Labour government since 1997.
Professor Bogdanor is not a member of any political party. He is a member of the Henry Jackson Society, a think tank based in Cambridge, which seeks to spread ideas about democratic government.
Professor Bogdanor appeared on the BBC's coverage of the 2010 election night offering thoughts and insight onto the result, and their implications, as they came in.
Professor Bogdanor's most famous former student is the current Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader David Cameron whom he has described as "one of the ablest" students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible Conservative". Professor Bogdanor has, however, expressed reservations about certain policies of Cameron's, notably his proposal for a British "Bill of Rights", about which Bogdanor said, "I believe it's ill thought-out and confused.... He [Cameron] may have forgotten some of the things I've taught him. I'd be happy to give him a few more tutorials on civil liberties."
He referred to the arrest and questioning of the Conservative MP Damian Green, by police from Special Branch as "a storm in a teacup" – "The important principle is that MPs – apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence – are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us."
