The Nightmare Before Christmas

Alice Pugh looks at the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the Christmas season. Whether you view Christmas as a religious or commercial holiday, for most households in the UK it should be a beautiful time of the year filled with joy. However, this year the cost-of-living crisis is the grinch which is stealing Christmas … Continue reading “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands

Alice Pugh takes an in-depth look at the Autumn Statement and what it means for the West Midlands. For futher analysis see: The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements The Autumn Statement was finally released last week detailing government tax and spending plans. The budget comes at a time of significant political and economic turbulence. The … Continue reading “The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands”

The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements

  Alice Pugh provides an overview of the key announcements to come out of the Autumn Statement. For futher analysis see: The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands The Autumn Statement was finally released last week detailing government tax and spending plans. The budget comes at a time of significant political and … Continue reading “The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements”

Qatar World Cup 2022: Counting the Cost of the Beautiful Game

With the Qatar World Cup just underway, Matt Lyons takes a look at the costs of the megaevent for Qatar, and what the potential benefits might be for the host country. The Qatar World Cup kicked off (sorry) yesterday and an estimated 1.2 million visitors will visit the first Middle East nation to host the … Continue reading “Qatar World Cup 2022: Counting the Cost of the Beautiful Game”

Linking Research to Localities – The City-Region Economic Development Institute

Simon Collinson, Rebecca Riley, and Anne Green reflect on the experience of developing City-REDI and the factors that have enabled it to produce research tailored to the needs of regional stakeholders. An invitation to write a chapter for a book titled ‘How to Engage PolicyRe Makers with Your Research: The Art of Informing and Impacting Policy’ provided a … Continue reading “Linking Research to Localities – The City-Region Economic Development Institute”

Energy Price Cap Reduction

Alice Pugh looks at the potential impact of the removal of the energy price cap for households in the West Midlands. The removal of the energy price cap from April 2023 will have a massive impact on energy bills for households within the WMCA area. The West Midlands region has the largest number of fuel-poor … Continue reading “Energy Price Cap Reduction”

National Inclusion Week 2022: Ethnicities Pay Gaps and Effects of Equality Act 2010

Maryna Ramcharan marks National Inclusion Week 2022 by looking at ethnicity pay gaps in the UK and considering the effects of the Equality Act 2010. The act was implemented to reduce inequalities in the workplace and to protect people from discrimination. The 26th of September marks the start of National Inclusion Week 2022. National Inclusion … Continue reading “National Inclusion Week 2022: Ethnicities Pay Gaps and Effects of Equality Act 2010”

New Report: Equality Act 2010 Effects on Incomes of Ethnic Minorities

A new report by Maryna Ramcharan looks at the Equality Act 2010 and how the incomes of ethnic minorities changed when the new legislation came into force. Discrimination in the workplace is a problem for businesses as an individual who is being discriminated against could be under-employed, resulting in a reduced talent pool for the … Continue reading “New Report: Equality Act 2010 Effects on Incomes of Ethnic Minorities”

Regional Clusters: Place Branding for the Co-Location of Firms

Professor Simon Collison discusses how city-regions need to build a straightforward narrative that captures why people and businesses would want to visit, live, work, invest and commit to that particular place. Place branding and local leadership is often focused on promoting inward investment around clusters of economic activity, which can contribute to regional economic growth … Continue reading “Regional Clusters: Place Branding for the Co-Location of Firms”