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"We have forgotten that with great freedom comes great responsibility; if we do not provide a structured catalyst for this collective meaning, we surrender the young to the empty promises of populist politics."


England's School Absence Crisis Needs Support, Not Fines
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 33 min read


Britain's Frozen Council Tax Is De-Funding the North
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 33 min read


Brexit Hit Britain's Capital-Raising, Not Its Headline Markets
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 33 min read


Britain's Centralised Trade Policy Is Holding Its Regions Back
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 33 min read


The Case for Polyclinics: Closing the NHS Diagnostic Gap
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 34 min read


Energy-Efficient Homes in Leeds Come at a Price the Poorest Cannot Pay
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

Leeds Policy Institute
Jul 33 min read


Leeds Policy Institute Presents at BCUR 2026
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.

Leeds Policy Institute
Apr 21 min read


Lessons from OTT’s 2026 School: A hybrid think tank model
LPI's Sasha Johnson writes for On Think Tanks

Sasha Johnson
Mar 121 min read


UK needs Norway-style national service to fight rise of populism
Head of Media & Communications Hubert Kucharski writes for the Financial Times

Hubert Kucharski
Jan 21 min read
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