Paul Shepley
Former Data Scientist
Paul's recent work
Local elections 2024: Mayor of the West Midlands
On 2 May 2024, voters in Birmingham and six neighbouring local areas elected Richard Parker as the mayor of the West Midlands.
Local elections 2024: Mayor of Greater Manchester
On 2 May 2024, Andy Burnham was elected for the third time as mayor of Greater Manchester
Government – and society – must be ready to adapt to artificial intelligence
The government should devote much greater attention to preparing for AI’s impact.
All work
Rishi Sunak appointed PM and Cabinet reshuffle – October 2022
The IfG team provides the latest analysis and charts as Rishi Sunak is appointed PM and forms his Cabinet.
Liz Truss's government reshuffle
Liz Truss became prime minister on Tuesday 6 September and immediately launched a substantial reorganisation of the ministerial team.
Liz Truss government formation – September 2022
As the Conservative leadership election draws to a close and Liz Truss takes office as prime minister, the IfG team follow the latest developments.
Levelling up: the IfG view on the white paper
The white paper does not provide a clear-sighted diagnosis for tackling regional inequalities.
Whitehall Monitor 2022
Major reform is needed for government to respond to crises like the pandemic while simultaneously delivering long-term policy goals.
Local government unitarisation
Unitarisation is a type of local government reorganisation that replaces county and district councils in ‘two-tier’ areas with a single tier.
Government is learning from HS2's failures – but needs to trust local leaders
Paul Shepley welcomes the government’s publication of an integrated rail plan
Towns Fund
The Towns Fund for England (hereafter the Towns Fund) is a £3.6 billion fund for ‘struggling’ towns across England to support local economic growth.
Levelling up
The government’s flagship levelling up agenda lacks clear objectives, with policies often contradicting ministerial rhetoric about decentralising powe