The Political Quarterly

What The Political Quarterly does

The Political Quarterly is a UK-based academic journal founded in 1930 by William Robson and Kingsley Martin, with initial funding from George Bernard Shaw. It publishes quarterly peer-reviewed analysis, commentary, reports and surveys, and book reviews on UK and global politics and public policy, applying a deliberate standard of rigorous yet jargon-free writing aimed at bridging academic research and policy debate. The journal has been published by Wiley (via Wiley-Blackwell, formerly Blackwell) since 1985 and operates editorial operations from the Department of Politics at Birkbeck, University of London, where it is institutionally affiliated.

The product surface extends beyond the quarterly journal to an active companion blog featuring shorter-form articles (800-1000 words), digested reads and interviews, a programme of curated themed Collections (e.g., on housing, tourism, public inquiries, London inequality, and David Marquand's legacy), annual events including joint programming with the Orwell Foundation, and a monthly newsletter delivered via ZenMail. Content is distributed globally through Wiley Online Library to institutional subscribers (universities and libraries) and through a direct individual online subscription priced at £12 per year. Co-edited since 2014 by Deborah Mabbett (Birkbeck) and Ben Jackson (Oxford), with supporting co-editors, reports/surveys editors, a literary editor (Donald Sassoon), a digital editor, and a managing editor, the journal is supported by an editorial board co-chaired by Rosie Campbell and Deborah Lincoln.

Commercially, The Political Quarterly is a private journal entity with no disclosed revenue or funding history and a lean team of six employees. Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring institutional and individual journal subscriptions (the latter self-serve at £12 annually), occasional book publications distributed via Wiley (e.g., Rethinking Democracy, Britain Beyond Brexit), and modest author fees paid for book reviews and contributions by non-academic and self-employed writers. The journal sponsors the Orwell Prize for political writing, a flagship reputational asset acquired in 2006, which anchors its brand within the UK political-literary establishment.

Name

The Political Quarterly

Legal name

The Political Quarterly

Website

https://politicalquarterly.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Political Quarterly is a UK academic journal, founded in 1930 and published quarterly by Wiley, that produces peer-reviewed analysis on politics and public policy for academics, policymakers, journalists, and engaged citizens, supplemented by a blog, themed collections, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Journal Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM), Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Academic journal publishing
• Political science research
• Public policy analysis
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Scholarly publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Journal Subscriptions: Individual online subscriptions sold for £12 per year, providing access to journal content. Institutional subscriptions via university libraries and academic institutions through Wiley platform.
2. Book Publishing: Occasional publication of books on political topics, including Rethinking Democracy, Britain beyond Brexit, Rethinking Capitalism, and Defending Politics.
3. Author Fees: Payment to authors for book reviews, reports and surveys, and articles by scholars not in full-time academic employment and self-employed writers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Political Quarterly publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal on politics and public policy, founded in 1930 and affiliated with Birkbeck, University of London. It also produces themed Collections, a companion blog, and related books (e.g., Rethinking Democracy, Britain Beyond Brexit), distributing the journal to individuals via subscription and to institutions worldwide through Wiley-Blackwell.

Product overview

The Political Quarterly operates as a journal-plus-ecosystem model, centered on its flagship quarterly academic journal that publishes peer-reviewed analysis on politics and public policy. The journal is complemented by an active blog featuring shorter-form content, themed Collections that curate articles around specific topics, Events programming, and sponsorship of the Orwell Prize for political writing. Content is distributed through Wiley's publishing platform, with a newsletter delivered via ZenMail. The offering spans from long-form academic articles to blog posts, interviews, and book reviews, united by the journal's broadly centre-left progressive outlook and commitment to jargon-free accessible writing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Political Quarterly Journal A peer-reviewed academic journal publishing analysis of politics and public policy, distributed to individuals via subscription and to institutions globally through Wiley-Blackwell.
• Themed Collections Curated themed collections of articles on specific political topics (e.g., On the Federal Moment, Green Politics, Federalism, Tradition, Education, Nationalism), edited by the Collections Co-Editors and published as part of the journal.
• Rethinking Democracy (book) A book published in association with The Political Quarterly, extending the journal's analysis of political and policy themes.
• Britain Beyond Brexit (book) A book published in association with The Political Quarterly, addressing British politics and policy in the post-Brexit era.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Wiley BlackwellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWiley Blackwell is the publisher of The Political Quarterly, handling institutional subscriptions, online hosting, and distribution to universities and academic institutions globally. The journal has been published by Wiley since 1985, previously by Blackwell.
• Orwell FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Political Quarterly sponsors the Orwell Prize for political writing, one of Britain's most prestigious literary awards. The prize rewards writers who fulfil George Orwell's ambition of turning political writing into an art. Bernard Crick established the prize in 1993 with royalties from his Orwell biography, and PQ took over direction in 2006.
• Birkbeck, University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Political Quarterly is affiliated with the Department of Politics at Birkbeck, University of London. Many editors and contributors are associated with Birkbeck, and the journal maintains its editorial operations from this London institution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• The Political Quarterly Review of Books: Adjacent service outlet for PQ's book review content, distributed through affiliated political commentary ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Political Studies: Flagship journal of the Political Studies Association, publishing peer-reviewed research across the full spectrum of political science. Direct peer in subject matter, scholarly format, and UK political science audience.
• British Journal of Political Science: Cambridge University Press journal publishing rigorous peer-reviewed political science research. Closely comparable scholarly format and UK/international academic readership.
• Government and Opposition: Cambridge University Press journal publishing comparative politics and political theory scholarship. Peer-reviewed academic journal with similar progressive-leaning editorial tradition.
• Parliamentary Affairs: Oxford University Press journal focused on UK and comparative parliamentary politics and public policy. Directly comparable in editorial scope on Westminster politics and policy discourse.
• The British Journal of Politics and International Relations: PSA-affiliated journal covering UK politics and international relations with peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Comparable academic journal format and overlapping audience of UK political scientists.
• New Political Economy: Peer-reviewed journal on political economy at the intersection of politics and economics. Comparable format and overlapping coverage of themes PQ addresses in Political Economy.

Broad incumbents

• New Statesman: Historic UK centre-left political weekly with deep editorial overlap in political analysis and commentary. Broader consumer-facing magazine format with a longer publication history than PQ.

Emerging players

• Renewal: Centre-left political journal previously edited by PQ's current co-editor Ben Jackson. Comparable progressive political orientation and overlapping readership.
• Fabian Review: Centrist/centre-left political magazine published by the Fabian Society. Comparable progressive political positioning and overlapping audience of UK policy professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-political-quarterly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Political Quarterly