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”

Controversial RSHE Draft: Threatening LGBTQIA+ Education Amidst Election Turmoil 

By Joséphine Hengstwerth, Postgraduate Research Student & Member of the Rainbow Network and Dr Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor in the Health Services Management Centre The new draft Relationships, Sex and Health Education was released on the 16th May this year. There are many issues with this guidance that directly conflict with research and evidence in the … Continue reading “Controversial RSHE Draft: Threatening LGBTQIA+ Education Amidst Election Turmoil “