Thousands of holes are appearing in the Pennine hills, as part of efforts to by restoring damaged peatland.

Peat itself is carbon rich and so as it grows it will help to capture the CO₂ that is produced by that is .

Meanwhile, damaged or turn into a carbon source, releasing greenhouses gases themselves. About 15% of the world’s peatlands have been drained, making these kind of restoration projects essential.

But now a new project is attempting to bring these wetlands back to life. On Holcombe Moor in the West Pennines, , with a further 700 in 2024 as part of Natural England’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. Improvements are already starting to be seen.

What’s the history here?

The hills of the West Pennines are no stranger to holes, with a long history of lead and coal mining stretching back to the .

Coal fired the mills nearby during the industrial revolution in cities such as ԰������, Leeds and Sheffield. Smoke drifted back to the hills, carrying the heavy metal impurities of lead and arsenic from coal burning.

The industrial legacy remains visible in the elevated near the soil surface, which made it difficult for most plants to survive. Areas were stripped of all vegetation, leaving expanses of exposed soil. In the most affected places, these cut deep into the surface, turning places like Kinder Scout into a moonscape.

What was exposed and eroded so quickly had taken over to form. Much of the Pennines are covered in blanket peatland, a type of bog made through the slow accumulation of partially decayed plant matter (the type of soil we call peat).

The , with the water table maintained high enough to limit the decomposition of plant matter, while still allowing plants to grow. Not just any plant can tolerate these harsh growing conditions. One species is truly specialised to bog life and forms the main building block of peat itself – Sphagnum.

Finding a super moss

Sphagnum moss is the key ecosystem engineer in peatlands, holding up to in water to maintain the saturated conditions needed for its growth.

When in a healthy state, new Sphagnum grows up through the older moss, raising the water table with it to leave the older moss submerged, partially decayed, which forms the peat itself. Bogs grow only millimetres per year, but over millennia this can build several metres of peat.

The organic nature of peat means it is carbon rich, so much so that UK peatlands store over , around ten times more than all .

Restored wetlands could also help protect the area from wildfires at the UK starts to see more .

Human pressure and pollution

With human pressures, including past industrial pollution, . Sphagnum has disappeared from these peatlands.

Now, peatland restoration efforts are under way. From the early 2000s organisations including Moors for the Future Partnership have spent decades blocking gullies to raise water tables, reseeding bare peat and , transforming the worst affected peatlands from dark .

Though blocking erosional gullies with stone or timber dams has in deeply eroded peat, restoring flatter moorland plateaux presents a different set of challenges. Namely, how to restore the wet conditions required to encourage more Sphagnum moss to grow. However, this hasn’t stopped restoration organisations from trying a novel restoration method which might work to restore flatter peatlands.

Five years on from the start of the project, the original bunds are covered with grasses and many pools are now brimming with Sphagnum moss, looking more like natural bog pools.

are crescent-shaped pools, created by digging shallow scrapes in the peat surface using special low impact excavators. The aim is to capture surface water which would otherwise run quickly off the hill after rainfall. The water stored in at the bog surface for Sphagnum moss to re-establish and grow on moorland plateaus.

The National Trust, in partnership with the University of ԰������, is undertaking long-term research to understand the potential for bunds as a peatland restoration method.

The followed one of the driest springs in England for over .

It provided the first test of extreme weather in this peat bund experiment. Preliminary monitoring during the 2025 drought suggests bunded areas remained wetter for longer than unrestored peat, helping to maintain wetter conditions near the peat surface for longer – the .

The excavator machines up on the hills today don’t signal a return to the industrial past, but an attempt to restore the damage it left behind.

, Honorary Research Associate in Peatland Hydrology,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons licence. Read the .

·        Small and statistically insignificant drop in hotel prices on major online platforms and hotel websites
·        Prices fell by around 5% for bookings made directly with hotels offline
·        Customers shifted away from online travel agents towards direct booking
·        Offline bookings – the largest channel at the time – increased their relative sales share
·        Total consumer savings were meaningful, but modest relative to the overall market

Why this matters

Online platforms like Booking.com and Expedia play a major role in how people find and book hotels.

For years, many of these platforms used ‘price parity clauses’ to prevent hotels from offering cheaper deals elsewhere, including on their own websites. 

Policymakers expected that banning these rules would lead to lower prices across the board. However, the study suggests the reality is more complicated, and that headline online prices may not tell the full story.

Hidden cheaper rooms

For most travellers, booking a hotel is simple - search the internet, compare prices and click - but this research suggests that the best deal may not always be the one you see.

Instead, customers willing to call, email or walk into a hotel directly were more likely to find lower prices after the policy change. In other words, the cheapest room may be the one that never appears online.

What actually changed

The study focuses on France, which in 2015 became the first country to fully ban price parity clauses in the hotel sector. Researchers analysed data from 166 hotels across Europe, comparing France with countries where the rules were still in place.

They found:

·        Online prices showed small decreases of around 1–2%, but these are not statistically distinguishable from zero
·        Offline prices dropped significantly, around 5% or €8.50 per booking
·        Bookings shifted away from online platforms towards direct offline channels

Why online prices didn’t fall

One reason may be that online platforms still have powerful ways to influence hotel behaviour. Hotels that offer lower prices elsewhere risk being pushed down search rankings, making them less visible to customers.

As a result, many hotels appear to have avoided cutting prices on visible online channels, even after the rules were removed. Instead, they offered discounts where platforms were less able to monitor - in direct, offline bookings.

What customers may be missing

The findings suggest that:

·        Not all price competition is visible online
·        Some of the best deals require extra effort to find
·        Consumers who rely only on platforms may miss cheaper options

At the same time, many users continue to use online booking tools for the convenience and additional services they offer – such as price comparison, guest reviews, and streamlined booking – even if it means paying slightly more.

A mixed success 

The policy did lead to more competition between booking channels, lower prices for some consumers and a shift away from platforms.

But overall, the impact was smaller than expected, especially on the highly visible online prices policymakers hoped to change.

Why it matters now

The findings are particularly relevant as new regulations, including the EU’s Digital Markets Act, aim to curb the power of large online platforms.

Understanding how businesses respond in practice is crucial to ensuring these policies deliver real benefits for consumers.

Publication details

The paper was carried out by economists from The University of ԰������, the University of Oxford, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and partner institutions across Europe. It was published in The Economic Journal.

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Professor Neil Humphrey, academic lead of #BeeWell, said: “Attendance matters, but these findings show that it should not be viewed in isolation. Young people also need to feel that they belong, that they are noticed, and that they have supportive relationships with adults in school. Through #BeeWell, we are working with partners across Greater ԰������ to ensure that responses to attendance challenges also support young people’s mental wellbeing 

Publication details  

This research was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.   

