Ed Turner is a leading expert on German politics and is also interested in comparative politics, notably in the areas of political parties, federalism and public policy.  He wrote his doctorate about the impact of political parties on public policy at the sub-national level in Germany, and retains a keen interest in all aspects of modern German politics.  He has been led several research projects funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), including his current project assessing the impacts of the Covid pandemic on territorial politics.  He is acting chair of the International Association for the Study of German Politics.

Ed undertook a secondment to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK government between 2018 and 2020, funded initially by the ESRC and then by the FCDO itself.

Ed is Associate Dean for Research Impact of the College of Business and Social Sciences, and is passionate about supporting academics to take their research out to potential beneficiaries outside the university.

Ed has been involved in two major reviews of housing policy: the “Local Housing Delivery Group” (known at the Harman Review), which looked at how to test the viability of councils’ Local Plans, and the Technical Housing Standards Review convened by the government to look at standards required in new housing.  He has given evidence to a Select Committee at the House of Commons and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Private Rented Housing.  He has spoken widely on these issues in the media, including BBC and Sky News and BBC Radio 4(including the Today programme).  He is an Associate Fellow of the Foreign Policy Centre think tank.

Ed Turner is also a referee in semi-professional football.