A Sociologist in the Lords: The Parliamentary Career of Anthony Giddens

Abstract

This paper considers the parliamentary career of Anthony Giddens, perhaps the most significant contemporary case of a sociologist achieving political office. Despite this, Giddens’ contributions to the House of Lords have been ignored by sociologists who are largely critical of his later political work. Drawing upon literature from the sociology of intellectuals, most notably positioning theory, I seek to understand Giddens’ unique positioning as an ‘intellectual in politics’ tied to a patron, in his case Tony Blair and New Labour. Following a discussion of how Giddens positioned himself to gain a peerage, I show how his spoken contributions to the Lords reflect three themes: (1) The ‘Intellectual in Politics’ positioning, (2) The role of drama and narrative in his performances, (3) The allure of a ‘Professional’ positioning and the turn towards political, rather than intellectual, interventions. I conclude by highlighting key lessons the sociology of intellectuals and sociology more generally can take from Giddens’ time in the Lords.