Dr Tara McCormack
Lecturer
- Office: Attenborough Tower 918
- Email: tm155@leicester.ac.uk
- Feedback and Support Times (Semester 2, 2020-21): By appointment only
- Dissertation Hour (Semester 2, 2020-21): By appointment only
Personal details
My BA was in Politics from Queen Mary, University of London and my MSc was in International Relations and Government from the London School of Economics. I completed my PhD in international security at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster. Before joining the University of Leicester, I taught European and comparative politics and international relations at the University of Westminster and Brunel University. My research focuses on security, foreign policy and legitimacy.
I contribute regularly to the media including the BBC, LBC, Sky, Al Jazeera, Russia Today, talkRADIO, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, spiked-online and others.
Research
My research falls into three related areas:
• Security, foreign policy and democratic legitimacy
• Intervention (including EU)
• Britain's war powers
Teaching
I currently teach the following:
- International Security Studies (postgraduate campus based and distance learning)
- International Security Studies (undergraduate second year)
- The Changing Character of War (undergraduate final year)
Administrative roles
I am currently the Postgraduate Research Tutor for Politics and IR.
Parliamentary evidence
- 2019 Written and oral evidence, The Role of Parliament in the UK Constitution: Authorising the Use of Military Force Inquiry, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, 12th March
- 2018 Written evidence submitted to and published, Foreign Policy in a Changed World Conditions Inquiry, report of the House of Lords International Relations Committee, 7th March
- 2017 Written evidence submitted to and cited in Cyber security: UK national strategy in a digital world, report of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy,17th March
Publications
Monographs
- 2009 Critique, Security and Power. The Political Limits to Critical and Emancipatory Approaches (London, Routledge).
Journal articles
- 2016 The Emerging Parliamentary Convention on British Military Action and Warfare by Remote Control, The RUSI Journal, Vol 161, No 2, pp 22 - 29.
- 2015 The British National Security Strategy, Security After Representation, British Journal of Politics and International Relations. Early view online.
- 2011 Human Security and the Separation of Security and Development, Conflict Security and Development, volume 11, number 2, pp 235 - 260.
- 2011 The Domestic Limits to American International Leadership After Bush, International Politics, volume 48, issue 2, pp 188 - 206.
- 2010 The Responsibility to Protect and the End of the Western Century, The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, volume 4, issue 1, pp 69 – 82.
- 2008 Power and Agency in the Human Security Framework, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, volume 1, issue 21, pp113 – 128.
Chapters
- 2016 Academic Freedom in an Age of Terror in Hudson, C & Williams, J Eds, Why Academic Freedom Matters (Civitas)
- 2011 From Ethical Foreign Policy to National Security Strategy: Exporting Domestic Incoherence in Daddow, O and Gaskarth, J, Eds, British Foreign Policy: The New Labour Years (Palgrave).
- 2010 Power and agency in the Human Security Framework in Hynek, N and Chandler, D, Eds, Re-Thinking Human Security (Routledge).
- 2010 The R2P and the End of the Western Century? in Cunliffe, P, Ed, Critical Perspectives on the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine (Lexington).
- 2007 From the State of War to the State of Nature, Human Security and Sovereignty, chapter in Bickerton C, Cunliffe P, & Gourevitch A, Eds, Politics Without Sovereignty: A Critique of Contemporary International Relations (UCL Press)
Media/Public Debate/Opinion
2018
- LBC Radio, Iain Dale programme, discussed Trump's NATO demands and UK defence spending, 11 July
- Russia Today, interviewed about the Amesbury and Skripal poisonings, 5 July
- Sky news, interviewed about the Amesbury and Skripal poisonings with Kay Burley, 5 July
- LSE Brexit Blog, When it comes to defence, Britain is trapped in a Cold War mindset, 2 July
- spiked-online, Review of David Thomson's The Returned, Digging into the domestic roots of Jihad, 29 June
- talkRADIO, discussing the British government's participation in the kidnapping and torture of Abdul Belhaj with Jamie East, 11 May
- Culture on the Offensive, Greg Scorzo and I discuss Syria and other Western military interventions
- BBC Newsnight, interviewed on Syria and 'fake news', 24 April
- Sputnik News Radio, Hard Facts, interview and discussion on The Times, academic freedom and Syria, 24 April
- Al Jazeera, The Listening Post, Red Lines and Military Strikes: Media Coverage of the Syrian War, interviewed, 21st April
- Sky news, debate with Ian Dunt on the legality of the Syrian strikes, 17 April
- LBC Radio, Iain Dale programme, discussed Syria strikes, 16 April
- Radio Leicestershire, morning programme, interviewed about Syria, 13 April
- BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine Programme, debated Edward Lucas on the the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and Corbyn's response, 5 April
- Radio Leicestershire, Martin Ballard programme, interviewed about the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and UK/Russia relations, 4 April
- Sky News, interview with Rebecca Williams on Syrian conflict, 2 April
