Stephen Parkinson

Stephen brings a breadth of experience in campaigning, policy-making and research, having worked at a senior level for the Conservative Party and on cross-party campaigns.

Before joining Quiller, he was National Organiser of the victorious cross-party NO to AV campaign for the referendum in May 2011. As well as overseeing the campaign’s research, he was one of its principal spokesmen, appearing on the BBC, Sky News, the Daily Politics and the Today programme.

Previously, Stephen had been at Conservative Central Office, where he worked at the heart of the party’s target seats campaign for the 2010 general election, which helped to deliver the party’s largest number of gains in any election since 1931. Before this, he had been Director of Research at the Centre for Policy Studies, the free market think-thank.

Stephen first worked in the Conservative Research Department, covering the home affairs desk during the 2005 general election, then moving to the Political Section, where he was responsible for briefing Shadow Ministers ahead of high-profile media appearances such as the BBC’s Question Time and Any Questions. He was also part of the small team which briefed David Cameron as leader of the opposition for Prime Minister’s Questions.

Originally from Tyneside, he was the Conservative candidate for Newcastle upon Tyne North at the 2010 general election.

Stephen holds an M.A. in History from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was elected President of the Cambridge Union (his first book, a history of the famous debating society, was published in 2009).