Corruption in Britain c.1550-1850

My project is to write the history of corruption in pre-modern Britain, from the sixteenth century Reformation to nineteenth century Reform. The resulting monograph (I would aim to have half of it completed within the AHRC funded period) will be the first such overview. Whereas most analyses of corruption are made by political scientists or economists who focus almost exclusively on the modern or contemporary world, my work will add an important and neglected historical perspective.

In late sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain anxieties about corruption were pervasive. Political, economic, religious, moral, sexual, imperial and linguistic corruption intertwined to form a wide-ranging and contested concept. Examining this concept over three centuries enables me to demonstrate the shift, in practice as well as discourse, from a predominantly religious notion (corruption as sin) to a predominantly political and financial one that is recognisably modern. The book will outline ten key processes leading to this change. First, the Protestant reformation shaped perceptions of catholic corruption but also of clerical worldliness in the Church of England. Second, campaigns for moral reform resulted in ethical frameworks that challenged and re-interpreted accepted behaviours as corrupt. Third, the rise of the fiscal-military state made tempting and unprecedented amounts of resources (money and offices) available; fourth, the acquisition of an empire resulted in a confrontation with different cultures and a sense that imperialism was profitable but also corrupting of the mother country. Fifth, changes in attitudes to gift-giving, patronage, friendship and office-holding shaped changing definitions of what constituted corrupt behaviour. Sixth, the rise of the press made it easier both to expose corruption (often linking fiscal, political and sexual scandal) but also to use the allegation of corruption as a tool against rivals and enemies. Seventh, attacking corruption became an important creative force for literature and visual culture. Eighth, evolving attitudes about the relationship between self-interest, luxury and wealth led to a growing confidence in market forces as regulators of economic behaviour. Ninth, partisan rivalry and social change put pressure on an antiquated electoral system perceived as corrupt. Tenth, social antagonisms sharpened a sense of an oppressive 'system' of corruption and of moral inadequacy, both in the aristocracy and the lower sorts.

My project thus relates the rise and reform of corruption to fundamental changes in the state, religion, economy, culture and society but, importantly, also examines how perceptions, discourses and definitions of corruption were frequently contested: corruption was often in the eye of the beholder.

My aim is to restore a historical dimension to current debates and contribute to an interdisciplinary discussion that involves political scientists, economists, and scholars of literature and the media. Although this will be an academic study it will also be of interest to a wider public. Debates about the proper boundaries of patronage, kinship, friendship networks, rewards and gift-giving persist today and there is widespread concern, both in the developed and developing world, about the abuse of office and status. Indeed, corruption is one of the most pressing of contemporary issues, both in the UK and in Asia, Russia, China, South America and elsewhere. An intrinsic part of the project is thus to make the history of corruption available to the public, both through a monograph that is written in an accessible style but also through a policy-oriented publication for the leading anti-corruption organisation, Transparency International, which will publish a summary of my research findings. Research leadership activity will also include working with a radio and TV producer.

My pathway to impact involves five main elements:

First, the report and policy document that I will write for Transparency International [TI] will address policy makers, lobbyists and the organisation's members as well as academics. TI is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of leading research but also to its dissemination beyond academia and to campaigning against corruption, both in the UK and, via its work in 50 countries, throughout the world. My report will be published on-line; but TI have also expressed interest in producing a hard copy of it, should the funding be available and this would then be used for publicity at conferences run by TI, helping to further increase awareness of my work. My report will analyse what lessons from Britain's historical struggle with corruption might be useful to think about in terms of action against corruption today. Whilst the past never exactly repeats itself, there are sufficient areas of interest from my historical research - about the nature of office-holding, gift-giving, economic development, press campaigns, popular pressure, standards expected of those in public life, and how to achieve reform, for example - to merit a historicised policy document. At the moment, little public discussion of corruption has a historical element, mistakenly giving the impression that it is a modern phenomenon with only modern remedies.

Second, I shall be working with a TV and radio producer with the intention of making some form of broadcast aimed at the general public. Trevor Showler of Big Blue Sky Films is an experienced editor and producer, having worked early in his career on BBC Radio 3's arts programme 'Nightwaves' and more recently as a TV documentary maker. He has just finished a funded post at Birmingham University, where he was Project Director for 'Ideas Lab', the university's production unit tasked with advising, promoting and encouraging university academics in knowledge transfer and public engagement activities. He thus has extensive experience both of established media and of working with academics to make their research more accessible. He has agreed to work with me in trying to develop a programme or series about corruption in historical context. I shall be building on experience of working with the media, including BBC Radio 4's 'Start the Week' and BBC 1's 'Who Do You Think You Are'. The aim of the short series we envisage about corruption is to highlight Britain's own earlier struggle with corruption, thereby placing current anxieties about it at home and abroad in a broader context. We plan for Trevor to work with colleagues across the arts faculty at Warwick, so that other colleagues benefit from his experience, as part of our Faculty Public Engagement strategy.

Third, I have given three public lectures on corruption (including one as part of Newcastle University's Social Renewal programme), and intend to continue to pitch my ideas to a wider audience through face-to-face talks as opportunities arise. I helped to pioneer a collaboration between Warwick University and the local literary festival 'Warwick Words', evidence of a sustained commitment to conveying academic ideas to the general public, and will seek to give a talk in this series.

Fourth, I will use the online Early Modern Forum, established with the help of AHRC funding, to post online and freely accessible blogs, relating past and present corruption scandals. In an ideal world, these would coincide with or link to the programmes produced as part of the second strand of activity.

Fifth, I will write an article for a popular history magazine, about the history of corruption, aimed at the general public but also more specifically at the many school pupils who read such material.