Research Fellow at @IPPRNorth @IPPR - work on democracy, devolution, regional identity | PhD from @POLISatLeeds on the politics of Northernness
Joined September 2016
- Tweets 1,078
- Following 1,483
- Followers 938
- Likes 2,411
114 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
3 Jan 2023
PhD thesis submitted. Nice start to the new year 🎉
42
14
558
94,820
Should voters get more chances to recall their MP?
✍️ @RyanSwift93 for LBC Opinion
lbc.co.uk/article/should-vot…
7
5
16
3,839
Ryan Swift retweeted
May 11
"Beneath the national political turbulence lies a more localised crisis in confidence about the ability of councils themselves to deliver."
✍️ @RyanSwift93
politicshome.com/opinion/art…
2
1
1,223
Ryan Swift retweeted
May 7
☁️A troubling reality hangs over today's local elections: trust in politics has collapsed.
New polling in Greater Manchester finds low trust in political institutions to act in the interests of their local area.
But why is trust so low?
1
1
1
289
Ryan Swift retweeted
23 Jul 2025
"Young people in the North are being hit twice as hard due to regional inequalities."
Read @RyanSwift93 column in @yorkshirepost about how deep geographical disparities are harming children in the North of England.
yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi…
2
4
1,545
Ryan Swift retweeted
22 Jul 2025
“Funding and policy making for culture needs to devolve"
We are grateful to esteemed culture expert @ProfKatyShaw for welcoming our State of the North 2025 report ⤵️
ALT “Devolution has created the need for a more relationship-based approach to culture delivery at a local level, one that is less top down and more co-created closer to communities. “If you keep doing what you’ve always done you’ll get what you’ve always had. “Funding and policy making for culture needs to devolve. “The centre cannot and should not hold. Growth potential is being stymied by over centralisation. “The kids are not alright… “IPPR North’s recommendation to ‘devolve responsibilities and funding for culture to combined authorities where the appetite and capacity for this exists’ is underpinned by our work on culture and innovation devolution across all 4 nations of the UK and our earlier work leading the APPG post-covid cultural recovery report on community cohesion”.
2
483
22 Jul 2025
The announcement on votes at 16 was welcome but as we set out in our @IPPRNorth State of the North report there’s a need to go further to empower young people in our democracy at the local, regional national levels
I’ve written about this here
yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi…
2
5
437
18 Jul 2025
Brilliant to have @FrancisAlun, Chair of the @SMCommission, welcoming our State of the North report.
18 Jul 2025
“IPPR’s ‘State of the North 2025’ brings important focus on the specific challenges faced by many young people in the north of England"
@FrancisAlun, Chair of the @SMCommission, has welcomed our report highlighting the need to spread opportunity fairly across the country ⤵️
1
2
4
636
18 Jul 2025
Great to have @KiMcGuinness backing our State of the North report and its call for fairer culture funding for the North and more devolved powers for culture.
17 Jul 2025
“Too much power is held in London, and by unelected quangos, where decision makers hold the future of Northern arts in their hands"
We have united with North East Mayor and Chair of The Great North @KiMcGuinness to call out our regional culture chasm ⤵️
1
88
Ryan Swift retweeted
18 Jul 2025
Lowering the voting age to 16 will equalise youth political rights across the UK but comes with some significant policy challenges. Read my thoughts on @ConversationUK theconversation.com/uk-to-lo… @electoralreform @ElectoralCommUK @Shoutout_UK @mhclg @DCMS @educationgovuk @UKYouth
4
9
621
Ryan Swift retweeted
17 Jul 2025
Great to see our @ahrcpress #CreativeCommunities research profiled by the 2025 State of the North report 👀
Cultural Chasm between SE & the rest of 🇬🇧 can only be closed by cultural #devolution & mandating ALBs to reorientate and work regionally with & within Mayoral areas
17 Jul 2025
🚨 Today we publish State of the North 2025 🚨
The North gets just half as much arts and culture funding per person as London. We reveal the impact this & other regional divides have on young people, and what must change 👇
ippr.org/articles/the-kids-a…
4
2
778
Ryan Swift retweeted
17 Jul 2025
Cultural funding must become fairer across the country 🎭
@RyanSwift93 spoke to Capital FM Yorkshire about today’s State of the North research ⤵️
1
2
286
Ryan Swift retweeted
17 Jul 2025
“Too much power is held in London, and by unelected quangos, where decision makers hold the future of Northern arts in their hands"
We have united with North East Mayor and Chair of The Great North @KiMcGuinness to call out our regional culture chasm ⤵️
1
5
7
1,355
17 Jul 2025
Great to see our @IPPRNorth State of the North findings on regional inequalities in culture funding being picked up by the @yorkshirepost who highlight the important role that culture can play socially and economically across the region.
yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opi…
1
3
8
576
Ryan Swift retweeted
17 Jul 2025
TODAY @IPPRNorth has published our annual State of the North report. This year - at a pivotal moment for young people - we've been looking at young northerners' starting baseline, opportunity for a good life, and chance to be heard. ippr.org/articles/the-kids-a…
1
3
4
443
Ryan Swift retweeted
17 Jul 2025
🚨 Today we publish State of the North 2025 🚨
The North gets just half as much arts and culture funding per person as London. We reveal the impact this & other regional divides have on young people, and what must change 👇
ippr.org/articles/the-kids-a…
2
11
13
3,314
17 Jul 2025
Young people today have endured stagnation and seen opportunity limited. But young people in the North are being hit twice as hard – faced with entrenched regional inequalities.
This year’s @IPPRNorth State of the North report focuses on the challenges for young Northerners.
1
5
13
570
17 Jul 2025
We argue that it’s time to break the cycle of regional inequality which holds back the next generations through action to give young northerners a “better baseline” from which to thrive, the opportunity to live a “good life” and a stronger democratic voice.
1
2
49