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Louise Thompson1

Lecturer in British Politics, University of Manchester
I joined the School of Politics in September 2013 after completing my PhD in the Centre for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull under an ESRC Scholarship. I have previously worked for a Member of Parliament, for the Smith Institute and for the Labour Party. I am currently Managing Editor of the Political Studies Association’s blog.

My research focuses on the UK Parliament and I am particularly interested in the scrutiny of legislation, public engagement with Parliament and the legislative process. My wider research interests are in legislative studies, British politics and constitutional reform.

I have published work on public bill committees and on topical debates in the House of Commons and I have submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Select Committee regarding changes to the Committee of Selection. At present I am working on a proposal for a comparative project examining public engagement with government legislation in the UK and Brazil.

In addition I am interested in pedagogical research and I have published work on the use of parliamentary sources in teaching. I am co-author of a series of guides for lecturers and students published by the Higher Education Academy, including a guide to referencing parliamentary material and a portfolio of teaching case studies.

I am a member of the Study of Parliament Group, a reviewer for Parliamentary Affairs and a research associate at the Centre for Legislative Studies (University of Hull).

What happens after Brexit vote? Four possible scenarios explained

Dec 08, 2018 17:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views

MPs have started to debate the final Brexit withdrawal agreement ahead of a meaningful vote at the end of the day on December 11. That is about the only part of the current situation about which we can be sure. There are...

Economy

Central Banks Could Buy 20,000 Tonnes of Gold: BofA

Central banks may have significant capacity to continue buying gold even after several years of record demand, according to Bank of America (BofA). The bank estimates that institutions currently underweight in gold could...

UK Businesses Urge Government to Cut Electricity Levies

British businesses are pressing the government to remove levies from electricity bills as high energy costs put increasing pressure on energy-intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and manufacturing, Bloomberg reported...

UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July, Beating Forecasts

Britains economy expanded by a stronger-than-expected 0.4% in July, maintaining solid momentum from the first half of 2026 despite economic pressures linked to the U.S.-Iran war, according to data released Friday by the...

US Treasury Yields Near 5% as Oil Fuels Inflation Fears

Global bond markets came under heavy selling pressure on Friday, pushing the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield close to the critical 5% threshold as soaring oil prices and expectations for higher interest rates intensified...

Global Central Banks Brace for More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise

Major global central banks are facing renewed pressure to raise interest rates as persistent inflation, resilient economic growth and rising energy prices complicate the monetary policy outlook. The European Central Bank...

Politics

Trump Calls for Five-Year George Washington Smithsonian Exhibit

President Donald Trump called on the Smithsonian Institution to create a five-year exhibition honoring George Washington, while renewing criticism of the museum organizations approach to U.S. history. In a Truth Social...

Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack, adding fresh pressure to global energy supplies as the U.S.-Iran war disrupts major Middle East shipping routes. The...

Trump Open to Chinese Automakers Building Cars in US

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would be open to Chinese automakers establishing manufacturing plants in the United States, despite strong opposition from U.S. lawmakers and major auto companies. Speaking on Fox...

Lula Holds Narrow Lead Over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil Election Poll

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva continues to hold a narrow advantage over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a potential runoff in Brazils October presidential election, according to a new Datafolha poll released...

Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv as Ukraine Targets Russian Cities

Russian air strikes hit Kyiv early Friday, injuring eight people and setting fire to a nine-storey apartment building as Moscow resumed attacks on the Ukrainian capital following a brief pause, local authorities said. Kyiv...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Agents Linked to RubyGems Cyberattack

OpenAIs AI agents were involved in a previously undisclosed cyber incident that disrupted RubyGems, a widely used software package distribution service, in May, according to a Wall Street Journal report. OpenAI confirmed...

Nvidia Eyes $10 Billion Investment in Anthropic IPO

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to become an anchor investor in Anthropics planned initial public offering, with the AI chip giant potentially committing up to $10 billion to what could become the largest IPO in...

Optus Apologises After Network Outage Disrupts Emergency Calls

Optus has apologised to customers after a network outage disrupted voice services across several Australian states and affected some emergency calls, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of the countrys...

Enflame Shares Surge 200% in Shanghai AI Chip Debut

Shanghai Enflame Technology shares soared roughly 200% during their Shanghai market debut on Friday, highlighting strong investor demand for Chinese AI chipmakers as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce dependence on...

OpenAI Weighs AI Development Slowdown Over Safety Risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is considering slowing the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems as safety concerns surrounding increasingly powerful AI models grow, Bloomberg News reported Friday. Altman...