School of Social and Political Science

Background

Research interests: Scottish and British politics, contentious politics and social movements, intersectional solidarity and divisions, framing conflicts and contested policy problems, gender politics, feminist institutionalism, abortion politics, gender-based violence

Leah McCabe joined the department as a Lecturer in British Politics in January 2025, having previously worked as a Research Fellow in PIR.

Leah's research lies at the intersection of British politics, gender politics, and social movements. In particular, she has expertise in contentious policymaking in the UK, exploring policy framings, debates and conflicts over time. To date, her case studies include gender-based violence and abortion. Her work draws upon a multi-level governance lens to understand how processes of devolution and constitutional change shape opportunities for policy change, social movement strategies, and policy contestations (including within movements). 

Leah is currently the primary investigator on a project titled, 'Framing Abortion Politics in the UK: Tensions, Contestations, and Resistance'. The project, previously funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Oct 2023-Dec 2024), explores abortion policy and legislative debates across the UK, placing these within their respective institutional contexts and wider party, territorial and constitutional politics. It also explores pro-choice and pro-life strategies for change. 

Leah was previously a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in PIR at the University of Edinburgh.

Leah graduated with a PhD in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh in 2021. Her thesis 'Change, Continuity, and Contestations: Framing Domestic Abuse Policy in Scotland Since 1998' was awarded the Political Studies Association Elizabeth Wiskemann prize for best dissertation in (in)equality and social justice 2021/22 and the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science Outstanding Thesis prize 2020/21. Her thesis traced how domestic abuse policy has been framed in post-devolution Scotland (1998-2018), highlighting key debates, contestations and resistance in framing the policy problem. 

Education

PhD Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, 2021

MSc Gender Studies (Applied), University of Stirling, 2016

MA (Honours) Sociology and Politics, University of Edinburgh, 2015

Research Projects

2024 - Present Primary Investigator (Engender consultancy) 'Violence against Women in Scottish Councils' (with Prof Meryl Kenny)

2023 - Present Primary Investigator (Leverhulme Trust, Oct 2023 - Dec 2024) 'Framing Abortion Politics in the UK: Tensions, Contestations, and Resistance'

2022 - 23 Primary Investigator (ESRC-funded) 'Change, Continuity, and Contestations: Framing Domestic Abuse Policy in Scotland Since 1998'

2021 - 22 Research Fellow (2021-22), DAHLIA- 19, an international research study exploring domestic abuse policy and practice for survivors, children and perpetrators during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Publications

Journal articles

McCabe, L. (2024) How are feminist policy frames challenged and resisted, and with what effects? Exploring the Scottish domestic abuse policy case, European Journal of Politics and Gender, DOI: 10.1332/25151088Y2024D000000040

Christoffersen, A. and McCabe, L. (2024) Operationalising intersectionality in equality and domestic abuse policy in Scotland: Contradictions, contestations and erasure, Critical Social Policy, DOI: 10.1177/02610183241249696

McCabe, L. (2024) An intersectional analysis of contestations within women’s movements: the case of Scottish domestic abuse policymaking, Policy & Politics, 52(3): pp. 521–545, DOI: 10.1332/03055736Y2023D000000021 (Winner of Bleddyn Davies prize for best article by an early career researcher)

Stanley, N., Richardson Foster, H., Barter, C., Meinck, F., Houghton, C., McCabe, L., Shorrock, S. (2022) Developing new portals to safety for domestic abuse survivors in the context of the pandemic, Health and Social Care in the Community, 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14089

Reports

Radford, L., Hegarty, K., Stanley, N., McCabe, L., et al. (2022) Knowledge to Inform Recovery: Key Messages from Policy and Practice Responses to Domestic Abuse Under COVID-19 Across Four Jurisdictions, University of Edinburgh, University of Central Lancashire, Trinity College Dublin, University of Witwatersrand

Richardson Foster, H., McCabe, L., Shorrock, S., Houghton, C., Meinck, F., Barter C. & Stanley, N. (2022) Community Touchpoints: New Portals to Services and Safety. University of Central Lancashire and University of Edinburgh.

Stanley, N., Barter, C., Farrelly, N., Houghton, C., McCabe, L., Meinck, F., Richardson Foster, H. & Shorrock, S. (2021) Innovation, Collaboration and Adaptation: The UK Response to Domestic Abuse under Covid-19. University of Central Lancashire and University of Edinburgh

Research Networks and Membership

Co-convener Gender Politics Research Group, PIR, University of Edinburgh

Member of Territorial Politics Research Group, University of Edinburgh

Member of GENDER.ED, University of Edinburgh

Member of Political Studies Association Women and Politics specialist group (co-convenor 2024/25, Winner of PSA Specialist Group of the Year in 2025 with Dr Jessica C Smith and Dr Sofia Collignon) 

Member of the Feminism and Institutionalism International Network (FIIN) 

Teaching

Cohort Lead for Second Year Politics

Introduction to British Politics, Course Organiser (2025/26)

Politics and International Relations 1A: Concepts and Debates, Guest Lecturer (2025/26)

Topics Interested in Supervising

Leah is able to offer PhD supervision (as secondary supervisor) in areas relating to social movements and contentious politics, intersectionality, public policy, gender-based violence, abortion politics, and Scottish and British politics. She would particularly welcome prospective students with interests in intersectional politics of social movements and/or anti-gender mobilisations in the UK and beyond. 

If you are interested in being supervised by Leah McCabe, please see the link below for more information:

• PhD in Politics (opens in new window)