DOI:   

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness was established to champion journalism that sheds light on one of Britain’s most enduring social challenges. The prize recognises reporting that is person-centred, data-driven or policy-focused.

Chair of judges Michael Gove said: “The Orwell Prize attracts some of the most powerful and most exciting journalism being produced in Britain today. Homelessness is a huge social evil, but it has also inspired some great reporting and fantastic analysis. It has been a joy to spend time both with this work and with my fellow judges, who have brought a huge amount of passion and authority to the business of sifting some brilliant entries.”

The Orwell Foundation, which runs the awards, promotes the values associated with George Orwell’s writing, including integrity, courage and fidelity to truth.

The winners of the 2026 Orwell Prizes will be announced on 25 June at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

- Countries with higher climate vulnerability attract fewer international students
- Strong climate adaptation readiness significantly boosts student inflows
- Major climate summits such as COP15 and COP21 marked a turning point in student decision-making
- Economic factors still matter, but students increasingly weigh climate risk and resilience
- China, India and other emerging hubs could gain market share through stronger climate action and growing academic strength

What did the study find?

The study examined global student mobility patterns over two decades. Researchers found that a destination country’s climate vulnerability significantly reduced its attractiveness to prospective international students.

By contrast, countries with stronger climate adaptation readiness - meaning they are better prepared to respond to climate risks such as extreme weather, heat and infrastructure disruption - saw significantly higher student inflows.

Why climate now matters to students

Traditionally, international students have been drawn by factors such as prestigious universities, stronger economies, language links and career opportunities - but the study found this picture has changed.

Major global climate summits, including the Copenhagen Accord (COP15) in 2009 and the Paris Agreement (COP21) in 2015, acted as key turning points. After these moments, student choices increasingly reflected a country’s climate readiness and vulnerability, not just its economic strength.

A new competition for global talent

The findings suggest countries are now competing for students not only on education quality, but also on resilience, liveability and long-term stability. This could reshape the global higher education market in the years ahead.

Researchers found that proactive climate adaptation, combined with rising university capacity, could help emerging destinations such as China and India capture a larger share of international students.

Who could lose out?

The study suggests some traditional destinations could face growing pressure if climate vulnerability worsens or if progress on adaptation stalls.

Researchers say climate preparedness may increasingly influence how students judge future safety, quality of life and opportunity in a host country.

What the researchers said

“International students are making one of the biggest decisions of their lives when choosing where to study,” said Dr Haoyu Hu.

“Our findings suggest they are not only thinking about degrees and careers, but also about what kind of future a country offers - whether it feels safe, stable and prepared for climate change.”

Dr Hu is based at The University of ԰������, which has been recognised globally for its social and environmental impact and is the only university in the world to rank in the top ten of both the QS World University Sustainability Rankings and the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. 

The rankings recognise universities’ contributions towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including research, teaching, public engagement and campus operations aimed at creating a healthier, fairer and more sustainable future. 

Why this matters

International students contribute billions to economies, strengthen research systems and help fill skills gaps.

The researchers say governments and universities may need to treat climate resilience as part of their international education strategy - from greener campuses and better infrastructure to stronger public climate policy.

They also say support is needed for climate-vulnerable countries, so global talent flows do not become even more unequal.

Publication details

The study was published in the Nature Portfolio journal Communications Sustainability.

DOI:  

What are the implications?

The researchers say the findings provide strong evidence for investing in high-quality, community-designed green spaces, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

They argue that urban park improvements could form a key part of strategies to improve public health, support wellbeing and create more equitable cities.

Publication details

The study was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

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• Accent bias remains widespread across British society, including in education

• People are routinely stereotyped based on how they sound

• No accent is inherently ‘better’, ‘worse’ or more ‘professional’ than another

• Linguistic science contradicts many common assumptions about accents

• Practical steps are needed to tackle accent bias

Why this matters

From the way we pronounce words like ‘bath’ or ‘bus’ to whether we use a glottal stop in ‘water’, accents continue to carry powerful - and often unfair - social meanings.

Baratta’s new book, Putting an Accent on British Accents, explores what he calls the ‘social reality’ of accents - the knee-jerk judgments people make about others based on their speech. These can include assumptions about intelligence, trustworthiness, class and even personality. 

But the ‘linguistic reality’ tells a very different story.

“There is nothing inherent in any accent,” Baratta argues. “No sound can ever be ‘stupid’, ‘sexy’ or ‘unprofessional’ - these are social judgements we attach to speech, not properties of the speech itself.”

A hidden prejudice in plain sight

Drawing on a study of British teachers, the book uncovers striking examples of accent bias in professional settings.

One teacher reported that his interview for a PGCE course was nearly terminated unless he modified his Rossendale accent, which was deemed ‘unprofessional’ for teaching English.

A secondary school Art teacher from Croydon was instructed to write the word ‘water’ with a capital ‘T’ to discourage pupils from using a glottal stop - a common feature of many British accents.

Another teacher from Nottingham, working in primary phonics in the South of England, was told it would be ‘best to go back to where you come from’ if she could not adopt Southern pronunciation.

These examples, Baratta argues, show that accent bias is not only persistent, but can directly affect careers and opportunities.

The sound of inequality

At the heart of the book is the simple but powerful idea that we interpret accents rather than just hearing them. A particular pronunciation can trigger assumptions about class, education, behaviour and even lifestyle, and these assumptions can then shape how individuals are treated in everyday life.

In this way, accent becomes a form of social inequality that often goes unrecognised.

What needs to change

Rather than accepting accent bias as inevitable, Baratta calls for a more informed and inclusive approach - particularly within education.

The book outlines practical steps to challenge accent prejudice, including greater awareness of linguistic diversity, changes in teacher training, and a shift away from the idea that one way of speaking is more ‘correct’ than another.

Ultimately, the aim is to move towards a society where people are judged by what they say, not how they say it.

“Accent bias isn’t about language at all - it’s about the social meanings we attach to it,” said Dr Baratta. “When we hear an accent, we’re not just processing sounds - we’re making assumptions shaped by history, class and culture.”

Publication details

Putting an Accent on British Accents by Dr Alex Baratta is published by and is available in hardcover and digital formats.

Hao’s career includes reporting for leading global publications and producing widely respected analysis of artificial intelligence systems and their societal implications. She is also known for her work as a podcast host and commentator, bringing complex technical and political issues to wider audiences with clarity and nuance.

