King's College London
Russell Group university in London; hosted John Major's 2026 Attlee Foundation lecture on electoral reform
Last refreshed: 10 April 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Why did a Conservative Prime Minister choose a university lecture hall to question first-past-the-post?
Timeline for King's College London
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Iran Conflict 2026- Where did John Major give his speech about first past the post?
- At the Attlee Foundation Lecture at King's College London on 18 March 2026.
- What is King's College London known for?
- A research university in central London, one of the oldest in England. It hosts public lectures including the Attlee Foundation series on democratic governance.
- Does King's College London do election research?
- Yes, through its Policy Institute and Department of Political Economy, which publishes election analysis and hosts public debates during campaigns.
Background
King's College London is one of the UK's oldest and most research-intensive universities, founded by Royal Charter in 1829. Located across multiple campuses on the South Bank of the Thames, it is a member of the Russell Group and consistently ranks in the global top 40. Its faculties span law, medicine, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, with particular strength in war studies, nursing, and the health professions.
In March 2026, King's became the venue for the Attlee Foundation lecture delivered by former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major. In that lecture, delivered on 18 March, Major questioned the democratic legitimacy of first-past-the-post electoral arrangements ahead of a UK electoral cycle involving three simultaneously different voting systems in England, Scotland, and Wales. The choice of King's College London as the lecture venue connects the university to a significant intervention in the 2026 electoral reform debate.
King's has a strong tradition of hosting public policy events that bridge academic analysis and political debate. Its central London location, close to Parliament and Whitehall, makes it a natural convening space for national policy lectures; Major's choice of the venue, rather than a Westminster think tank, gave the occasion an intellectually independent framing.