The start of the new school year, debates about the value of homework and concerns about how the Northern Powerhouse education fund is being spent are a further reminder of the inequalities in the UK education system. It is a priority that policy makers focus on addressing the long-term inequalities in the education system. As […]
Why engineering in the UK must embrace change
2018 is the Year of Engineering, a UK Government campaign to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do amongst young people. The reason for the drive is that despite demand, good career opportunities and higher than average earnings, industry struggles to recruit and retain the talent it needs. Many young people, especially women and […]
Democracy on the Line?
Kingsley Purdam and Rob Ford from The University of Manchester use the Manchester Metrolink map to show levels of voter turnout and ask if there will be more or less local democracy in 2018. The 2018 local elections across England will be held in May, but despite their importance for policy they are likely to […]
Children at the food bank – a startling picture of food insecurity in the UK
While undertaking research in food banks in Northwest England, Dr Kingsley Purdam and colleagues witnessed the ‘shocking’ sight of children visiting with their parents. It is likely that much of the food insecurity in the UK is hidden – particularly amongst families. Given the predicted increase in child poverty, it is likely that we will […]
The forgotten welfare gap in older age
As the winter months and colder weather approach, the University of Manchester’s Kingsley Purdam explains how welfare reform and austerity has affected the growing numbers of older people. Ongoing research into food insecurity shows older people are at risk of under-nutrition because of poverty, or because they don’t get the support they need to shop, […]
Is having any job at all better for your health and wellbeing than being unemployed?
There are long held assumptions that taking any job is better for a person’s health and wellbeing than being unemployed. A study of over 1000 unemployed adults by Tarani Chandola, Professor of Medical Sociology at The University of Manchester, compared health and stress levels of those remaining unemployed and different quality jobs. The study revealed evidence that […]
Communicating with the electorate: Are politicians in or out of touch?
As the 2017 General Election candidates – many of whom are standing for this first time – intensify their campaigns for election, Rosalynd Southern and Kingsley Purdam explain the importance of effective communication with the electorate for building political support. Communication skills and an ability to connect with the electorate are key attributes for politicians […]
Life on the line? Life expectancy and where we live
Researchers at The University of Manchester have mapped estimates of life expectancy and years lived healthily to the stops on the local tram network. Kingsley Purdam, who led the research, says the differences between areas in the UK are a human rights issue. Devolution and living longer Greater Manchester is home to a population of […]
Definitely, Maybe? 5 Million ‘Don’t Knows’ and the EU Referendum
The heat is on, as both sides urge voters to choose ‘leave’ or ‘remain’ in the run-up to the UK’s historic EU Referendum on June 23rd. New polls are coming in thick and fast, but while the outcome is uncertain, what is certain is that many voters have yet to decide. The ‘Don’t Know’ voters […]
Migrant Drs keep the NHS going
Research led by Yasmin Ghazala Farooq with Kingsley Purdam, Aneez Esmail and Rob Ford at the University of Manchester has highlighted the vital contribution overseas trained doctors have made to people’s health and to the NHS in the UK. Given the ongoing debates about immigration control it is important to recognise that Britishness is a […]