Her visit comes at a time of intense global debate around AI governance, safety and economic impact. As governments and industries grapple with regulation and deployment, events such as this provide a vital forum for informed public discussion.

The lecture will take place at 5.30pm in Lecture theatre G.003 of Alliance ԰������ Business School. Tickets are available via , and early booking is encouraged due to anticipated high demand.

"There is an urgent need for a national spatial vision to address entrenched spatial inequalities across the UK. Delivering innovative policy and practice is best achieved through close collaboration between research and professional practice, combining reflexive professional insight with emerging digital opportunities. We are living through a period of uncertainty, but it is also a moment ripe for creative and ambitious discussion.”

• Traditional consent models often rely on adult “proxies” such as parents and schools

• Children and young people’s ability to make informed decisions is frequently underestimated

• Complex, legalistic consent documents can discourage participation

• Schools play a central but under-recognised role in shaping access to research

• Current systems can create “epistemic injustice”, limiting whose voices are heard

• A more flexible, participatory and culturally sensitive approach is needed

Why consent isn’t working for children

The paper argues that gaining consent in studies involving children is often treated as a legal formality, rather than a meaningful process.

Current systems tend to prioritise institutional requirements such as ethics approvals and documentation over children’s own understanding and experiences.

Children are frequently positioned as needing protection, but this can come at the cost of recognising their competence. Evidence shows that many children and adolescents are capable of understanding research and making informed choices, particularly as digital literacy increases.

The hidden role of schools

Schools play a crucial role in research, acting as gatekeepers between researchers, children and families.

They are often responsible for sharing information, managing communication and enabling access - but their capacity to do this varies widely depending on time, resources and infrastructure.

In many cases, researchers have little direct contact with parents, relying instead on school systems to distribute information. While this helps with logistics, it can dilute communication and affect how well families understand what participation involves.

When paperwork puts people off

The article highlights how long, complex consent forms, often shaped by legal and data protection requirements, can discourage participation.

For families, particularly those from diverse linguistic or cultural backgrounds, these documents can be difficult to understand and may even create unnecessary concern about risk.

This can lead to what researchers describe as “epistemic injustice”, where children and young people are effectively excluded from contributing to knowledge because the process itself is inaccessible.

Children as active participants - not passive subjects

The researchers argue that children should be recognised as capable social actors, able to express views and make decisions about research participation.

Rather than relying solely on parental consent, approaches should support children’s own understanding, including their right to agree - or refuse - to take part.

This aligns with wider principles that children have the right to be heard in decisions affecting them.

What needs to change

The paper proposes a shift towards a more flexible and inclusive model of consent, built around real-world relationships and contexts.

Changes researchers are calling for

• Consent as an ongoing process

• Consent should be revisited throughout a study, not treated as a one-off decision

• Better communication

• Materials should be clearer, shorter and accessible to both children and families

• Schools as partners

• Schools should be supported as collaborators, not just intermediaries

• Children’s voices at the centre

• Processes should actively include children’s views, including opportunities to dissent

• More culturally sensitive approaches

• Consent models should reflect diverse social and cultural contexts

Why this matters now

The researchers argue that improving consent processes is not just an ethical issue - it directly affects the quality, inclusivity and impact of research.

When children and young people are excluded or disengaged, important perspectives are lost, particularly from underrepresented groups.

More inclusive approaches could help build trust, improve participation and ensure research better reflects the realities of children’s lives.

What the researchers said

“Current consent processes often prioritise systems and structures over the children they are designed to protect,” said lead author Dr Sarah MacQuarrie.

They add that consent should be seen as “an ongoing, relational process” rather than a one-time administrative step.

Final word

The article concludes that traditional, standardised models of consent are no longer fit for purpose in research with children and young people.

Instead, it calls for a reimagining of consent as a flexible, inclusive and participatory process - one which ensures that children’s voices are not just heard, but are central to research itself.

Publication details

The article is a part of a special issue within the Methods in Psychology journal.

DOI:

• Teenage girls want practical, long-term changes rather than quick fixes

• Girls highlighted pressures from school, social media and gender expectations

• They called for safer, more supportive schools and communities

• Researchers worked with young women as part of the study team itself

• The findings could help shape future policy and funding on girls’ wellbeing

What did the girls say would help?

The study found that teenage girls want practical, culture-changing solutions rather than quick fixes.

Their ideas were developed into some key approaches to improve mental health and wellbeing for girls in schools and communities.

Changes girls want to see

• Better support and regulation around social media

• Help recognising that what they see online is not always real, alongside advice on how to care for themselves digitally

• Challenge gender stereotypes in schools

• Training for teachers and changes in school culture to tackle stereotypes that shape girls’ daily lives

• Zero tolerance on sexual harassment

• Clearer, more consistent responses to sexual harassment in schools, with proper support for those affected

• More places to relax and belong

• More social hobby spaces in schools and communities where girls can relax, connect and have fun without pressure

• Mental health to be valued as much as grades

• Schools to become more caring and relationship-focused, where wellbeing is valued as highly as academic success

Why this matters now

The study’s insights come as schools and health services grapple with an unprecedented rise in mental health difficulties among young people.

The research team say they hope the findings will help shape future policy and funding decisions on girls’ wellbeing.

What the researchers said

“We talk a lot about girls’ mental health and why it might be worsening, but a lot of the available research does not engage with girls’ own views on this,” said Dr Ola Demkowicz, senior lecturer at the ԰������ Institute of Education and co-lead author of the study.

“Here, we wanted to work with girls as a starting point to explore how we can approach this issue in ways that can meet their needs. The girls we spoke with made it clear that they don’t just want coping strategies - they want real changes in the environments where they live and learn.”

“The girls spoke powerfully about pressures from school, social media and gender expectations,” said co-author Dr Rebecca Jefferson, who helped to run the focus groups.

“They had thought-through, actionable ideas - not just for support, but for changing the systems that affect them.”

Girls helped to lead the research

The research also brought young women into the project team itself. Young researchers worked as a core part of the team to design the study, lead discussions and interpret findings - helping ensure the work stayed grounded in girls’ real experiences.

Publication details

The study was published in the NIHR Public Health Journal. 

DOI:

• Higher levels of education are consistently linked to longer life expectancy
• In some countries, the gap between education levels exceeds a decade of life
• Women aged 20-49 show particularly large differences in mortality by education
• New statistical methods allow researchers to estimate mortality even where data is missing
• The study provides new evidence from under-researched regions including North Africa and Western Asia

What did the study find?

The study, funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences analysed mortality patterns across 13 countries in South-East Europe, Western Asia and North Africa between 1980 and 2015. 

Researchers reconstructed mortality rates by age, sex and education level using a new statistical model designed to work even where official data is incomplete or inconsistent.

The findings revealed a clear and consistent pattern: people with more education live significantly longer than those with little or no formal education. 

How was the research done?

The research was carried out by Professor Arkadiusz Wiśniowski from The University of ԰������, alongside Dr Andrea Tamburini and Dr Dilek Yildiz from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.

The team developed an innovative modelling framework that combines data from multiple international sources, including the United Nations, Eurostat and Demographic and Health Surveys.

This approach made it possible to estimate life expectancy differences even in countries where reliable birth and death records are limited. 

Where are the biggest differences seen?

In some countries included in the study, the difference in life expectancy between people with higher and lower levels of education was equivalent to more than ten years.

The gap was particularly striking among women aged 20 to 49, where those with secondary education or higher experienced much lower mortality rates.

Why does education affect life expectancy?

The findings highlight the wide-ranging impact of education on people’s lives.

“Access to education means better health knowledge, better jobs, and better access to healthcare - but it also changes how people make decisions about their lives,” said Professor Arkadiusz Wiśniowski. “It’s a powerful social equaliser.” 

Why has this been hard to measure before?

Until now, much of the global evidence linking education and life expectancy has come from high-income countries with strong data systems.

In many parts of the world, incomplete or inconsistent records have made it difficult to understand how education shapes health outcomes.

Why does this matter?

By filling these data gaps, the study provides one of the most comprehensive pictures to date of how education influences survival across diverse global populations.

The model could now be applied more widely to help governments and international organisations better understand population health and plan future services.

What are the implications?

The researchers say the findings strengthen the case for treating education as a key public health intervention, not just a social or economic priority.

“We hope this work helps policymakers see education not only as a path to better jobs, but as a key public health intervention,” said Professor Wiśniowski. “Investing in education is investing in life itself.” 

Publication details

This research was funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences and is published in Demographic Research.

DOI:

Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US keeps coming back to haunt him. It has now emerged that Mandelson was granted security clearance by the Foreign Office, despite concerns raised during the . Top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins was sacked over these revelations.

Mandelson was controversial long before Starmer appointed him in 2024. A New Labour figure known as the “prince of darkness” due to his reputation as an adept but often ruthless and underhand political operator, Mandelson had already been embroiled in a number of scandals involving allegations of corruption. He was also known to have had a close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as close business links in China.

Starmer fired him in September 2025 after emails were released showing Mandelson offering supportive messages to Epstein, who faced charges of soliciting a minor at the time. Further emails released by US officials suggested that Mandelson might have passed privileged and market-sensitive information to Epstein during the fallout of the financial crisis. In February 2026, the former ambassador was on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has denied criminal wrongdoing and has not been charged.

Therefore, it is perhaps unsurprising that Mandelson did not pass the vetting process carried out by the Cabinet Office’s UK Security Vetting team. Almost all civil servants are required to go through some form of vetting. But as a top diplomat, Mandelson was subject to the most intensive form of scrutiny. From what is known about the process, red flags were probably raised about Mandelson’s links with Chinese and Russian business interests, though the exact details have not been made public.

Starmer and his allies have argued that Robbins did not tell the prime minister about concerns raised in the vetting process as he should have. , Robbins said that Number 10 took a “dismissive” approach to the vetting process. He also said that he was under “constant pressure” to approve Mandelson’s clearance due to this being a political priority for Starmer. Mandelson’s appointment was announced publicly before the vetting took place.

The opposition is piling on the pressure for Starmer to resign. But behind speculation about the prime minister’s future stands a deeper set of constitutional questions about accountability and standards in public life.

From Starmer’s perspective, the scandal has revealed a pressing need to improve the independent scrutiny of appointments. He has ordered a review into vetting procedures, and argued that failings lie with civil servants in the FCDO and with the robustness of vetting processes – not with him.

On one level, this defence is an effort to deflect blame. Yet the response also fits with Starmer’s approach to politics as a .

In arguing for a more robust independent process around vetting in their attempts to avoid blame, Starmer and his allies invoke a of Whitehall culture. This view treats independent, depoliticised scrutiny and checks and balances as key missing links in British politics. Building these would be vital for ensuring transparency and accountability around appointments and politics more broadly.

Since coming to office, Starmer has consistently argued for a rewiring of the British state to modernise the government. Like academics, thinktanks, journalists and former Whitehall insiders before him, Starmer’s view suggests that Whitehall and the centre of the British state operate in an antiquated way. When it comes to accountability and standards, the government arguably lacks proper independent scrutiny and constitutional checks and balances to hold decision-makers to account.

Instead, Whitehall is too reliant on a , which suggests politicians typically act with the best of intentions and therefore do not need to be subject to independent scrutiny.

Who is responsible?

Critics, echoing Robbins’ testimony, have argued that Starmer and his allies pressed Mandelson’s ambassadorship as a political priority, announcing it before vetting procedures had been completed in order to push through the appointment.

Many have pointed out that Mandelson’s reputation as a potentially suspect character was well known before the release of the Epstein files. Within this narrative, blame for the appointment of Mandelson lies squarely with Starmer.

In a sense, this approach offers a different view of British politics. In terms of appointments – both to top civil service positions and to more political posts – the UK’s approach has been argued to resemble . Here, the ruler decides their key advisers on the basis of their own preferences and objectives.

This too implies a lack of proper checks and balances around appointments. But one of the proposed advantages of such a system is that it places accountability and responsibility for decisions clearly in the hands of elected politicians. Britain has a longstanding tradition of individual ministerial accountability.

Starmer, however, is now seemingly weakening this tradition by deflecting blame onto the civil service and its processes. It is this notion of direct political accountability that Starmer’s opponents are invoking when they call for his resignation.

Overall, these two images of British politics are contradictory and indicative of the emergence of an . On the one hand, the state has failed to move towards modern and robust independent scrutiny of ministerial decision-making around appointments. On the other hand, politics has shifted away from a culture of clear, individual ministerial accountability.

This leaves Britain in a “worst of both worlds” scenario when it comes to accountability and standards in public life. It has neither robust independent scrutiny, nor clear lines of political accountability. More than anything, the Mandelson vetting scandal reveals the need to fix this broken system.

, Research Associate, Department of Politics, and , Research Associate,
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

• Growing global demand for beef is a major driver of deforestation in the Amazon
• Up to 80% of cleared forest land is converted into cattle pasture
• Higher land values after deforestation create strong financial incentives to clear forests
• Gaps in supply chain oversight allow deforestation to continue
• New framework identifies where interventions could have the greatest impact

What did the study find?

