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 been a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow in PIR.

Leah's research lies at the intersection of British politics, gender politics, and social movements. She has particular expertise in how feminist and intersectional movements mobilise to frame, contest, and shape equality policymaking, particularly around politically contested issues. To date, her case studies include domestic abuse/violence against women (in Scotland) and abortion (across the UK). Her work draws upon feminist institutionalism and multi-level governance to explore how processes of devolution shape (and constrain) opportunities for policy change, social movement strategies, and policy contestations, including within movements. Her work is informed by feminist, intersectional, and anti-racist approaches. 

A second strand of Leah's work examines violence against women, focusing in particular on silences and marginalisation in policy framings and movement strategies. Her more recent work explores violence against women in politics, with a particular emphasis on violence at the local level. 

Education

PhD Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, 2021 - Awarded 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

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

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

Research Projects

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

2024 - 2026 Primary Investigator (Engender consultancy) 'Violence against Women in Scottish Councils' (with Prof Meryl Kenny, PIR). Read Engender's (2026) report here: 'Part of the Job?': Women councillors’ experiences of sexism, misogyny and gender-based violence in Scottish Councils

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. (2026). 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, 9(1), 193-222. DOI: 10.1332/25151088Y2024D000000040

Christoffersen, A. and McCabe, L. (2025) Operationalising intersectionality in equality and domestic abuse policy in Scotland: Contradictions, contestations and erasure, Critical Social Policy, 45(2), 234-258. 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), 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 and non-academic blogs

McCabe, L. (2026) 'Choice on the ballot: What party manifestos say about abortion in 2026', Scottish Election Analysis 2026: The Campaign, Voters and Policies, Available: https://www.electionanalysis.uk/scottish-election-analysis-2026/

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 Year 4 Politics

Contentious Politics, Course Organiser (Sem 1 2026/27)

PIR Undergraduate Dissertation Convenor and Course Organiser (2026/27)

Introduction to British Politics, Course Organiser (Sem 2 2026/27)

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)