Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

  • All Posts
  • UK Politics
  • Energy and Environment
  • Growth and Inclusion
  • Health and Social Care
  • Urban
  • Science and Engineering
Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Quantum technologies: a new frontier of the information age

Headshot of Jayadev By Thomas Elliott and Jayadev Vijayan Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted: April 16, 2026

In recent decades, rapid progress in the development of quantum technologies has established their place as one of the next major technological frontiers. Future quantum technologies are expected to have a revolutionary impact on advanced materials, healthcare, finance and our national security, while also bringing with them substantial economic benefits. Previous UK governments have devoted […]

Tagged With: #OnCriticalTechnologies, innovation, science & engineering, technology

A close up image of a universal credit claim form on a phone or digital tablet screen.

The hidden health bill of welfare reform: Universal Credit and mental health in England

Headshot of Dr Silas Amo-Agyei By Silas Amo-Agyei, Luke Munford and Matt Sutton Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Work Posted: April 15, 2026

First introduced in 2013, and rolled out in phases across England, Universal Credit (UC) now supports nearly one-in-five working age people. With welfare spending reform once again high on the policy agenda, what lessons can be learned from the rollout of UC? Here, Dr Silas Amo-Agyei, Dr Luke Munford, and Professor Matt Sutton present new […]

Tagged With: Health & Social Care, Health inequalities, inequalities, labour market, mental health, SHS, welfare, work & pensions

An exterior view of the main entrance to a GP surgery in England.

To each according to need: time to update how general practice payments are distributed in England

Headshot of Dr Laura Anselmi. By Laura Anselmi Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted: April 8, 2026

After years of criticism that the current distribution of primary care funding is not meeting the needs of deprived areas, the government’s 10 Year Health Plan has committed to reviewing how money is distributed. Here, Dr Laura Anselmi presents an updated approach which draws on patient data to more accurately reflect the prevalence of different […]

Tagged With: ARC-GM, care quality, Health & Social Care, Health inequalities, inequalities, NHS, public health, SHS

Close up image of hands, one pair clasped together, one pair open, over a religious text.

Integrating faith-based organisations into domestic abuse strategy

Dr Omolade Allen By Omolade Allen Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted: April 1, 2026

In the UK, ethnic minority women face unique and compounding barriers to disclosing domestic violence and abuse and accessing support services. Here, Dr Omolade Allen provides critical insights into the lived experiences of ethnic minority women in the UK, the potential of faith-based organisations as support systems, and how policymakers can work with these organisations […]

Tagged With: communities, Domestic abuse, gender inequalities, immigration, inequalities, justice, local government, SMS

Screen of codes

Improving the resilience of computer systems with software compartmentalisation

Headshot of Pierre OlivierHeadshot of Hugo LefeuvreJohn Kressel By Pierre Olivier, Hugo Lefeuvre and John Kressel Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted: March 30, 2026

Cybersecurity attacks are becoming more sophisticated, varied and persistent. Compartmentalisation is a defensive software design practice that can tackle many of the cyber threats faced by modern computer systems. However, implementing this practice widely faces obstacles, such as prohibitive engineering and performance costs and the difficulty to retrofit existing software. In this article, Dr Pierre […]

Tagged With: #OnCriticalTechnologies, cyber crime, data, innovation, technology

Reading for pleasure: from policy aspiration to classroom reality

author headshot By Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves Filed Under: Growth and Inclusion, Health and Social Care Posted: March 25, 2026

Children who read for pleasure achieve higher academic outcomes, experience better wellbeing and show greater long-term social mobility. Yet national and international evidence shows that enjoyment of reading among children in England is declining. Rebecca Simpson Hargreaves argues that if policymakers want to sustain literacy gains and reduce educational inequality, reading for pleasure must be […]

Tagged With: Children & Young People, education, inequalities, schools

Image of young people sitting in a row on their phones and laptops

Getting ready for the 6G revolution

Emad Alsusa headshot By Emad Alsusa Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted: March 23, 2026

As the world continues to embrace what 5G networks can do, the next frontier in wireless communication – 6G – is rapidly moving from theoretical concept to active research and development. Expected to be standardised later this decade and rolled out in the 2030s, 6G promises a giant leap forward, enabling unprecedented speeds, near instantaneous […]

Tagged With: #OnCriticalTechnologies, digital, innovation, technology

Rows of semiconductor/chip technology

Britain’s chip strategy: smart focus, but does it pack enough punch?

Headshot of John Goodacre By John Goodacre Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted: March 16, 2026

Semiconductors, or microchips, are akin to tiny silicon brains inside everything – from your phone and car to NHS scanners and the nation’s power grid. They are essential, yet Britain’s role in making them has been uncertain. In 2023, the Sunak government unveiled its National Semiconductor Strategy, identifying where the UK can compete in the market. […]

Tagged With: innovation, science & engineering, technology

How the Policing White Paper can deliver for police productivity

Bart van Ark By Bart van Ark and Joel Hoskins Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Urban Posted: March 12, 2026

The Public Accounts Committee recently painted a concerning picture of policing in England and Wales. Forces are drawing down reserves, spending a greater proportion of revenue on financing debt, and operating under an outdated funding formula. Into this fragile landscape comes the new Policing White Paper. It promises a radical structural overhaul, including a new […]

Tagged With: policing, productivity, urban

A diagnostics laboratory, with two workers in white coats operating laboratory equipment.

Getting genomics right: why data standards must underpin the UK’s international competitiveness

By Peter Freeman Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 9, 2026

The UK is a leading nation in genomics, with the 10 Year Health Plan outlining a major shift towards a population-wide genomic health service. This strategy could deliver savings and improved patient outcomes for the NHS – but critical to its success is the data that underpins it. Here, Dr Peter Freeman outlines why policymakers […]

Tagged With: Biometrics, Health & Social Care, innovation, NHS, NHS Digital, science & engineering, SHS, technology

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 176
  • Next Page »

Our RSS feed

Receive our latest content and timely updates by subscribing to our RSS feed.

 Subscribe in your reader

Become a contributor

Would you like to write for us on a public policy issue? Get in touch with a member of the team, ask for our editorial guidelines, or access our online training toolkit (UoM login required).

Disclaimer

Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

Policy@Manchester

Manchester Policy Articles is an initiative from Policy@Manchester. Visit our web site to find out more

Contact Us

policy@manchester.ac.uk
t: +44 (0) 161 275 3038
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Copyright © 2026 · Policy Blog 2 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in