Policy@Manchester Articles

Back to the future; the recurring patterns of flooding in the UK

By Anna Carlsson-Hyslop Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted: April 16, 2014

Flooding is not new in Britain, with major floods recorded throughout history. But with predictions of climate change suggesting such deluge conditions may become more common, Dr Anna Carlsson-Hyslop argues that policymakers must heed some important lessons from the history of flooding. History tells us that central government involvement in flood defence has swung first […]

What is the impact of the ‘bedroom tax’ on children and schools?

By Ruth Lupton Filed Under: Featured Posted: April 15, 2014

A year on from the introduction of the ‘bedroom tax’, Prof Ruth Lupton argues that reducing the incomes of poor families and creating instability for poor children is a nonsensical policy for a government committed to closing the socio-economic attainment gap. One of the Coalition government’s most controversial welfare reform policies, the so-called ‘bedroom tax’, […]

The time has come – but not for votes at 16

By Andrew Russell Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted: April 14, 2014

In many ways, Andrew Adonis has eloquently argued the case for the voting age to be lowered to 16. But his assertion that the ‘time has come’ simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, argues Prof Andrew Russell. Lord Andrew Adonis’ “Lent Talk” on BBC Radio 4 contained some impressive thinking about young people’s political engagement […]

Who owns London’s revenues?

By Adam Leaver Filed Under: All posts Posted: April 10, 2014

The debate is raging on whether London disproportionately creates or consumes the UK’s revenues. Dr Adam Leaver chips in. Ever since Evan Davis presented Mind the Gap, a debate has raged about whether London’s dominance of the UK economy is a positive or a negative. While my colleagues Iain Deas, Graham Haughton and Stephen Hincks have put forward the […]

Is the picture of Pakistani self-employment really so rosy?

By Ken Clark Filed Under: Ethnicity, Featured Posted: April 9, 2014

There is economic vibrancy in Asian-dominated areas of the UK, driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of the self-employed, according to some reports. But, says Ken Clark, analysis of official statistics reveals a rather less rosy picture. Asian-dominated areas of the UK are booming, according to The Economist – in stark contrast to “struggling white towns”. The credit for this boom […]

Does the UK have a future in manufacturing?

By Kieron Flanagan Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted: April 9, 2014

Thanks to its world-class science base the UK is very good at developing ideas. But we still don’t invest enough public money into developing early stage technologies, says Dr Kieron Flanagan. Does the UK have a future in manufacturing? Does the North West or the Greater Manchester city region have a future in manufacturing for that matter? These were the questions debated at a panel discussion I took part […]

Polling Observatory #35 (March 2014): Politics, Fast and Slow

By Rob Ford, Mark Pickup and Will Jennings Filed Under: Polling Observatory Posted: April 8, 2014

This is the thirty-fifth in a series of posts that report by Dr Robert Ford, Dr Will Jennings and Dr Mark Pickup on the state of the parties as measured by opinion polls. By pooling together all the available polling evidence the impact of the random variation each individual survey inevitably produces can be reduced. Most of the short […]

UKIP on the verge of a breakthrough

By Rob Ford and Matthew Goodwin Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted: April 2, 2014

After tonight’s second Nick Clegg v Nigel Farage debate, 38% of viewers more likely to vote for UKIP according to a Guardian ICM poll. And there is a real prospect that the party could break through to become one of Britain’s two or three largest parties explain Dr Rob Ford and Dr Matthew Goodwin. UKIP is […]

Hebden Bridge – Britain’s second city?

By Iain Deas, Graham Haughton and Stephen Hincks Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted: April 1, 2014

The BBC’s Evan Davis says Britain needs a second ‘super city’ – and this could be Hebden Bridge. Dr Iain Deas, Prof Graham Haughton and Dr Stephen Hincks are sceptical. In his BBC series Mind the Gap: London v the Rest, Evan Davis argued that the UK’s economy is held back because London is our […]

Same sex marriage: Celebrating recognition and equality?

By Brian Heaphy Filed Under: Featured Posted: April 1, 2014

While many lesbians and gay men welcome the option of a same sex marriage, Prof Brian Heaphy warns this should not mean marginalising other non-traditional relationships. Same sex marriage has been introduced while many are still celebrating the tenth anniversary of Civil Partnership. There had been surprise that a Conservative-led government oversaw the legalisation of […]