The University of Liverpool’s Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place has launched its new series of policy briefings to address a range of long-term issues and challenges facing policymakers in UK city-regions.
Since the launch of its policy briefings in 2020, the Heseltine Institute has published over 60 papers from academics, policymakers and practitioners addressing a range of pressing policy issues. As policymakers grapple with increasingly complex challenges following a decade of political shocks, economic stagnation and a pandemic, this new series aims to highlight innovative interventions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
Briefings planned over the coming weeks focus on topics such as devolution, regional economic policy and Metro Mayors. The Heseltine Institute are looking for further submissions along four distinct themes:
- Cities and city regions – including identifying how we address major policy challenges such as climate change and the transition to net zero; demographic change, including an ageing population; and industrial policy and its spatial dimensions.
- Public services – discussing how UK public services, which are under increased strain following austerity and covid-19, respond to policy challenges and proposals for new ways to deliver public services.
- Inequalities – identifying how inequalities between and within places can be reduced.
- Power, politics and place – discussing elections, voting and the dynamics of local and regional politics in the lead up to a UK General Election and key local elections in 2024.
The Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place is a non-partisan, internationally recognised University of Liverpool research institute, bringing together expertise from across the University and policy communities to co-create, impact upon and influence public policies for tomorrow’s cities.
The ‘Policy in an Age of Uncertainty’ series is the third full policy briefing series produced by the Institute, designed to be a space for testing new policy ideas and showcasing new perspectives on policy.
Dr Tom Arnold, editor of the Heseltine Institute policy briefings, said: “We are delighted to be launching our latest Policy Briefing series. Policymakers are operating in an increasingly uncertain environment, and our policy briefings will disseminate cutting edge research and thinking on a range of pressing policy challenges.
“The policy briefings are an important part of the Heseltine Institute’s role in promoting impactful research and fostering partnerships between academia and the policy world. Previous policy briefings have featured in parliamentary inquiries, been referenced in academic journal articles and help to foster research collaborations and we look forward to our series on Policy in an Age of Uncertainty having a similar impact in addressing important issues facing the UK.
“Our Policy Briefings will be circulated to hundreds of policymakers, researchers and practitioners across the City Region and the UK. Do get involved, share your ideas and contribute to solving the public policy challenges of tomorrow.”
The Heseltine Institute team is seeking short, highly focused briefings of up to 2,000 words. Submissions are reviewed by the Institute, with the aim of working constructively with authors to maximise the policy impact of the research.
The briefings will be published regularly on a dedicated section of the Heseltine Institute’s website, with the intention of creating a diverse, current and informative repository of research and case studies.
If you are interested in contributing to the series, please contact Dr Tom Arnold at the Heseltine Institute at t.arnold@liverpool.ac.uk.
To find out more about the Heseltine Institute’s Policy Briefing series, please visit https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/heseltine-institute/policybriefs/.
You can read the first briefing in the series online here.