The research focuses on the Brazilian Amazon, where cattle farming is a leading cause of deforestation. It shows that decisions made by farmers are shaped by a powerful mix of global market demand, land prices and government policies. 

In many cases, clearing forest actually increases land value, creating a cycle where deforestation leads to profit – and to more deforestation. At the same time, environmental rules and sustainability initiatives often fail to fully reach the people making land-use decisions on the ground. 

Why does this matter to people?

Although the Amazon may feel far away, the study highlights how everyday consumption is connected to environmental change. Beef sold around the world in supermarkets and restaurants can be linked back to land-use decisions in the rainforest. 

The consequences are global. The Amazon plays a vital role in storing carbon and regulating the climate. As forests are cleared, this contributes to climate change, biodiversity loss and more extreme weather patterns worldwide.

What makes this study different?

Most research looks either at economic systems or environmental systems, but rarely both together. This study introduces a new approach that connects global supply chains with local ecosystems, showing how they influence each other in real time. It reveals that environmental damage is not just an unintended side effect – it is built into how global production systems operate. 

Where are the biggest challenges?

A key issue is that governance systems are fragmented. Governments, companies, and environmental organisations often work separately, with limited coordination.

For example, large meat companies may enforce sustainability rules for direct suppliers, but indirect suppliers — where much deforestation occurs — can slip through the cracks. 

At the same time, smaller farmers often lack access to credit or technical support, making it harder for them to adopt more sustainable practices. 

What are the solutions?

The study highlights several key opportunities to reduce deforestation:

• Strengthening enforcement of environmental laws
• Improving traceability across supply chains
• Supporting farmers with finance and training
• Rewarding conservation through incentives like payments for ecosystem services

Importantly, the research shows that no single solution will work on its own — progress depends on better coordination across global and local systems. 

Why this research matters now

As global demand for beef continues to grow, pressure on the Amazon is expected to increase. The researchers say their findings provide a clearer roadmap for policymakers, businesses and organisations trying to balance economic growth with environmental protection, and offers a new way to tackle one of the world’s most urgent environmental challenges. 

The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from The University of ԰������ and Brazil’s Fundação Getulio Vargas São Paulo School of Business Administration, and is published in Competition & Change.

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Academics at the ԰������ Institute of Education realised that, whilst many parents were rising to the challenge of providing quality education, home educators sometimes struggle to provide the kind of hands-on learning and sharing that would be experienced in school. This realisation led to the creation of Curiosity Catalyst. 

Sara Jackson, Lecturer in Education at the University of ԰������, explains: “Talking to parents who home‑educate their children, we found that science is often one of the hardest subjects, largely because homes don’t have access to the specialist equipment and practical experiences schools can offer. 

“We realised that we could use our expertise as educators and our contacts in local institutions to work with parents who are home-educating to give them and their children better access to science learning.” 

Curiosity Catalyst is co-produced between lecturers and parents, allowing home educators to help shape the activities provided. Key partners include ԰������ Museum, The Whitworth Art Gallery and the Museum of Science and Industry, all of which have provided venues for workshops, activities and sharing days.  

Sara explains: “We’re blessed in ԰������ to have access to such amazing museums and galleries and we’re so grateful that the teams at these institutions have been so enthusiastic about working with us. Most recently ԰������ Museum hosted a takeover day, where home educators visited the museum on a day when it was closed to the public and collectively explored whether birds are dinosaurs.”

Speaking at the Museum takeover day, Katie, a home-educator from Wigan, said: 

Amanda Banks Gatenby, Lecturer in Digital Technologies, Communications & Education said: “Curiosity Catalyst is built on trust and on two-way sharing between parents who are home-educating and us as educators. Yes, we have expertise in education, but we can also learn so much from what others are doing. It’s great to see some of the innovative ways in which these parents approach education and it’s provided us with ideas to take back into our own teaching as we train the teachers of tomorrow.” 

Since 2023 over 200 families have engaged with Curiosity Catalyst and the project team are now developing a new app to support learning in everyday places. 

Curiosity Catalyst was set up with support from the School of Environment, Education and Development’s Social Responsibility fund. The project has been shortlisted for the University of ԰������’s .  

Find out more about Curiosity Catalyst email cc@manchester.ac.uk. 

A Lego-style Iranian military commander : “Our inbox is flooded with Americans saying they don’t watch the news. They listen to our songs instead since your media is full of sh*t.”

This is the opening line of an AI-generated video which is part of Iran’s meme campaign – built around Lego-style animation and rap soundtracks, which have online. The line captures the strange reality of contemporary politics: news is often most effectively disseminated not through journalism but humour, memes and entertainment.

Since late February, pro-Iranian media groups – most notably, the – have flooded social media with AI-generated video content mocking Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and US foreign policy. It has been dubbed – but the sophistication is striking.

These videos but do not look or feel like state propaganda – despite the spokesperson for Explosive Media admitting to the BBC that the . They capture the internet zeitgeist: fast, funny, visually familiar and designed for virality.

Trojan horses

The success of these memes lies in their audience strategy. They do not target people actively seeking news. Instead, they mimic the language of everyday internet culture to reach those who are not following events in the Middle East at all.

Humour is the mechanism they use to get reach. These videos function as Trojan horses, drawing viewers in with recognisable imagery, references and music – while communicating a narrative about American overreach, dysfunction and corruption.

As , a US-based expert in disinformation, notes, this kind of content reaches “politically uninvested people who otherwise wouldn’t have engaged with war-related content”.

The key insight here is not geopolitics but audiences. Conventional political communication, including press conferences, policy statements and traditional news coverage, reaches people who are already paying attention. These AI meme videos are designed to reach everyone else: the millions of people whose understanding of international conflict extends no further than what happens to appear in their social media feed.

Humour is the primary mechanism these videos have harnessed to conquer the social media algorithms. The joke is not the message – it is the delivery system. By packaging geopolitical arguments inside “diss tracks”, pop culture references and shareable clips, these videos communicate political ideas before audiences have even registered they are consuming political content.

What makes audiences receptive to ‘slopaganda’?

But this raises a deeper question. Why are people so receptive to receiving political information in this form? The answer is that they have been primed for it.

For two decades, a generation of Americans – and increasingly British and European viewers – have learned to process political news through satire. Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show became, for many younger viewers, a than the nightly news.

The likes of Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel also built enormous audiences by making politics funny, accessible and emotionally engaging in ways that conventional journalism often failed to do. The implicit message, repeated nightly, was that humour was not merely a gloss on political commentary. It was a .

