The productivity issue in the UK is often framed as an issue driven by economic outcomes. This idea neglects some of the more complex structures that exist and contribute to the economic gaps in the UK. Professor Dave Richards, Professor Patrick Diamond and Dr Anna Sanders outline how government policy in the UK is too […]
Advancing cell and gene therapies: Levelling-up life sciences investment in the North-West
Life sciences – including new cancer treatments – forms a central pillar of the UK Government’s post-Brexit plan for science and technology. But how could this focus also play a role in another key tenet of British policymaking; the levelling-up agenda? In this blog, adapted from our On Cancer publication, Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite and Professor […]
Child of the North: Child mental wellbeing
Children’s mental health and wellbeing was deteriorating prior to COVID-19, but there was significant decline during the pandemic, particularly in the North of England. This blog post covers the collaboration between Professor Pamela Qualter, Professor Matt Sutton, Stephanie Gillibrand, Professor Neil Humphrey and Dr Ola Demkowicz in their study of children’s mental health, originally published […]
Child of the North: The economic impacts of child health
The economic performance of the North of England consistently lags behind the national average. One factor that could partly explain this ‘productivity gap’ is the poorer physical and mental health of children in the North, along with a widening educational gap, with long-lasting impacts on the labour market. In this blog, Dr Rose Atkins and […]
On productivity and Net Zero
The UK government has assigned itself with the tasks of boosting productivity in left-behind areas and transitioning to a net-zero economy. In this blog, Professor Jonatan Pinkse explores how the UK can simultaneously improve its standards of productivity regionally while transitioning to a net-zero economy. His policy recommendations include securing green jobs and not using […]
Gender equality and the productivity agenda
The implications for gender equality are rarely discussed in the new productivity and levelling up agenda. It is key for productivity and levelling up policy agendas to address the underutilisation of women’s potential and the undervaluation of women’s work. In this blog, Professor Jill Rubery from the Work Equalities Institute investigates the underutilisation of women […]
Disadvantage and disease: finding solutions to inequalities in cancer
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed focus to the great health inequalities between different communities in our society. Looking at cancer care, these inequalities exist across the whole cancer pathway from uptake in screening, likelihood to present early with symptoms, participation in clinical trials, diagnosis and access to treatments. In this blog, from our On […]
The case for a guaranteed basic income pilot in Greater Manchester
While the COVID-19 pandemic and current cost of living crisis has exacerbated social inequalities and economic insecurity, it has also opened a window of opportunity to explore new forms of policy innovation to build back a fairer and more economically secure society. In this blog and in a new report for the Work and Equalities […]
Creativity, industry and devolved responsibility: how local industrial strategies can support levelling up
Local creative and cultural industries strategies can play a key role in devolution policy, and understanding the differences and nuances of local industrial strategies helps inform policymakers looking at cultural and creative industries-led ‘levelling up’. Ultimately, policy should be shaped by local strategy and regional identity as much as national goals. This blog raises policy […]
The role of R&D in the levelling up agenda
Innovation drives productivity, and R&D importantly underpins innovation. Places in the south-east of the UK disproportionately hold the highest rates of public and charitable spending on R&D. In order to mend the geographical imbalances in R&D spending, the way that funding is allocated must be changed. This can be challenging given the patchy nature of […]