Sheila Lawlor is research director of the think tank Politeia. After a career as an academic historian which brought her research fellowships at Sidney Sussex and Churchill Colleges, Cambridge, she joined the Centre for Policy Studies as its Deputy Director. She went on to found Politeia, which is a forum for social and economic thinking drawn from all shades of the political spectrum. She directs the economic programme and writes on education, benefits and healthcare policy. She contributes to the discussion of all areas of policy in radio, television and print media.