David teaches modules on historical research methods, Twentieth Century Britain and Thatcher’s Britain. He has published widely on contemporary Scottish political history and Labour Party and co-operative movement topics. His monograph, The Path to Devolution and Change: A Political History of Scotland under Margaret Thatcher, was published by I.B. Tauris in 2009 and has recently been made available as an ebook via Bloomsbury Collections.
David completed his MA and PhD at the University of Glasgow. He joined the University of Central Lancashire as a postdoctoral research fellow, based at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, before becoming a Lecturer. David has worked closely with the People’s History Museum and the Co-operative College, collaborating on funding bids and organising joint events. David has organised a number of significant academic conferences with both organisations over the years including conferences on Labour and Imperialism and Mainstreaming Co-operation: An Alternative for the 21st Century. Edited collections based upon the papers delivered at these conferences were published by Cambridge Scholars and the United Nations University Press: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/the-british-labour-movement-and-imperialism-14; https://unu.edu/publications/books/the-hidden-alternative-co-operative-values-past-present-and-future.html#overview. David has also appeared on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss topics including the Thatcher years, the Labour Party-trade union partnership and Labour Party leadership contests.