Professor David Wilson

Pro-Chancellor

David Wilson came to Leicester to take up a lecturing post in Public Administration in 1971 at what was then Leicester Polytechnic. This became De Montfort University in 1971 and David became Head of the Department of Public Policy, then Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, and ultimately Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a post he held until his retirement. He was then made Professor Emeritus in Public Administration. For a time, when Deputy Vice-Chancellor, David also represented all three Leicestershire universities on the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Executive Committee (LLEP).

Professor Wilson's major areas of research focused on political party organisation and U.K. local government. His first major book, Power and Party Bureaucracy in Britain was described by Sir David Butler of Nuffield College, Oxford, as “likely to stand as the definitive work”. His co-authored, multi-edition, Local Government in the United Kingdom remains the authoritative text on the subject and is on reading lists in universities across the world. David has also written numerous articles in the major refereed journals in the area, such as Public Administration, The British Journal of Political Science and Political Studies.

In wider community terms, David was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Leicestershire in 2015 and thoroughly enjoys serving in this capacity across both city and county. He is a Canon and Chaplain of Leicester Cathedral and a member of the Ministry Team of his local parish church. He also chairs the Leicester Diocese Board of Patronage and has been a member of the Crown Nominations Commission for the appointment of the last three Leicester Diocesan bishops. He was Chair of the Independent Review Body for Members’ Pay at Leicestershire County Council for many years and also chaired the Leicestershire Police Authority Remuneration Panel from 2003 until its abolition in 2012. David is honoured to have been made a Life Member of Rothley Park Cricket Club where he played for over 25 years and occasionally even managed to score a few runs!