British Politics and Policy at LSE
London School of Economics and Political Science
Evidence-based social science for UK policy and politics. BPP is a multidisciplinary academic blog run by the London School of Economics and Political Science. Our central aim is to increase the public understanding of British politics and policy by providing accessible academic commentary and research. We have no editorial “line” beyond a commitment to communicating social science research and commentary in ways that enhance public debate and understanding.
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LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 17 May 2024 English
It’s easy to dismiss movements like national conservatism as just another populist, far-right, or even extremist faction of conservative parties struggling to redefine themselves. But Angelos Chryssogelos argues it should …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 16 May 2024 English
Following the Prime Minister’s recent remarks about doing away with “sick note culture”, Mark Simpson argues that if the proposed changes to the main UK-wide disability payment go ahead, this …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 15 May 2024 English
In the run up to the Imperial-LSE symposium on Generative AI and The Knowledge Economy, Miqdad Asaria argues that AI could lead to a paradigm-shift in healthcare systems likes the …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 14 May 2024 English
After the dust has settled, Tony Travers dissects the recent local election results, and argues that even though Labour is ahead, it’s not by as much as the polls seem …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 10 May 2024 English
The shift from the supplementary vote system to first past the post in the recent local elections has produced some odd results, with candidates able to win the vote with …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 8 May 2024 English
In the shadow of the Rwanda Act, overturning a decision by the Supreme Court and putting in question the Refugee Convention of Human Rights, Shami Chakrabarti argues that the Government’s …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 7 May 2024 English
There is an apparent paradox when it comes to NHS funding: the government is spending a record amount of money on it, and yet it is underfunded. Nicholas Barr explains …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 3 May 2024 English
Analysis by Liam Clegg and Graeme Davies shows that between 2008 and 2019, Westminster governments systematically favoured politically-aligned local authorities when it came to distributing government grants. The UK is …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 2 May 2024 English
In the run up to London’s mayoral election, misinformation regarding ULEZ has been promoted and weaponised by candidates like Susan Hall. This tactic distorts the public’s perception of environmental policies …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 1 May 2024 English
Following the local elections, nearly half of the English population will have a metro mayor by May 3rd. Despite their extensive responsibilities, there is no official channel of exchange between …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 30 April 2024 English
Bart van Ark, Anna Valero and Andy Westwood argue that a new statutory body for growth and productivity would facilitate policymaking across government. As the UK gears up for a …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 26 April 2024 English
The freedom to protest is one of the fundamental rights in a liberal democracy. But a series of public order laws passed by Parliament in recent years have made the …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 25 April 2024 English
A lot of policymaking focuses on solving short-term problems, in sight of the 3-4 year electoral cycle. But big crises are never too far off. Alexander Evans argues that social …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 24 April 2024 English
The intellectual movement of postliberalism is gaining attention and is likely to play an important role in reshaping the Conservative party’s future. Paul Kelly traces postliberalism’s development, from the philosophy …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 22 April 2024 English
The UK should continue pursuing its policy of calling for restraint on Israel’s response to Iran, while at the same time impose further economic sanctions on Iran and tackle its …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 19 April 2024 English
The young in the UK, the US and some European countries, according to the World Happiness Report, are less happy today than they were just a few years ago. While …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 18 April 2024 English
The UK’s policymaking style post since Margaret Thatcher’s premiership has become less deliberative, more frenetic, and significantly more centralised and impositional, argue Patrick Diamond and Jeremy Richardson. Tis has led …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 17 April 2024 English
There is a cross-party consensus that the way to tackle the housing crisis is to build more homes. But this approach isn’t working, and does little to address inequality and …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 15 April 2024 English
In the UK, partners or family members are responsible for nearly half of all female homicides. But there is an increasing rate of statement withdrawal from victims in high-risk domestic …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 12 April 2024 English
Ruth Patrick and Sharon Wright highlight the positive lessons that the rest of the UK can learn from Scotland’s more flexible and empathetic approach to social security. As the UK …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 10 April 2024 English
Britons’ trust in public institutions like the judiciary, the BBC and Parliament is in decline. People are instead investing their trust in individuals. But for the sake of a functioning …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 8 April 2024 English
Politics in Britain today seems bereft of ideas. Both the Conservative and Labour parties seem to believe that politics is about technocratic pragmatism, “doing what works”. But effective policymaking has …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 4 April 2024 English
In the past one would expect to find progressive views on homosexuality would be a predictor of progressive attitudes in other areas, like immigration. But a new paradoxical-sounding trend is …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 28 March 2024 English
In her Mais lecture, the Shadow Chancellor diagnosed the UK’s problems of economic stagnation, persistent inequality and the instability that geopolitical shocks and climate change bring. Anna Valero outlines what …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 27 March 2024 English