- LBC Radio, Nick Ferrari programme, interview on UK/US/Russia reaction to Russian spy scandal, 30 March
- Russia Today, News at 2pm, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 27 March
- Russia Today, News at 8pm, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 22 March
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Between the Lines, presented by Tom Switzer, debate with Tom Tugendhat MP on spy scandal, 22 March
- Al Jazeera, Newshour 8pm, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 16 March
- BBC Radio 4, PM programme, debated UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal with Bob Seely MP, 15 March
- LBC Radio, Iain Dale programme, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 15 March
- Sky News, interview with Kay Burley on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 15 March
- Al Jazeera English, Newshour 9pm, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 15 March
- Russia Today, News at 7pm, interview on UK's reaction to Russian spy scandal, 15 March
- Radio Leicestershire, Martin Ballard programme, interviewed about the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and UK/Russia relations, 6 March
- spiked-online, Review of Ivan Krastev's new book, After Europe, 1 March
2017
- spiked-online, Mohammed Bin Salman: A kinder, gentler despot, 18 Dec
- Russia Today, interview on Trump and Russia, 14 Dec
- spiked-online, That's enough of the Russia blame game, 21 Nov
-
City University, Panel discussant 'Everything Has Changed? Trump and the Crisis of the Liberal Order', 16 Nov
- University of Edinburgh, Transatlantic Forum, Academics, the media and propaganda, 10 Nov
- spiked-online, Russia did it! A comforting delusion, 7 Nov
- Panel debate on the New Cold War at the Battle of Ideas at the Barbican, 28/29 October
- Worldbytes Worldwrite, Documentary, 1917 Why The Russian Revolution Matters, interviewed on contemporary Russia, release date 28 Oct
- Voice of Islam Radio, The Breakfast Show, interviewed about Trump and North Korea, 12 Oct
- Sputnik News Radio, Level Talk with John Harrison, Myth of Russia interference in US election is destroying American democracy, 7 Sep
- BBC West Midlands Radio, The Paul Franks Show, interviewed about North Korean crisis, 4 Sep
- BBC Radio 5 Live, Afternoon Edition, interviewed about North Korean crisis, 4 Sep
- RIA Novosti, written commentary on the G20 Trump Putin meeting, 10 July
- spiked-online podcast on Syria, 30 June
- spiked-online, What is the US doing in Syria?, 28 June
- Sputnik News Radio, Level Talk with John Harrison, Are US-Europe relations really on the rocks?, 1 June
- Sputnik News Radio, Brave New World, How Long with the Russia Bashing Game Go On?, 10 March
- BBC The Big Questions, discussant on Russia, Cybersecurity and democracy, 19th Feb
- Occupy IR Theory podcast, discussed the New McCarthism, Russia, Trump and the pro war left, 18 Feb,
- The New European, interview on European Defence, 17 Feb
- BBC Radio 4, 'witness' on The Moral Maze, 8 Feb
2016
- spiked-online, East Aleppo: a catastrophe of the West's making, 1 Dec
- BBC Scotland, Morning Programme, interviewed on European proposals for joint defence, Trump and British security and defence policy, 23 Nov
- LBC Radio, Ian Collins Programme, interviewed on the US/UK ‘special relationship’, 7 Nov
- LBC Radio, Shelagh Fogerty Programme, interviewed on media presentation of the Syrian conflict, 19 Oct
- Remote Control Project, interview on the new Parliamentary convention authorising war and new modes of 'remote control', warfare, 12 Oct
- Radio Leicestershire, Jonathan Lampon programme, interviewed about the attempted coup in Turkey, 18 July
- Radio Leicestershire, Jonathan Lampon programme, interviewed about Brexit vote and implications for Britain in the world, 24 June
- University of Leicester, podcast on Brexit and implications for Britain's role in the world, 23 May
- Radio Leicestershire, Jonathan Lampon programme, interviewed about Brexit, international security and Britain's role in the world, 26 May
- Novosti, Live panel discussion with Moscow experts on Russian policy in Syria, 17 March
2015
- Radio Leicestershire, Jim Davis programme, interviewed about the House of Commons Syria vote and home-grown terrorism, 3 Dec
- Battle of Ideas, panel debate: Shifting sands, understanding the Middle East today 18 October
- spiked, The Western media have lost the plot in Syria, 16 Oct
- Cheltenham Literary Festival, The Sunday Times Debate: A New Cold War? 4 October
- Radio Leicestershire, Jonathan Lampon programme, discussion about the anniversary of Hiroshima and nuclear weapons, 6 August
- The World Weekly, Interview on current crisis in Ukraine
- spiked, Clueless Cameron is playing PR-politics over Ukraine
- spiked, Years of Western meddling has pushed Ukraine over the edge
2014
- Battle of Ideas, Panel debate on Ukraine: Cold War Rebooted?, 19 October, Barbican Centre, London
- Radio Leicestershire, Jonathan Lampon programme, debate on ISIS and intervention, 25 September
- spiked, Podcast on Israel, double standards and anti-Semitism, 22 August
- Russia Today, 6pm News, interviewed on the topic of the current crisis in Ukraine, 4 June
- Radio 4, The Moral Maze, invited ‘witness’ on the topic of intervention, morality and foreign policy, 5 March
- spiked, Bosnia: The Limits to EU Rule
- WorldBytes TV, Discussion on the Sochi Olympics and Western attitudes to Russia, February 9
- I am also a member of the Battle of Ideas committee