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Dr Esme Lillywhite

Researcher and policy analyst.

esme.lillywhite@outlook.com

Google Scholar Site

Research

Education & Social Mobility

• Lillywhite, E., Latham, K., Cullinane, C. & Ogundamisi, T. Crossing Paths: How gender, ethnicity and place shape opportunity , The Sutton Trust, 2026.
  • Addressing attainment gaps – One size does not fit all (Op-ed)
  • Five insights from our white working-class opportunity index (Opinion piece)
  • Interactive data + map
  • Featured in the Telegraph
• Latham, K., Lillywhite, E. Understanding social mobility , The Sutton Trust, 2026.
  • Featured in the Economist and the Guardian
• Lillywhite, E. Understanding social mobility , The Sutton Trust, 2025.
• The Sutton Trust. What is Social Mobility? Redefining Opportunity in Britain , 2025.
  • Understanding Social Mobility (Opinion piece)
  • New evidence on international inequality of opportunity (Opinion piece)
• Elliot Major, L., Eyles, A., Lillywhite, E. & Machin, S. A generation at risk: Rebalancing education in the post-pandemic era , Nuffield Foundation, 2024.
  • The Rising Tide of School Absences in the Post-pandemic Era (Op-ed)
• Lillywhite, E. Shaping Social Mobility: Education & