2026 report finds England's post-pandemic absence crisis is widening the attainment gap and argues that a graduated, needs-based approach would reach at-risk pupils that punitive fines miss. Leeds, July 2026. A new Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report examines the post-pandemic rise in school absence across England and its effect on the attainment gap, using school-level Department for Education data for Leeds. Applying regression analysis alongside a two-school case study, th

2026 report finds that a Council Tax system anchored to 1991 valuations captures none of the North's modern economic growth, and sets out a three-tier roadmap toward a Land Value Tax. Leeds, July 2026 - With rigorous econometric analysis drawn from official government data, this Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report investigates the structural failure of England's municipal finance system and its disproportionate effect on the North. As local councils confront a 37% real-terms

2026 report finds the FTSE 100's post-Brexit rebound masks a constrained listing and dealmaking environment, and calls for stronger domestic demand for UK equities and faster FSMA listing reform. Leeds, July 2026 — Drawing on Bloomberg Terminal datasets spanning 2010 to 2025, this Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report compares the market performance and capital-raising activity of UK-listed firms against counterparts in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Using a moving-avera

2026 report finds subnational diplomacy delivers real investment and jobs for regions like West Yorkshire, but centralised control and thin institutional capacity cap its impact, and sets out a framework to close the gap. Leeds, July 2026. A new Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report examines how far English regions can advance their own economic interests abroad through subnational diplomacy, the international engagement of governments below the level of the state. Using the We

2026 report argues the NHS patient flow crisis is driven by a diagnostic gap in primary care, and makes the economic case for a targeted pilot of community polyclinics in the most deprived areas. Leeds, July 2026. A new Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report argues that the NHS patient flow crisis stems less from rising demand than from a structural gap in diagnostic access at the primary care level, one that leaves Accident and Emergency as the default route for patients who ne

2026 report finds a statistically significant green premium is locking low-income households out of energy-efficient homes in Leeds, and sets out targeted measures to make the net-zero transition fair Leeds, July 2026. A new Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) report examines whether low-income earners in Leeds can access energy-efficient homes, set against the city's net-zero target and some of the oldest housing stock in the country. Drawing on a panel of 482 Leeds neighbourhoods

The Leeds Policy Institute (LPI) recently joined over 148 think tank leaders, researchers, and policy professionals from 50 countries at the 10th annual OTT Conference. Held in Rabat, Morocco, from 19 to 21 May 2026, the global summit was hosted in partnership with the Policy Center for the New South.

We are pleased to announce that the researchers of the Leeds Policy Institute had the pleasure of attending and presenting their research at the 2026 British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), hosted by the University of Glasgow.

The US/Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent rise in the price of oil to a 4-year high has once again swung the spotlight onto Britain’s precarious energy composition and the ease with which geopolitical crises abroad destabilises domestic economic activity. Spelled out in Labour’s 2024 manifesto was the pledge to reduce foreign energy reliance by accelerating the transition to domestic renewables; and while a step in the right direction, complete upheaval of the current