@loganrobin.bsky.social
Working with academic researchers at The University of Manchester (@manchester.ac.uk) communicate cutting edge research with policymakers in Westminster and Greater Manchester. Previously worked at environmental think tanks and NGOs.
That's really interesting. How do you access the Ad Centre?
I think the Liaison Committee question session ahead of Boris Johnson's resignation was a key example of MPs 'wasting' their questions for a wider purpose, and that was in 2022!
This may be true, but equally I think I remember the veteran MP Chris Mullin talking about the same phenomenon in the 90s and 00's.
Of course there are great historic examples of MPs cooperating to pressure govt, but equally maybe even those were the exception rather than the norm?
It's especially bad because I only read maybe one to two dozen books a year cover-to-cover, and I'm quite particular about what I like. There's a good chance if you've identified a book I like that I probably already own it (and just haven't read it yet).
I appreciate your point RE books as gifts. I've inadvertently offended several friends by not reading the books they gifted me. I'm sorry, but I only have limited time and I don't want to spend 20+ hours reading something I don't enjoy just to show how important your friendship is to me.
As someone with three bookcases in their living room, including a good number of books I only partially read at uni (a long time ago)... this thread was a bit of a wake up call.
Hah what are the chances! Cheers will take a look
What is being achieved in Rochdale should be watched closely by local councils and metro-mayors across the country. With the Comprehensive Spending Review approaching, there are many ideas figures in the Treasury should consider. Read more 👇 blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/urban/2025/0...
🗳️ To turn the Atom Valley vision into a reality more than £750m has been invested in the area since 2020. The sources of investment have included private capital, but critically it has been led by regional and national government.
📈📉 Many towns and cities end up in a negative feedback loop that is incredibly challenging to escape, making it all the more impressive Rochdale is charting a path out of this, as the report authors state here 👇
🔬Rochdale's increased productivity is thanks to a local investment strategy with the objective of making the town a global hub for advanced materials, through the creation of the Atom Valley.
🚌 There are of course areas where Rochdale and Greater Manchester need to go further, including improving bus services and apprenticeships, to allow residents to access new local jobs. However Rochdale’s productivity has already begun catching up to the national average.
I am excited to be working with The Productivity Institute on their excellent research into kickstarting productivity growth in the UK's towns and cities, improving lives and livelihoods in the process. They have completed an in depth report which puts Rochdale under the microscope.
You can read the full article online: blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2024/1....
Women runners are therefore a distinct group who frequently experience violence and abuse and need to be represented in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda.
6) Recognising women runners as a distinct group: The research shows that women often run at quiet times of the day (around work and childcare commitments), in less populated areas, wearing fewer and particular types of clothing, carrying few items, and are more frequently alone.
5) Improving access to green space: Mapping the police reported incidents revealed that women runners experience abuse in green spaces, including parks and paths next to waterways; places that are attractive for running. It is essential that women are able to access outdoor spaces for exercise.
4) Challenging attitudes: Campaigns, such as Greater Manchester’s ‘Is This Okay’ campaign, have sought to challenge the attitudes and behaviours of boys and men that contribute to gender-based violence.
3) Improving police knowledge & action: Improving reporting and increasing confidence in the police would improve the accuracy of police data. This intelligence could help identify patterns and detect perpetrators, as in one GMP operation, which led to a conviction of a serial perpetrator.
2) Improving confidence in the police: Women are reluctant to report incidents of abuse as they fear they will not be taken seriously. Police could do more to encourage women to report incidents (even those perceived as ‘low-level’), and communicate with victims about outcomes of investigations.
1) Making it easier to report abuse: Engaging with alternative platforms through which women can disclose their experiences, such as using an app to report incidents, rather than directly contacting the police, could improve reporting.
To combat this, Dr Miles and Prof Broad's research shows that policymakers should consider the following actions:
What's more, an analysis of police records showed that over a two year period, police in Greater Manchester and Merseyside recorded only 81 individual offences involving women runners, despite another study showing that 25% of women runners regularly experience sexual abuse.
Dr Miles' and Prof Broad's research found that while 68% of a sample of women runners in Greater Manchester and Merseyside had experienced being abused whilst out running, only 5% of these women had reported the abuse to the police.
It's been an honour to be the policy engagement lead for Dr Miles & Prof Broad's research into the Abuse of Women Runners. This research is being taken seriously at the highest levels, as shown by our meeting yesterday with the Minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips.
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You can sign up by emailing us on policy@manchester.ac.uk. Can't make the date but want to know more? Drop me a line!
Join us to hear from Dr Chris Jones, Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Tyndall Centre and Samantha Nicholson, Director of the Manchester Climate Change Agency, at our upcoming GM Policy Hub Seminar, chaired by Professor of Energy and Sustainability, Maria Sharmina.
🌍 In 2020 over 300 local authorities declared a climate emergency and set ambitious emissions reduction targets. However, five years' on most local authorities are not on track to achieve these targets
🤔 How should local authorities respond if they miss their climate change targets? Join The University of Manchester's expert panel on Wednesday 11 June to find out.
www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/gm-policy-hu...
