University of Manchester School of Social Sciences

Gorton and Denton byelection: Reform could benefit from split vote on the left A byelection has been set for February 26 in the Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton. This will be a big test for Keir Starmer’s Labour party and a temperature check on the state of multi-party politics in the North. Although Labour won the seat comfortably in 2024, some early polls are already suggesting Reform could win.Byelections ...

This media coverage highlights the School’s impactful, real-world research and commitment to connecting scholarship with national dialogue.

Learn more about the By-Elections 👉 www.manchester.ac.uk...

#UKPolitics #GortonAndDenton #UoMExperts
6/6

What does the Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton mean for the future of British politics? Our panel responds Greens first, Reform second, Labour trailing – and the Tories losing their deposit. This felt like a rejection of the status quo

📰 Remi Joseph-Salisbury @uomsociology.bsky.social in The Guardian’s expert reaction panel:
Expert take on what the Greens’ victory signals for British politics.
Read here 👉 www.theguardian.com/...
5/6

📺 Rob Ford UoM Politics on Sky News:
Breaking down the political implications for Labour and the wider landscape.
Watch here 👉 www.youtube.com/watc...

Also covered internationally: VRT Nieuws (Belgium) & Channel 4 News👉 youtube.com/watch?v=...
4/6

🎥 Nicole Martin UoM Politics on ITV News (Official):
Insightful analysis on what the by-election results mean for UK politics.
Watch here 👉 www.youtube.com/watc...
3/6

Police review reports of 'family voting' in by-election after Farage complaint The Greens have rejected claims from Farage that there was 'sectarian voting and cheating' in the election

📢 Louise Thompson UoM Politics in The Independent:
“Politics is changing faster than the system built to contain it.”
Warning: “If Labour doesn’t adapt, Gorton and Denton won’t be an anomaly.”
Read more 👉 inews.co.uk/news/lat...
2/6

Big conversations. National coverage. 🌐
@manchester.ac.uk academics are shaping understanding of the Gorton & Denton By-Election – from The Independent to ITV News, Sky News, The Guardian, and Channel 4. #UKPolitics #GortonAndDenton #UoMExperts

@uomhums.bsky.social
1/6

University of Manchester to lead accelerated research project tackling violence against women and girls Content warning: References to sexual violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and homicide.Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains a widespread and underreported issue across the UK. Accor...

@officialuom.bsky.social will lead RISE, a £625k @ukri.org‑funded project accelerating research and action on violence against women and girls.

The project will be led by researchers from across our School and @uomscieng.bsky.social

🔗 Full news:
www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/u...

#VAWGResearch

What does the Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton mean for the future of British politics? Our panel responds Greens first, Reform second, Labour trailing – and the Tories losing their deposit. This felt like a rejection of the status quo

'The problems are real – but the solutions Reform offered were not. Its politics relies on fear and scapegoating, and the racism feels barely disguised'
Remi Joseph-Salisbury comments on the Gorton & Denton by-election
@uomhums.bsky.social @uomsoss.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

🎧New podcast: African Climate Futures

Carl Death from @uompols.bsky.social discusses how African climate futures are imagined through policy, politics, & Africanfuturist fiction & why these visions matter for climate justice and global political debates today.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

Huge congratulations to everyone involved – this is research with real-world impact, and we can’t wait to see where it leads. 👏

#SoSSResearch #ResearchImpact #FundingSuccess #SocialImpact #InterdisciplinaryResearch #HigherEducation

We’re also delighted to welcome our new Professor of Economics, Emma Tominey, who has received ESRC funding for research into elite education and social mobility.

Finally congrats to Ron Chan and James Bank (Economics) have also received research funding to support their ongoing work in economics.

Dr Diego Andrés Pérez Ruiz has been awarded a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant for the project Bayesian Integration of Probability and Non-Probability Samples via Entropy-Based Stopping Rules, with Professor Arkadiusz Wiśniowski as co-applicant.

@ibrasso.bsky.social @uomlaw.bsky.social has been awarded ERC Synergy funding with colleagues at the University of Oslo to explore the ethics of AI-enabled synthetic DNA.

Professor @jamespattison.bsky.social @uompols.bsky.social has received AHRC funding as Principal Investigator for The Ethics of Responding to Rising Global Authoritarianism, working with Co-Investigator Dr Fredrick Hjorthen from the University of Oslo.

Rose Broad @criminologyuom.bsky.social, Mark Elliot (@socialstats.bsky.social) and Richard Kirkham (FSE) have secured UKRI funding through the RISE programme to support research addressing violence against women, contributing to interdisciplinary work in this important area.

@bridgetbyrne8.bsky.social @uomsociology.bsky.social & Karen Sykes (Social Anthropology) have both been awarded prestigious @leverhulme.ac.uk Trust Major Research Fellowships, recognising the significance of their ongoing research and providing dedicated time to advance major scholarly projects.

Celebrating new research funding across our community 🎉

We’re delighted to share a wave of new research awards that are supporting work tackling some of today’s biggest social, political and ethical challenges.

@manchester.ac.uk

Our lecturer, Fiona Brimblecombe, will be continuing her research into media law and online expression while in Australia and is being hosted by Professor David Rolph (University of Sydney). While at Sydney Law School 1/2

@socialstats.bsky.social Data4All event brought together students, alumni, academics & employers to explore how Q-Step placements build real-world quantitative skills & open new career pathways.

Read more: www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/q...

This research has been highlighted by the Department of Health & Social Care’s VAWG advisor and discussed in Parliament, showing direct influence on national policy.

The study highlights the need to recognise women runners as a distinct group experiencing gender-based violence in public spaces, improve reporting pathways, rebuild trust in policing, and design safer public spaces.

Police recorded 81 offences over two years, mostly sexual offences & harassment. Meanwhile, 82% of women said they worry about their safety, with many changing routes, limiting when they run, or carrying personal alarms.

Photo of a running shoe

New research by Dr Caroline Miles & Professor Rosemary Broad, @criminologyuom.bsky.social @manchester.ac.uk finds 68% of women runners surveyed in Greater Manchester & Merseyside experienced abuse while running — yet only 5% reported it to police.

blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2024/1...

Thinking about starting our online, part‑time MSc in Data Analytics and Social Statistics this September? Join our course overview session with the Course Director.

Date: Thursday 26 February 2026
Time: 15:00-16:00 (GMT)
Location: Online
Register today: zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#MastersDegree

@milcmanchester.bsky.social presents the Gillian White Lecture 2026

The New International Economic (Dis)order: On Law, Privatization & Power with Christiane Ahlborn

📅4 March, 4–5pm

Exploring corporate power, privatization & the future of global economic justice

www.eventbrite.com/e/the-new-in...

Warm congratulations to all – this kind of recognition shows the influence our colleagues are having in shaping policy, practice and intellectual life well beyond the campus. 🌍

#AcademicLeadership #ExternalEsteem #ResearchCommunity #Recognition #Impact

Dr Fiona Brimblecombe @uomlaw.bsky.social has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Communications Law, taking on a key role in shaping scholarship at the intersection of law, media and technology.

Dr Emily Caddick-Bourne @uomphilosophy.bsky.social has won the 2024 Essay Prize for the journal Philosophy, recognising outstanding philosophical writing and original thinking (announced late 2025)

Elisa Bellotti @uomsociology.bsky.social has been elected President of the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA), taking on a global leadership role in shaping how researchers understand social networks, relationships and patterns of connection.

Professor Søren Holm @uomlaw.bsky.social has been appointed to the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s Bio-Reference Group, contributing his expertise to public policy discussions on health ethics at a national level.