Karl McLean is a Mathematics graduate from the University of St Andrews. Originally from Northumberland, he now works as a Tax Associate in Newcastle at a ‘Big 4’ Final Services firm, specialising in employment tax matters and share schemes. 

Outside of work, he is a Manchester United fan who can’t help but hopelessly reminisce about “the good old days” under Sir Alex Ferguson, and an avid Formula One follower who thinks that every season could be Ferrari’s big comeback year. 

Favourite modern politician? Impossible to decide between David Cameron and Barack Obama. Cameron ranks highly for wholeheartedly introducing socially liberal politics into the mainstream of a historically reluctant party, while simultaneously beginning the momentous and unenviable task of rebuilding a badly-damaged UK economy on the brink of total collapse in the Great Recession. Obama, on the other hand, is simply the best orator of the last fifty years. Nobody else has ever been able to communicate the case for hope in the face of adversity quite so well.

Chris Gardner graduated Marist College with his bachelor’s degree in history and received his masters in teaching social studies from Hofstra University . He spent one year studying Mediaeval and Islamic history at the University of St. Andrews where he met Karl McLean.

During his undergraduate Chris studied the impact of the New Deal on Native American communities at Franklin Roosevelt’s house in Hyde Park, New York. He also took an interest in early American history, looking mostly into the life and Administration of John Adams. His interest in history is wide ranging however he feels the most comfortable in Revolutionary America.

He has recently been accepted into the OCS program as a Surface Warfare officer in the United States Navy.

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Chris is originally from Oceanside, New York on Long Island. 

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Views expressed here do not represent those of the United States Navy or the United States government respectively in any capacity.

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Andrew Sinclair is about to enter his final year of an M.A (Hons) degree in Modern History and International Relations at the University of St Andrews, where he met Karl in his first year. Andrew intends to move into the field of journalism once he completes his studies.

Outside of University, Andrew’s main passions are sport and journalism. A lover of Football, Rugby, Boxing, MMA, Darts, Motorsport and Pro Wrestling, he is usually found deliberating why Eddie Jones doesn’t pick Dan Robson or how many times he’ll still be shocked by Michael Van Gerwen’s scoring prowess. Andrew currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the St Andrews student newspaper, The Saint.

Politically, Andrew is very much a centrist. He sits mildly to the right on social affairs and matters of the economy, but tends to favour more left-wing attitudes to the environment. Andrew is disappointed by the current state of British politics, failing to find any consistent ideas from or support for any of the major parties.