Ed Cox

Before joining IPPR in 2009, Ed was Policy Adviser to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, where he played an important role in shaping the Sub-National Review, the Empowerment white paper and other policy themes. In previous roles, Ed has been Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Local Government Information Unit and served as a Commissioner on the Government’s Commission on Integration and Cohesion.

Living in Manchester, Ed’s background lies in community activism. He worked as Co-ordinator of Community Pride Initiative (a voluntary organisation supporting community engagement in neighbourhood renewal in Greater Manchester) and played a leading role in the development and implementation of Community Empowerment Networks in Manchester and Salford. Ed was also a member of the Manchester Local Strategic Partnership Board, for which he wrote the city’s first coordinated Community Engagement Strategy, and continues to be involved in third sector affairs in Manchester as chair of a multi-million-pound community regeneration partnership in his local neighbourhood.

Ed is an experienced media performer with recent appearances on BBC Breakfast, the Politics Show, BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme and local TV and radio stations. He is a regular keynote speaker, chair and contributor to a wide range of national conferences on his areas of expertise. He has written articles for the Guardian, Independent and several local newspapers, and he writes a regular blog for the Local Government Chronicle.