The constant flux of Government policy makes life very difficult for local authorities housing asylum seekers. Melissa Weihmayer argues that the Government should instead treat councils as helpful partners who …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 25 March 2024 English
Nearly 100 years after they gained the right to vote in the UK, women still don’t enjoy equal political power with men, argues Helen Pankhurst. Equal political representation would only …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 22 March 2024 English
British higher education may be world-leading, but it’s also facing a funding crisis. To stave off catastrophe, the whole sector must embrace the lifelong learning revolution, argues Marius S. Ostrowski. …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 21 March 2024 English
The use of the term “far-right” to describe political parties such as Reform UK is unhelpful. The term causes too visceral a reaction and at the same time is too …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 20 March 2024 English
Despite progress in gender equality, the pay gap continues to be a major challenge. Policymakers are yet to understand the nuances and intricate mechanics of why women’s earnings take a …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 18 March 2024 English
Following the cuts to National Insurance contributions in the Budget, Jeremy Hunt hinted at the idea that the Conservative Party’s long-term goal is to abolish it altogether. Sanjit Nagi revisits …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 15 March 2024 English
In this extract from his speech delivered at the LSE, First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf argues that a dangerous consensus between the Conservatives and Labour is to blame for …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 13 March 2024 English
The polls seem to suggest that the two-party system is alive and well. But dig a bit deeper and you’ll find that voters no longer identify as strongly with either …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 12 March 2024 English
What would it take for the UK’s current “technical” recession to turn into a real one? Jason Lennard puts the UK’s economic dip in historical perspective and argues that things …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 8 March 2024 English
Following an emergency speech by the Prime Minister on the dangers of extremist ideology, the Government is said to be reconsidering the very definition of extremism. Quassim Cassam warns than …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 8 March 2024 English
Despite the existence of the NHS, the UK has a Gender Health Gap. Women, especially those of low socio-economic status, have worse health outcomes than men. Genevieve Jeffrey traces the …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 7 March 2024 English
The Chancellors’ focus on tax cuts in the 2024 Budget leave the UK economy’s major challenges largely untouched. Low growth and the urgent need to move towards net zero require …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 6 March 2024 English
Tax cuts during a pre-election Budget make party-political sense. They ensure some electoral support and create constraints that a new government will find hard to overturn. Tony Blair and Gordon …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 5 March 2024 English
The head of the British army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, recently raised concerns over poor recruitment in the military. But as Jonathan Parry and Christina Easton argue, there are deeper, …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 1 March 2024 English
Calls for the Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, to resign reveal a deeper, structural problem with the representation of smaller parties in the Commons. Aside from the SNP, there …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 29 February 2024 English
Inflation may be down, but its underlying causes haven’t gone away. Charles Goodhart argues that an ageing population with more care needs, coupled with the challenge of climate change and …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 28 February 2024 English
Labour’s plans for putting into law the right to equal pay for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BME) workers largely focuses on reporting pay discrepancies when it comes to jobs …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 26 February 2024 English
Current welfare rules force those on benefits to take up any job that’s available, with no consideration of its financial viability, future prospects, or suitability to people’s other needs. This …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 23 February 2024 English
The Conservative Party is grappling with its identity in the run up to the 2024 elections. The ideological imprint of the likes of Liz Truss, who spoke at the US …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 22 February 2024 English
Parliamentary committees and meetings are a big part of how MPs socialise with their colleagues. The social networks that they develop as a result shape their interests and behaviour in …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 21 February 2024 English
Following 12 years of persecution, the founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange is at risk of being extradited from the UK to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage. …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 19 February 2024 English
In London’s poorest boroughs, there is increasingly a sense that public services can no longer be relied on. People look instead to their local community for support. Shani Orgad, Divya …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 16 February 2024 English
The vision of post-Brexit Britain was one of international trade deals that would propel the country into a new era of prosperity. That vision of “Global Britain” is now dead. …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 14 February 2024 English
With an increasing number of councils facing bankruptcy, the Government is planning a change to the rules that currently prevents them from selling off their assets. But in order to …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 12 February 2024 English
The Government’s rhetoric on curbing immigration, and “stopping the small boats” in particular, has strong echoes of the Brexit campaign. As Matilde Rosina and Cristina Juverdeanu point out, the same …
LSE: London School of Economics and Political Science · 9 February 2024 English
Seven years after an inquiry by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities revealed the UK Government’s violation of disabled individuals’ rights, the situation has, regrettably, worsened, …