Matthew Beebee

Matthew joined WPI Economics in 2022 as a Consultant, with a focus on qualitative research and policy analysis. He has extensive experience of working with a range of qualitative methods and sources, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, open-ended questionnaires and ethnographic observations. Matthew leads and coordinates the qualitative and participatory research for two of WPI’s flagship poverty projects: the Poverty Strategy Commission and the Carer Poverty Commission. In addition, he provides evidence reviews, qualitative research and policy analysis/development for other projects focused on poverty and inequalities, skills and employment, local growth and net zero. Alongside his role at WPI Economics, Matthew is completing an AHRC-funded PhD at the University of Exeter exploring how the process of deindustrialisation has transformed aspects of everyday life in formerly industrial areas of England since the 1960s. He holds an MPhil in Modern British History from the University of Cambridge, with an article based on this research winning the Labour History Review’s 2019 Essay Prize. He graduated with a First-Class BA in Politics from Durham University in 2015 and between his BA and MPhil, he worked as a policy researcher for a public affairs consultancy.