Birmingham City Council and Public Service Cutbacks: The Role of Community in Shaping Birmingham’s Future 

By Professor John Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography, The Department of Strategy and International Business, Birmingham Business School Birmingham City Council (BCC) has found itself in a financial mess. Partly this comes from operational decisions that were made in the past and often by officers rather than elected councillors. One outcome of these … Continue reading “Birmingham City Council and Public Service Cutbacks: The Role of Community in Shaping Birmingham’s Future “

HS2 Funds Reallocation: A Lifeline or Liability for Local Authorities?

Dr Alice Moore, Assistant Professor in Public Management and Public Policy – School of Government The government has reallocated £4.7 billion that it would have spent on the cancelled legs of HS2 to a Local Transport Fund. From 2025, 27 areas in the North of England and Midlands will get an allocation to spend on … Continue reading “HS2 Funds Reallocation: A Lifeline or Liability for Local Authorities?”

Sibling Sexual Behaviour: how can services respond to the most common yet under-reported form of sexual abuse within the family?

By Dr Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor, University of Birmingham & Professor Kieran McCartan, UWE Sexual abuse is one of the most common and under reported forms of interpersonal violence. Although individuals, communities and society recognise the reality of sexual abuse and its ongoing implications for victims, the people who have committed the abuse, and their … Continue reading “Sibling Sexual Behaviour: how can services respond to the most common yet under-reported form of sexual abuse within the family?”

The Autumn Statement or a New Political Game in Spotting the Politics of Tokenism

By Professor John Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography, Birmingham Business School In 1777, Samuel Johnson proclaimed to James Boswell, his friend and biographer, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. I must admit to being tired of Autumn Statements and of a British political system that is not … Continue reading “The Autumn Statement or a New Political Game in Spotting the Politics of Tokenism”

Reflections on the King’s Speech

King Charles has opened parliament for the first time as monarch in the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years. Academics from across the College of Social Science reflect on the government’s key priorities set out by the king. Crime & Justice Proposals for tougher sentences raise concerns about exacerbating the strain on an … Continue reading “Reflections on the King’s Speech”

Who gets a say in the future direction of AI?

By Dr Adam Matthews Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, University of Birmingham This week’s AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park hosted politicians, big tech and academics to come together to forge a shared understanding of AI to create national and international frameworks which ensure frontier AI safety through collaboration in research, evaluation and governance, … Continue reading “Who gets a say in the future direction of AI?”

Leading for fairness in Black History Month

By Steve Gulati Associate Professor, Director of Healthcare Leadership, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham October is Black History Month. It’s also the month assertions have been made at the Conservative Party Conference that the UK is the ‘best country in the world in which to be black’. This provided a sharp contrast to … Continue reading “Leading for fairness in Black History Month”

Are you a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world?

By Dr Sameera KhalfeyLecturer in International Relations, Department of Political Science and International Studies No – and I would like to say thankfully not. Life in plastic is not fantastic. Whilst the Barbie franchise has expanded its representation the doll remains a clear representation of societal expectations and norms. The new Barbie movie, directed by … Continue reading “Are you a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world?”

The EU’s Response to the Ukraine Crisis – Five Foreign Policy Takeaways and Challenges for 2023

By Dr Graham Timmins, Reader in International Politics  Reader in International Politics, University of Birmingham  The European Council met in Brussels yesterday for the biannual summit of EU leaders. The  period since the last summit in June has witnessed Europe reeling from the shock of the new political reality following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What then … Continue reading “The EU’s Response to the Ukraine Crisis – Five Foreign Policy Takeaways and Challenges for 2023”

The Capitol Takeover: This is “Who We Are”

By Dr Jeanne Morefield,  Senior Lecturer of Political Theory, Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham & Fellow, Quincy Institute of Responsible Statecraft, Washington D.C. ““This is not who we are” is the standard cant of America’s public culture whenever it is confronted with something Trump does that seems to shatter the … Continue reading “The Capitol Takeover: This is “Who We Are””