This was largely a progressive phenomenon. The targets were politicians and large institutions, both government and private sector – and the satirists positioned themselves as holding power to account. But this created an expectation that , and that comedy is a legitimate vehicle for political understanding.

Iran is copying populist strategy

Since 2008, many populists have recognised the in their election campaigns – none more so than Trump. His campaign appearances on comedy podcasts, his and stunts, and his endless memes are not distractions from his political strategy – they are his political strategy.

Trump reached, and mobilised, millions of who had long since stopped engaging with political news in any traditional form.

Iran has been paying attention. The American scholar of propaganda has that Iran is now “using popular culture against the No.1 pop culture country, the United States”.

The Lego aesthetic, the rap beats, the 1980s pop covers, the selection of jokes are not random choices. They demonstrate a precise calibration of what can effectively reach online audiences in the western attention economy.

The result is content that is not immediately visible as foreign propaganda, and instead looks like entertainment. For audiences already accustomed to learning about politics through comedy, the distinction barely registers.

There is a profound irony here. The cultural conditions that produced shows like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight – the erosion of trust in mainstream political communication and the demand for authenticity and humour over formal rhetoric – have produced a media environment in which a foreign state can distribute propaganda to millions of Americans, and have it feel indistinguishable from domestic entertainment.

This is not to say that late-night satire and Iranian AI content is equivalent. But they are operating in the same media ecosystem – one in which humour has become a primary method of political communication.

The most unsettling thing about what is happening right now is what this means for our information environment.

If propaganda is indistinguishable from satire, and satire accumulates millions of views while news does not, the line between political entertainment and political persuasion has seemingly collapsed. And the people most affected are those who think they are not following the war at all.

, Early Career Researcher, Religions and Theology Department
This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

• Social media can reduce loneliness when used to build or maintain relationships
• Passive use, such as scrolling without interacting, is linked to higher loneliness
• People with strong offline networks benefit more from social media use
• User motivations - such as connection versus escape - shape outcomes
• Platform design and online experiences influence whether users feel connected or isolated
• More long-term research is needed to fully understand impacts on wellbeing

What did the study find?

Dr Rebecca Nowland assessed the latest global evidence on the relationship between social media and loneliness.

The findings highlight a complex picture. Social media can strengthen social connections when it is used to interact meaningfully - such as messaging friends, sharing experiences or receiving supportive responses.

However, simply scrolling through content without engaging - often referred to as ‘passive use’ - is consistently linked to higher levels of loneliness. 

Why does how we use social media matter?

The study shows that the impact of social media depends heavily on how and why people use it.

People who go online to connect with others may experience reduced loneliness. In contrast, those using social media to escape difficult feelings or social situations may see the opposite effect.

In some cases, trying to replace face-to-face interaction with online activity can actually make loneliness worse. 

Who benefits most from social media use?

Not everyone benefits equally.

The research found that people who already have strong social networks are more likely to gain positive experiences online, including support and a sense of belonging.

Those who feel isolated offline, however, may struggle to achieve the same benefits - even if they use social media frequently.

What role do platforms and online experiences play?

Platform design is also important.

Features that encourage direct interaction - such as private messaging or sharing images - can help create a stronger sense of connection. By contrast, platforms or features focused on broadcasting or passive consumption offer fewer emotional benefits.

Experiences themselves also matter. Supportive comments and meaningful exchanges can reduce loneliness, while being ignored, excluded or exposed to negative interactions can increase it. 

What are the gaps in current research?

Despite growing interest in the topic, the study highlights important gaps in existing research.

Much of the evidence is based on snapshots in time rather than long-term studies, making it difficult to determine cause and effect. The paper calls for more robust research using real usage data and longer-term methods.

Why does this matter?

With loneliness increasingly recognised as a major public health issue, the findings suggest that improving how people engage online could play an important role in tackling the problem.

Encouraging more active and meaningful use of social media - and designing platforms that support this - may help maximise benefits while reducing harms.

This research was published in Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.

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• Governments across the global North and South are increasing their role in delivering affordable housing
• States are adopting new tools to influence housing supply, finance and land development
• Public-private partnerships and new financial models are being used to support large-scale housing
• Cities are experimenting with different ways to balance social need and market pressures
• Salford and Shanghai highlight contrasting but equally interventionist approaches

What did the study find?

Led by Dr Tom Gillespie, the study provides one of the first global comparisons of how states are responding to a growing housing crisis affecting billions of people.

Drawing on research from Shanghai, Salford, Nairobi, Paris, Casablanca and Rome, it shows that governments are increasingly stepping in as private markets struggle to deliver adequate and affordable homes at scale.

While previous decades favoured light-touch state involvement, this is now changing, with governments taking a more active role in shaping housing systems.

How are governments responding?

The research shows that states are adopting a wide range of new approaches to influence housing supply, finance and land development.

In many cases, this includes experimenting with public-private partnerships, land value capture and new state-backed financial mechanisms to make large-scale housing programmes viable.

Across all six cities, the researchers identified common themes, including what motivates governments to intervene, how new financial and institutional tools are being used, and how risks in housing markets are being redistributed.

What is happening in Salford?

Salford is highlighted as one of the most distinctive examples in the study.

Within England’s market-driven planning system, the local authority has developed an unusually interventionist approach. While earlier regeneration focused on property-led development such as Salford Quays, more recent efforts have aimed to address the lack of affordable housing.

From 2016, the Council began redirecting developer contributions into a council-owned company to build new social housing. These homes are let at below-market “Salford rents” and are exempt from the national ‘right to buy’, helping to protect them from speculative pressures.

Although still relatively small in scale, the model is identified as an example of local state action designed to “de-financialise” housing while still working within a market-led system.

What about Shanghai?

Shanghai offers a contrasting but equally interventionist model.

After decades of market-driven housing growth, the city has shifted towards a more active role, using state control of land and developers to deliver affordable homes for different social groups.

Policies include shantytown renewal, shared ownership schemes and subsidised rental housing, aimed at tackling rising property prices while supporting social stability and inclusion.

Why is this shift happening?

The study highlights a broader global shift away from reliance on private markets alone.

As housing affordability crises deepen, governments are increasingly intervening to address gaps in supply and access. This marks the end of an era of minimal state involvement and the emergence of more active, experimental approaches to housing policy.

Researcher quote

“Our research shows that states are once again becoming central players in efforts to tackle the global affordable housing crisis, but this isn’t a simple return to old models of public housing,” said Dr Tom Gillespie. “Instead, we are seeing a wide range of new approaches emerging as governments try to balance social needs with the realities of financialised urban development.

