David Walker 
Exaggerated Claims? 
The ESRC, 50 Years On

‘David Walker’s analysis is incisive and hard hitting. Anyone who believes in the power of social science to inform better policy making should take his criticisms seriously.’
– Sue Duncan, Former Chief Government Social Researcher and Head of the Government Social Research Service

‘David Walker has written an unofficial summary of ESRC′s achievements and struggles. He brings to the task long experience of the organisation and of the key players, a great familiarity with the literature and a sceptical nature. The result is stimulating, instructive, contentious and sometimes even infuriating.’


– David Rhind, Chair of the Nuffield Foundation



What is the role of the state in distributing research money? How do ′arm′s-length′ funding agencies relate to public policy and business? This original study looks at the main social science funding agency in the UK, which was established 50 years ago. It examines how funding decisions are related to power. The ′critical′ and ‘policy′ aspects of successful research bids are discussed. Walker asks the tricky question, why has social science research not achieved a more salient role in state policy formation and management strategy: is the funding agency responsible? 



Insightful, engrossing and highly original, the book will be required reading for anyone who has written or will write a Social Science research bid and, more widely, for students of power, knowledge and culture.

Table of Content

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: The ESRC Today

Chapter 3: Promise and disappointment

Chapter 4: Reprieve and normalisation

Chapter 5: An agent of amerlioration

Chapter 6: Academic capture

Chapter 7: Cumulative knowledge?

Chapter 8: Conclusion

About the author

David Walker was a council member at the ESRC where he chaired the methods and infrastructure committee. Formerly managing director, public reporting at the Audit Commission, he is a member of UK Biobank Ethics and Governance Committee.During a career in journalism and public affairs, he worked for The Times Higher Education Supplement, The Economist, The Times, the BBC and the Guardian, where he was founding editor of Public magazine.His books include Cameron’s Coup: How the Tories took Britain to the Brink, The Verdict: Did Labour Change Britain?, and Unjust Rewards: Exposing Greed and Inequality in Britain Today (all co written with Polly Toynbee),  Sources Close to the Prime Minister (with Peter Hennessy and Michael Cockerell) and Media Made in California: Hollywood, Politics and the News (with Jeremy Tunstall).