Labour’s new Employment Rights Bill: an initial assessment

By Tony Dobbins, Professor of Work and Employment Relations Department of Management, Birmingham Business School The Labour Government’s new Employment Rights Bill undoubtedly heralds a significant boost in workers’ rights after 14 years of Conservative government espousal of a liberalized flexible labour market model – translated as let the market run its course/let people do … Continue reading “Labour’s new Employment Rights Bill: an initial assessment”

Harris baits Trump into self-sabotage

By Dr Adam Quinn, Department of Political Science and International Studies, School of Government, University of Birmingham The question going into Tuesday’s debate was which candidate could more successfully exploit the format to expose their opponent’s biggest weaknesses in front of the largest audience of the campaign. By that standard, Donald Trump performed extremely poorly … Continue reading “Harris baits Trump into self-sabotage”

From Protest to Power: Will Bangladesh’s student victory lead to national transformation?

By Dr Md Shajedur Rahman, Research Fellow, School of Education, University of Birmingham Bangladesh recently faced one of its most intense political crises, with nearly 500 people killed in student-led anti-government protests. The unrest forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, long criticized for her increasingly autocratic rule, to resign and flee to India. In her absence, … Continue reading “From Protest to Power: Will Bangladesh’s student victory lead to national transformation?”

A winter of discontent for pensioners?

By Professor Martin Powell Health Services Management Centre Professor of Health and Social Policy ‘How we treat our old people is a crucial test of our national quality. A nation that lacks gratitude to those who have honestly worked for her in the past while they had the strength to do so, does not deserve … Continue reading “A winter of discontent for pensioners?”

Beneficial constraints: stronger workers’ rights can underpin better work in left-behind UK regions

By Professor Tony Dobbins Professor of Work and Employment Relations, Birmingham Business School The King’s Speech 2024 commits to legislating for an Employment Rights Bill, reflecting promises in Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay-New Deal For Working People. The extensive policy proposals include: creating a single enforcement body (Fair Work Agency); a new Fair Pay … Continue reading “Beneficial constraints: stronger workers’ rights can underpin better work in left-behind UK regions”

King’s Speech: Will government’s more active role in housing improve availability and affordability?

By Dr Jacob Salder Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Organisation, Birmingham Business School Housing availability, housing affordability, and access to housing and the housing market have been a critical issue for many people in the UK in recent years. Seeking to resolve these issues has therefore become a priority for successive UK governments. The success of … Continue reading “King’s Speech: Will government’s more active role in housing improve availability and affordability?”

What does Labour’s “sandcastle majority” mean for the new government?

By Dr Nathan Critch Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS), University of Birmingham Whilst the relatively low vote share Labour achieved in the 2024 general election was enough to secure a landslide in terms of parliamentary seats, a lack of real popular enthusiasm for their governing project is sure to cause problems for … Continue reading “What does Labour’s “sandcastle majority” mean for the new government?”

How will minority groups vote in the general election?

By Professor Aditya Goenka, Department of Economics, Birmingham Business School Understanding the voting intentions of the minority groups is important as they constituted 19.3% of the population in 2021 in England and Wales. The distribution within England varies with a much higher representation in urban areas such as greater London, Birmingham and West Midlands, Leicester, … Continue reading “How will minority groups vote in the general election?”

General Election 2024: Whatever happened to levelling up?

By Abigail Taylor, Research Fellow & Johannes Read, Policy and Data Analyst, City-REDI, Birmingham Business School The phrase ‘levelling up’ – which refers to tackling inequality between places – has been cast aside in the 2024 election campaign. There has been relatively little detailed discussion about addressing regional inequalities by any of the main parties. … Continue reading “General Election 2024: Whatever happened to levelling up?”

The future of devolution under a new government – a manifesto guide

By Associate Professor Rebecca Riley City-REDI, Birmingham Business School Each party’s stance on place and devolution reflects their broader political philosophies, with Labour and the Conservatives focusing on managed devolution within a united framework, while the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, and Plaid Cymru push for more substantial devolved autonomy and constitutional reform. Reform UK doesn’t … Continue reading “The future of devolution under a new government – a manifesto guide”