By Professor John R. Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography, The Department of Strategy and International Business, Birmingham Business School One claim that is made by parties in opposition is that Britain is broken and needs to be fixed. This is political rhetoric. For example, to Rachel Reeves, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, … Continue reading “Economic Stability and Uncertainty: UK Economic Futures Post General Election 2024 “
Category: Election 2024
General Election 2024: what the manifestos don’t say about the housing crisis
By Dr Jacob Salder, Department of Management, Birmingham Business School Earlier this week, Dr Anandadeep Mandal wrote about what the manifestos say about the housing crisis this election, but I want to focus on what has been left unsaid. Last year I finally took the plunge and bought a house. Generally considered a landmark moment … Continue reading “General Election 2024: what the manifestos don’t say about the housing crisis”
Closing the gender pay gap ‘once and for all’
By Dr Fuk Ying Tse – Assistant Professor in Organisation, Work and Employment, University of Birmingham Dr Manuela Galetto – Associate Professor in Employment Relations, University of Warwick In an exclusive interview with the Guardian on 20 June 2024, Rachel Reeves, the contesting Chancellor of the Labour Party, pledged to close the gender pay gap … Continue reading “Closing the gender pay gap ‘once and for all’”
What’s the problem with asking teachers to clean kids’ teeth?
By Dr Kathryn Spicksley British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham The polls tell us that it looks increasingly likely that a Labour government will be elected in July. For primary school teachers, this change might bring about an additional responsibility; Keir Starmer has proposed to introduce teacher-led toothbrushing … Continue reading “What’s the problem with asking teachers to clean kids’ teeth? “
Why Labour’s promise of 6,500 teachers is not likely to work
By Professor Beng Huat See School of Education, University of Birmingham Labour’s promise of 6,500 new teachers is unlikely to solve the chronic teacher shortage. The issue extends beyond just a lack of teachers or interested individuals. Despite various financial incentives and the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy—which aims to reduce workload, improve school culture, … Continue reading “Why Labour’s promise of 6,500 teachers is not likely to work”
Mind the (wealth) gap
By Dr Huw Macartney Department of Political Science and International Studies, School of Government, University of Birmingham Three million emergency food parcels were handed out in the UK over the past 12 months; the number of people living in absolute poverty is predicted to increase by 300,000, to almost 12 million, in 2024; and 17 … Continue reading “Mind the (wealth) gap”
Only Foolish Nations Tax Educational Services: Labour’s Blind Spot and Independent Schools
By Professor John R. Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography, The Department of Strategy and International Business, Birmingham Business School One of the underlying themes of the upcoming general election is that Britain is broken, with Sir Keir Starmer pledging to “fix broken Britain”. Nevertheless, it is British political discourse that is broken rather … Continue reading “Only Foolish Nations Tax Educational Services: Labour’s Blind Spot and Independent Schools”
Trans rights? Not under Starmer’s Labour Party
By Jonathan Pettifer, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham The UK has plummeted down the rankings of LGBTQ-friendly countries over the last decade. With a general election set for 4 July, could a change in government mean an improvement in LGBTQ+ rights? When New Labour took office in 1997, … Continue reading “Trans rights? Not under Starmer’s Labour Party”
SoS – Save our Shops! Will the forthcoming election bring about effective retail change?
By Professor Sarah Montano & Dr Inci Toral, Department of Marketing, Birmingham Business School We are used to seeing the news headlines stating that the High Street is dying. The recent loss of Wilko emphasises the precarious nature of retail. In 2022 Ordnance Survey data showed that department stores had declined by 13.4%. However, there … Continue reading “SoS – Save our Shops! Will the forthcoming election bring about effective retail change?”
Denied democracy? Why trans* voters could lose out at the upcoming general election
By Dr Ash Kayte Stokoe, Department of Political Science and International Studies and Dr Kit Colliver, York Law School On July 04, the UK will hold the first general election where everyone will be required to bring photo ID to vote in person. The new rules, brought in by the Elections Act 2022, represent a … Continue reading “Denied democracy? Why trans* voters could lose out at the upcoming general election”