Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

We all age differently: approaches to understand the diverse lives of older people

By Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Health and Social Care Posted:

There’s no one kind of ‘older person’, and often, describing them as such overlooks the enormous diversity of this group. Policymakers and service providers have typically relied on one-size-fits-all approaches, which are not always appropriate for diverse populations within the umbrella of ‘older people’. Here, Dr Amy Barron outlines a new toolkit for policymakers to […]

children in school library

Starting a new chapter – childhood literacy education

author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

In 2022, the government announced a commitment to improve literacy education as part of its levelling up agenda. The ambition to eradicate issues by 2030 has seen a tight focus on literacy skills and mandated curriculums – which neglect to acknowledge the local and individualised contexts in which teachers teach. A lack of resources, funding […]

Pregnant lady with phone

ConnecteDNA – the implications of technology on donor conception anonymity

Caroline Redhead headshotLucy Frith headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care Posted:

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has recently sought views about reforming the law on fertility treatment regulation and embryo research.  They identified a number of issues with the current legal framework, around which the public consultation was structured. In this article, Dr Caroline Redhead and Dr Lucy Frith examine one such issue, the […]

Business people in boardroom

Targeting the ‘(professional) enablers’ of economic crime

Katie Benson author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, UK economy Posted:

The UK government has published its second Economic Crime Plan (ECP2), which aims to reinforce the government’s priorities in relation to economic crime in (or affecting) the UK.  ECP2 arrives at a time of considerable political attention on economic crime, with the global focus on kleptocracy and increased use of financial sanctions following Russia’s invasion […]

Levelling up or widening the gap?

By and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Levelling up, UK economy Posted:

There are deep-rooted regional inequalities in health and wealth across England. ‘Levelling Up’ is the UK Government’s flagship policy to redress these inequalities through additional investment, with the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) one strand of this funding. In this article, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford examine the allocation of the first round of the […]

Razing the neighbourhood: consequences and alternatives to council estate demolition

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Levelling up Posted:

Post-war council estates suffer a barrage of stigmatising representations. Central and local governments, think tanks, and property companies call them ‘sink estates’ and ‘concrete monstrosities’. In television dramas and feature films, council estates are invariably grim and crime ridden. These representations have real-world effects. They establish social moods and opinions that encourage and justify the […]

Not immaterial: Why the UK must play to its strengths in quantum technology

By Filed Under: British Politics, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The UK Science and Technology Framework has recently been announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with Quantum Technologies (QTs) identified as one of five critical technologies. But what is needed to realise this vision – and should the UK invest everywhere, or target its areas of expertise? Here, Professor Richard Curry outlines how the country […]

Sellafield nuclear plant

How can “Great British Nuclear” make a great difference?

Adrian Bull with beard By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The announcement of Great British Nuclear (GBN) is a long awaited positive step. GBN clearly now faces a monumental workload and a range of challenges as it sets the ground for new nuclear build in the UK. In this article, Professor Adrian Bull emphasises the need to engage with development companies rather than just ‘starting […]

Family sorting recycling

Trashing the future: failures of UK plastic recycling policies and next steps

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology Posted:

We are all familiar with the problem of plastic waste – which has a devastating effect on marine life and oceans.  Plastic recycling seems complex and difficult and we are right to be concerned about the impacts waste plastic is having on our ecosystems. The One Bin to Rule Them All (One Bin) project team […]

Long in the tooth: is water fluoridation out of date?

By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

One ongoing intervention to tackle tooth decay in parts of the UK is the provision of fluoride in drinking water. But such moves aren’t always popular with the communities involved.  There is also a lack of evidence based on contemporary populations. Here, Dr Michaela Goodwin and Professor Michael Kelly outline the findings of a new […]

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