Glen Francis Newey (30 May 1961 – 30 September 2017)[1][2] was a political philosopher, last acting as a Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Leiden. He previously taught in Brussels at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and until 2011 was Professor in the School of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy at Keele University, Staffordshire, England. He was a prominent member of the "Realist" school of political philosophers which also includes such figures as Bernard Williams, John N. Gray, and Raymond Geuss. Newey also wrote extensively about toleration, casting doubt on whether it remains a coherent political ideal in modern liberal-democratic societies.
Newey blogged regularly for the London Review of Books on a range of topics including UK and overseas politics, university politics, finance and culture, taking a strongly critical stance against free-market capitalism and the marketising of higher education. His journalistic articles were often informal in vein; in one article entitled As Useful as a String Condom[3] Newey criticised the British Royal Family as being of no use any more in modern Britain. His journalistic output also included film and theatre reviews, as well as review essays on political and moral philosophy, and cultural criticism. He was also a strong defender of free speech and of academic freedom.