RARE PHOTOS: Economic and social research council - The Real Truth

Kits to help those with seasonal affective disorder rolled out in libraries

The Wintering Well boxes contain a therapeutic light lamp.

Evening Standard · Oct 22

What are Wintering Well boxes? The new kit helping people overcome seasonal affective disorder

The boxes will be available to borrow from Monday October 26, the day after the clocks go back

The Independent UK · Oct 22

Post Office scandal: why thousands of victims are yet to see justice

Following the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which aired on January 1 2024, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak stated he intends to introduce legislation to ensure those convicted as a result of the Post Office scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

The Conversation · Jan 12, 2024

Raising benefits in line with earnings will make the poor worse off – here's why

Amid the ongoing turmoil of UK politics, there has been much talk of how fair the British social security system is. In the wake of a series of mini-budget U-turns, the chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has affirmed that “there will be more difficult decisions to take on both…

The Conversation · Oct 25, 2022

Brexit sparked greater attachment to the European Union in UK and EU citizens living abroad, survey suggests

Prior to the 2016 referendum on leaving, polling consistently showed that people in Britain had previously given little thought to the European Union. But a survey of British people living in Europe and UK-resident EU citizens conducted by our team at the universities of Birmingham and Lancaster suggests Brexit has…

The Conversation · Oct 18, 2022

To address climate change, lifestyles must change – but the government's reluctance to help is holding us back

Without changes to people’s behaviour and lifestyles, it will be impossible for the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050. But the government is failing to put in place the conditions that would enable this to happen – or even recognise its relevance in cutting emissions and meeting climate…

The Conversation · Oct 13, 2022

How a new and improved furlough scheme could help the UK tackle recession and economic uncertainty

The UK economy is on the brink of a recession while also experiencing weeks of financial volatility following the launch of the government’s unfunded growth plan last month.

The Conversation · Oct 11, 2022

Universities call for a tuition fee rise – here's what that would mean for students and taxpayers

University vice-chancellors in England and Wales have recently called for an increase in tuition fees.

The Conversation · Sep 2, 2022

Four ways Brexit and the loss of free movement have made life harder for mixed British-European families

Brexit and the end of free movement between the UK and the EU has had notable consequences for family life, particularly for mixed British-European families whether they are living in the UK or Europe. Family members who before Brexit held common status as EU citizens now find they have different…

The Conversation · Jul 29, 2022

Boris Johnson: four key insights from recent polls can help us see where the crisis is heading

Boris Johnson has been called a Heineken politician – he can reach parts of the public other politicians cannot. Yet scandal after scandal amid worsening economic conditions and a swathe of strikes has left the country with a hangover. The public and, most importantly for Johnson, the Conservative party, are…

The Conversation · Jul 6, 2022