Hennessy, Peter John, b 1947

Born, 1947; educated, St John's College Cambridge, 1969; reporter: Times Higher Education Supplement , 1972-1974; The Times , 1974-1976; Lobby Correspondent, Financial Times , 1976; Whitehall Correspondent, The Times , 1976-1982; journalist, The Economist , 1982; home leader, writer and columnist, The Times , 1982-1984; co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary British History, 1986; columnist: New Statesman , 1986-1987; The Independent , 1987-1991; Director , 1989-1993; The Tablet , 2003-; regular presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Analysis programme, 1987-1992; Professor of Contemporary History, Queen Mary, University of London, 1992-2000; Atlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London, since 2001.

Publications: Cabinet (1986), Whitehall (1989), Never Again: Britain 1945-51 (1992), The Hidden Wiring: Unearthing the British Constitution (1995), The Prime Minister: The Office and Its Holders since 1945 (2000) The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War (2002) Having It So good: Britain In The Fifties (2006)