The coronavirus pandemic has shone a spotlight on the inequalities in our society. Those in comfortable jobs have largely been able to work remotely from home. Those in precarious sectors and occupations have lost the most, particularly in deprived communities. The tighter restrictions imposed on Greater Manchester since the easing of the first lockdown in […]
Why we must act now to confront the new global digital divide
As digital technologies become more widespread, there is a risk that developing countries will be left behind if they cannot afford to invest at the same rate as other countries. In this article, Dr Chris Foster and Dr Shamel Azmeh discuss the dangers of international firms and leading economies dominating the global digital economy, and […]
The Child of the North: Building a fairer future after COVID-19
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence has shown the effects of the disease, and measures to contain it, have not been felt equally across the UK, with the North of England one of the hardest hit regions. Even before the pandemic, the North suffered from higher levels of poverty, poor health, and inequality compared to […]
Polluting the economy: the hidden cost of air pollution
Recent empirical evidence demonstrates that air pollution has negative effects on the labour market beyond health-related costs. In this blog, Dr Ron Chan and Ms Veronica Vienne from The University of Manchester and Dr Martino Pelli from Université de Sherbrooke explore the non-health-related impacts of air pollution on the labour force, using the wildfires in Chile […]
The north-west’s productivity crisis: Causes, challenges and solutions
The north-west has a long-term productivity problem, with the productivity gap widening over the past 15 years. But there is much that policymakers can do. In this blog, Professor Kieron Flanagan from the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research reflects on findings from the newly released North-West Productivity Forum Green Paper, on the causes of the […]
North West England: developing a regional roadmap for industrial bio-revolution
Escalating societal and political concerns over climate change have bolstered significant global focus on cutting carbon dioxide emissions. However, in a world still reeling from the effects of a global pandemic, development and implementation of effective resolution strategies are lacking. Profound change is needed to address damaging environmental, social, and economic repercussions of the current […]
The Pandora Papers: A Pandora’s box for the offshore industry, or a case of ‘as you were’?
The Pandora Papers are the latest data leak offering a glimpse into the ways in which powerful individuals and corporate entities manage their finances with the assistance and direction of third party, professional intermediaries such as company formation agents and trust and company service providers. The data leak consists of just under 12 million files […]
The Sex Buyer Law: what can policymakers learn from Northern Ireland?
In 2015, Northern Ireland criminalised the purchasing, but not the selling, of sex. A proposal that has become increasingly popular with policymakers across Europe in recent decades. The adoption of this law is a policy of the Scottish National Party and it is currently up for debate in the British Parliament. This new law was […]
Global Britain: an ambitious template for international trade agreements in an uncertain era
Following Brexit, the UK has reclaimed its competence in trade and investment policy and its role as the sole negotiator of trade and investment agreements. However, to take advantage of a golden opportunity to reshape trade and investment policy in the UK, Dr Jasem Tarawneh and Dr Nicolette Butler recommend that the government adopts an […]
One bin to rule them all: the future of plastic waste?
Despite the success of environmental campaigners in raising awareness of plastic pollution, much of the plastic waste produced in the UK is not recycled. In part, this is due to the complexity of the multiple recycling schemes in place across the country, causing confusion for both the public and waste management companies in terms of […]