Manchester Policy Blogs

Industrial Strategy white paper – Welcome progress, but problems remain

By Diane Coyle Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Inclusive Growth Posted: November 28, 2017

On Monday 27th November, the UK government published its long-await Industrial Strategy white paper. Here, Policy@Manchester Co-Director and member of the independent Industrial Strategy Commission, Professor Diane Coyle, reflects on what the document gets right and where challenges remain if the UK economy is to secure a prosperous and productive future for all. The Government’s […]

Natural gas beyond 2035 is not compatible with our climate commitments

By Kevin Anderson and John Broderick Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment Posted: November 23, 2017

Following on from the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Professor Kevin Anderson and Dr John Broderick discuss their research into global carbon budgets and the carbon footprints of natural gas supplies. By 2035, the substantial use of all fossil fuels, including natural […]

Autumn Budget 2017 – HS2 is a Relay Race

By Nuno Gil Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Budget 2017 Posted: November 21, 2017

Nuno Gil, Professor of New Infrastructure Development at The University of Manchester argues that HS2 is a relay race, and the Chancellor’s Budget needs to make a strong commitment to completing the final leg by 2032. Due to uncertainty around the fiscal health of the country, it’s more important than ever that the Government remakes […]

Austerity as usual? Time for a new narrative

By Sarah Marie Hall Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Budget 2017 Posted: November 21, 2017

Dr Sarah Marie Hall, Lecturer in Human Geography at The University of Manchester blogs on what she’d like to see in the Chancellor’s Budget to help low-income families. Many expect austerity as usual from the Budget – even though austerity continues to have a disastrous impact on many families and communities across the UK Austerity […]

The Toughest Job in Science?

By Andy Westwood Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Budget 2017 Posted: November 20, 2017

Professor Andy Westwood is Vice Dean for Social Responsibility in the Faculty of Humanities and Professor of Government Practice at The University of Manchester. Here he blogs on this morning’s announcement from Government of additional R&D funding in 2021/22, science policy and the important role the Government’s new Chief Scientific Adviser has to play. For […]

Autumn Budget 2017 – We Need to Talk about Blue Skies Science

By Anna Scaife Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Budget 2017, Science and Technology Posted: November 20, 2017

Ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget Anna Scaife, Co-Director at Policy@Manchester and Professor of Radio Astronomy in the School of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester, highlights the need for government to increase funding for fundamental scientific research in the UK. The UK lags behind most of the world in terms of its research […]

Does religion matter for attitudes towards immigration?

By Ingrid Storm Filed Under: All posts, Europe Posted: November 16, 2017

Dr Ingrid Storm from The University of Manchester examines religiosity and attitudes to immigration in Europe. She found that religious conformity to the national average is associated with negative attitudes toward immigration. Religion does not predict immigration attitudes uniformly across countries. Those who belong to majority denominations are more likely to be concerned about immigration. […]

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and the Internet of Things

By Steve Furber Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Science and Technology Posted: November 15, 2017

Computers are everywhere with a myriad of consumer, automotive, medical and communications devices hosting microprocessors and the Internet of Things will result in an increase in reliance on this technology. In this blog, Steve Furber, Professor of Computer Engineering, discusses the challenges for Dr Patrick Vallance, the new Government Chief Scientific Advisor on artificial intelligence, […]

Marking their own homework? The management of conflicts of interest in the NHS

By Kath Checkland, Valerie Moran, Imelda Mcdermott and Pauline Allen Filed Under: Health and Social Care Posted: November 9, 2017

New research shows Clinical Commissioning Groups face challenges in managing conflicts of interest when commissioning primary care. Here, The University of Manchester’s Professor Katherine Checkland and Dr Imelda McDermott, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Dr Valerie Moran and Dr Pauline Allen, reflect on their latest research into achieving effective governance arrangements […]

Trouble in Paradise – Corporate Vehicles and Contemporary Tax Avoidance

By Nicholas Lord, Karin van Wingerde and Liz Campbell Filed Under: All posts, British Politics Posted: November 6, 2017

Yesterday news broke on the so-called ‘Paradise Papers’, a leak of 13.4 million files detailing the financial behaviours of individual and corporate elites, including questionable financial arrangements facilitating the avoidance of tax liabilities – Dr Nicholas Lord (The University of Manchester), Dr Karin van Wingerde (Erasmus University Rotterdam) and Prof Liz Campbell (Durham University) outline […]