What are the implications?

The researchers suggest that understanding how different cities are responding can help inform future housing policy.

By identifying shared patterns and innovative approaches, the study provides a framework for policymakers seeking to tackle housing crises in their own contexts.

Publication details

The study was published in journal Urban Studies.

DOI:

Key findings

Rwanda has achieved rapid economic growth and built a reputation for effective state-led development, but the book argues that long-term prosperity may depend on deeper industrial transformation rather than continued reliance on service-led growth.

Why has Rwanda been described as Africa’s ‘model nation’?

Over the past two decades, Rwanda has often been portrayed as one of Africa’s standout economic success stories. The country has recorded strong GDP growth, expanded healthcare and education, increased tourism revenues and built an international reputation for effective state leadership.

Kigali has also positioned itself as a hub for finance, conferences and high-end tourism, helping Rwanda gain praise from international donors and policymakers.

What does the new book examine?

In , Dr Pritish Behuria offers one of the most in-depth accounts yet of how Rwanda has pursued rapid development in the face of major historical and structural challenges.

Drawing on nearly two decades of research, including extensive fieldwork and interviews with policymakers, business leaders and development partners, the book explores whether Rwanda has achieved genuine economic transformation or whether its growth masks deeper vulnerabilities.

Why might Rwanda’s future remain uncertain?

Dr Behuria argues that growth alone does not necessarily lead to long-term development.

Instead, sustainable prosperity typically depends on what economists call structural transformation: the shift from dependence on agriculture and raw materials towards higher-value manufacturing and productive domestic industries.

While this process underpinned the rise of many economies in Europe and East Asia, manufacturing remains limited across much of Africa, including Rwanda.

Has Rwanda relied too heavily on services?

Rather than prioritising manufacturing, Rwanda has focused heavily on services such as tourism, finance and international events.

The book examines whether this strategy can create enough jobs, technological learning and domestic business development to sustain long-term economic progress.

Rather than offering a simple verdict, the book presents a balanced assessment that recognises Rwanda’s achievements while exploring the risks and limits of its current model.

What does Rwanda’s experience say about development more broadly?

The book contributes to wider debates about whether African countries can build new pathways to development in today’s global economy.

“The space to experiment, protect industries and build domestic champions is much narrower. Rwanda’s experience shows what is possible - and how fragile success can be - in today’s globalised era.”

Publication details

will be published by Cambridge University Press on April 30th, and will be available open access.

• Peer pressure, bullying and emotional difficulties are linked to higher substance use
• Strong relationships with parents and teachers, and a sense of school belonging, are protective
• Substance use increases with age, with alcohol the most commonly reported
• Close friendships are not always protective and may increase exposure to substance use
• Girls, LGBTQ+ young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds report higher levels of use
• Differences between schools explain more variation than differences between neighbourhoods

What did the study find?

The study analysed data from the #BeeWell programme, covering more than 30,000 pupils across 100 schools and over 1,500 neighbourhoods. #BeeWell is a collaboration between The University of ԰������, The Gregson Family Foundation and Anna Freud who, together with the Greater ԰������ Combined Authority (GMCA), launched the programme in 2019.

It shows that teenage substance use is shaped by a combination of social, emotional and environmental factors. Young people who felt pressured by peers, experienced bullying or struggled with emotional difficulties were more likely to use substances.

In contrast, those with strong relationships with parents and teachers, a sense of belonging at school and positive perceptions of their academic performance were less likely to report substance use.

How does substance use vary by age and type?

The findings show that substance use increases with age, with older teenagers significantly more likely to report using alcohol or drugs.

Alcohol was the most commonly-reported substance, with around one in six young people reporting recent use. Vaping was less common but still notable, with around one in fifteen reporting use.

What role do friendships and peer relationships play?

The study highlights a complex role for peer relationships. While often seen as protective, close friendships were in some cases associated with higher substance use.

This may reflect increased exposure to social situations where substances are available, suggesting that peer influence can both increase and reduce risk depending on context.

Are there differences between groups?

The researchers found important differences between groups of young people. Girls and LGBTQ+ young people were more likely to report substance use than boys.

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds were also more likely to vape, smoke and use drugs, indicating that inequalities play a role in shaping these behaviours.

How do different factors influence different substances?

The study found that different substances are influenced by different factors.

Stress and emotional difficulties were strongly linked to vaping, smoking and alcohol use, suggesting these behaviours may act as coping mechanisms. In contrast, illicit drug use appeared to be more strongly shaped by relationships with adults and broader school experiences.

Why does the school environment matter?

While a wide range of determinants were identified, the study found that differences between schools explained more variation in substance use than differences between neighbourhoods.

This suggests that the school environment - particularly peer relationships, social norms and support systems - plays a crucial role in shaping young people’s behaviour.

Researcher quote

“We often assume that where young people live shapes their behaviour most, but our findings show that a wide range of social and emotional factors are at play,” said lead researcher Dr Emma Thornton. “Experiences like peer pressure, bullying and mental health difficulties can increase risk, while strong relationships and a sense of belonging can be protective.”

What are the implications?

The research team hopes their findings will inform national policy and support the development of more targeted, evidence-based approaches to preventing substance use among young people.

Publication details

The study was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

DOI:

Key findings

• A grammar-based authorship analysis method matched or exceeded leading AI systems across most test datasets
• The approach outperformed several neural network-based authorship verification models
• Researchers tested the method across 12 real-world writing datasets including emails, forums and reviews
• The system is more transparent than many AI models because it shows which grammatical patterns informed decisions
• Researchers say the findings challenge assumptions that more complex AI always produces better results

What did the study find?

Researchers found that a relatively simple, linguistically grounded method can perform as well as - and in some cases better than - complex artificial intelligence systems in identifying authorship.

The study suggests that increasingly sophisticated AI is not always necessary for high-performing writing analysis, particularly when methods are designed around established principles of how language works.

How does the LambdaG method work?

The method, called LambdaG, analyses patterns in grammar rather than relying on large-scale machine learning models.

It builds a statistical profile of how an individual writes by measuring features such as function word usage (words like it, of and the), sentence structure, punctuation patterns and other grammatical habits.

The researchers say these features create a distinctive behavioural signature for each writer.

Why is this different from AI-based authorship analysis?

Many current authorship verification systems rely on complex AI models trained on vast datasets. While effective, these systems can be difficult to interpret, computationally expensive and hard to explain in high-stakes settings such as legal investigations. By contrast, LambdaG provides a transparent explanation of which grammatical features influenced its conclusions.

How accurate was the method?

Researchers tested LambdaG across 12 datasets designed to reflect real-world writing scenarios, including emails, online forum posts and consumer reviews.

In most cases, the method achieved higher accuracy than several established authorship verification systems, including neural network-based approaches.

Why does grammar reveal authorship?

The researchers argue that grammar acts as a behavioural signature, like how we write our signature or how we walk.

Over time, individuals develop unconscious habits in how they structure sentences and use language. These habits create identifiable linguistic patterns that can distinguish one writer from another.

What are the potential applications?

The researchers say the method could support work in:

• Forensic linguistics
• Criminal investigations
• Online abuse detection
• Academic integrity monitoring

The study was published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.

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The Connect & Contribute Mentoring Scheme matches students studying on one of the University of ԰������’s Education programmes with teenagers who are thinking of applying to university but are unsure of whether higher education is for them. Under the scheme Year 12 students at Cheadle Hulme, Didsbury and Trinity High Schools have been matched with university students, most of whom are in their early 20s and many of whom are from overseas. 

Dr Rui He, Senior Lecturer in Education and Dr Alex Baratta, Reader in Language and Education at the University of ԰������ have helped to set up the scheme. Dr He explains: 

“Connect & Contribute matches local sixth form pupils who are in the first year of studying for their A Levels with students who are already in higher education.  

“The scheme allows young people who are considering applying for university, but may be the first person in their family to do so, to connect with someone who is currently attending university. Many of our students have travelled to the UK to continue their postgraduate qualification having already completed a degree in their home country, so can also give information and reassurance about moving away from home. 

“We’ve found that by offering young people the opportunity to have structured but informal conversations with someone who is fairly close to them in age we can build their confidence in applying to university. We can also provide practical information on the sort of details to include on university applications and on potential career paths.” 

The Connect & Contribute Scheme, which is supported by Social Responsibility Catalyst Fund from the School of Environment, Education and Development within the University of ԰������, is now in its second year.  

One young person who was mentored in the first year of the scheme said:  

“It has been interesting and helpful discussing university topics, especially with a student who has experience in university life.” 

Another commented: 

“I still feel overwhelmed about going to university and living all by myself, but the meeting encouraged me to accept changes with a positive mindset.” 

A MA Digital Technologies, Communication and Education degree student who was one of the scheme mentors said: 

“I had the privilege of supporting Year 12 students from nearby secondary schools, helping them build confidence and offering insights into university applications, student life, and the overall university experience. It’s been a truly rewarding experience to share my journey and offer guidance to students exploring their academic futures.” 

Sixth form students who were mentored in the first year of Connect & Contribute will be sitting their A Levels this year and it’s hoped that many of them will be on their way to university, with some of them possibly set to become University of ԰������ students in 2026-27.

The study found SEND complaints make up 27% of the complaints received by the LGSCO and 48% of the cases that it upholds. Common issues include delays in carrying out Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessments, and failures to deliver the support children are legally entitled to.

Despite these challenges, the research also points to the impact of the Ombudsman’s work. Its recommendations can help councils identify problems, strengthen accountability, and push for improvements that benefit families.

In some cases, the findings have empowered local officials to argue for more resources or rethink how services are delivered - however, the report also highlights limitations including the time and capacity required to respond to investigations, and repeated recommendations on issues councils recognise but lack the means to resolve.

A key gap identified is that the Ombudsman cannot investigate complaints directly against schools - even though they play a central role in delivering SEND support - which can leave families without clear routes to resolve issues.

The report sets out recommendations to strengthen the system, which include extending the Ombudsman’s powers to cover schools, raising awareness of joint investigations with health bodies, and improving communication between councils and the Ombudsman. Crucially, it emphasises that meaningful reform must address underlying pressures on the SEND system, including funding shortages and workforce gaps.

“This research comes at a key moment for SEND system reform,” said Ash Patel, Programme Head for Justice at the Nuffield Foundation. “The Government’s intention to improve complaints and mediation processes - enabling faster and more collaborative, resolution of disagreements and reducing the need for appeals to the SEND Tribunal - is welcome. However, the proposals are silent on the role of the LGSCO, and it remains frustratingly unclear how disputes will be avoided or how routes for appeals and complaints will operate.”

“The report points to high levels of tension between the education system and families of children with SEND; without greater attention to minimising these conflicts, it is difficult to see how existing pressures on complaints and appeals will ease.” 

“Thank you to the 57,000 young people who shared their views this year, and to the 161 schools who made it possible,” said Councillor Mark Roberts, Greater ԰������’s portfolio lead for children and young people. “Over five years #BeeWell has now heard from more than 143,000 young people, making this the biggest exercise of its kind.

“In Greater ԰������, we have committed to improving the wellbeing of young people across the city region, and it is through #BeeWell that we can track our progress. As this year’s results show, there is a need to continue strengthening relationships in schools to improve attendance, ensuring young people remain involved in the development of our Live Well approach, and working so that every young person has a clear line of sight to good jobs, through programmes like the MBacc and Beeline.

“We will continue to act on the views of young people across our city region, and be guided by our excellent Youth Steering Group, so that every young person in Greater ԰������ can thrive.”

"This is just the start. It's encouraging to see wellbeing improving, but we are at the beginning of a long journey and we’re excited to see how things continue to improve,” said Daniel & Ayisha from the #BeeWell Youth Steering Group. “There are still worrying signs in the data, particularly in the inequalities we see. There are a lot of young people worried about these topics and a lot of work to be done. It's important young people are leading the next steps and actions following the results." 

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She added: “Separate from the UKCHA, the University of ԰������ has research partnerships with Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Wuhan University and Chinese University of Hong Kong. Becoming the lead UK-based Coordinating Team reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting high quality, impactful research between world-leading Humanities academics.” 

Established in 2016, The UKCHA’s aim is to intensify international cooperation in Humanities. This includes joint work on research and publication, staff and research exchanges, and connections with specialist arts and cultural institutions.   

The announcement has been made as part of a high-level delegation from The University of ԰������ to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Led by Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor and including a delegation of academic and university staff, the visit is connecting with alumni, donors, partners and universities. 

The visits are in conjunction with the University of ԰������ China Centre and the East Asia Centre, based in Hong Kong and will also include a graduation ceremony in Shanghai and launch events for the University’s fundraising and volunteering campaign, Challenge Accepted. 

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The full conference programme and ticket information can be found at , or you can follow @fm44conference on X (Twitter) and @fm44conference.bsky.social on Bluesky. 

Conference sponsors: British Commission for Military History (BCMH), Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS) and The University of ԰������’s Student Enhancement Fund.