Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Sarah Marie Hall and Laura Pottinger Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted:
Since the general election was called, there has been an upturn in voter registration amongst the under 25s. Many young people, however, have still not registered and they are considered less likely to vote than older people. But this by no means tells the whole story. Young people are starting to seek new, bolder ways […]
By Francesca Gains Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Urban Posted:
Political devolution is well on it’s way in Greater Manchester, with the health and social care budget having been devolved last April and with the imminent election of the Metro Mayor in May. However, there have been criticisms over how representative those making the devolution deals are of the communities they make decisions for. In the […]
By Thomas Loughran Filed Under: All posts, British Politics Posted:
The 2015 UK General Election, the EU Referendum and, most recently, the US Presidential Election all produced results which most major pollsters and media outlets failed to predict. Amongst growing distrust of opinion polls across the Western World, Thomas Loughran considers the use of political opinion polls and where to go from here. The decline […]
By Laura ffrench-Constant Filed Under: All posts, Science and Technology Posted:
The final day of Policy Week saw Sam Illingworth of Manchester Metropolitan University chair a lively discussion about the relationship between scientists and politicians, exploring how engagement could be optimised. Speakers included: Lucy Powell MP, Amanda Bamford of the University of Manchester, Dr Richard Walker from the Royal Society of Chemistry and Dr Caroline Kenny […]
By Hilary Pilkington and Mark Ellison Filed Under: Featured Posted:
As politicians make their final canvasses for the General Election, they will be worrying about voter turnout. Professor Hilary Pilkington and Mark Ellison explain why young adults in the UK are less likely to vote than are their counterparts across Europe. Thursday’s General Election is widely regarded as the closest and perhaps most important for […]
By Kingsley Purdam and Rosalynd Southern Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
Politicians seeking election this May need to communicate effectively with potential voters. Rosalynd Southern and Kingsley Purdam explain that – judging by the last General Election – many of them could do better. Good communication skills and an ability to connect with the electorate are key attributes for MPs. But in the UK MPs undertake […]
By Rob Ford, Mark Pickup, Will Jennings and Christopher Wlezien Filed Under: Featured, Polling Observatory Posted:
As explained in the inaugural election forecast, up until May next year the Polling Observatory team will be producing a long term forecast for the 2015 General Election, using methods first applied ahead of the 2010 election (and which are also well-established in the United States). The authors’ method involves trying to make the best use of […]
By Georgios Papanagnou Filed Under: All posts, Europe, Featured Posted:
David Cameron failed to block Jean Claude Juncker from being nominated by the European Council for the post of European Commission President. Dr. Georgios Papanagnou takes a look at some of the weaknesses in the campaigns by Cameron and the British media. In the end “this time was not so much different” – Jean Claude […]
By Rob Ford, Will Jennings, Mark Pickup and Christopher Wlezien Filed Under: Featured, Polling Observatory Posted:
This is the thirty-seventh in a series of posts by Dr Robert Ford, Dr Will Jennings, Dr Mark Pickup and Prof Christopher Wlezien that report on the state of the parties in the UK as measured by opinion polls. By pooling together all the available polling evidence, the impact of the random variation that each individual survey inevitably produces […]
By Ed Cox Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
This year’s European elections and Scottish referendum may signify a more profound change in British politics than the General Election in 2015, writes Ed Cox. Taken together, they present an opportunity for the people of the United Kingdom to send a clear message to the mainstream political parties. Tomorrow’s local and European elections are not […]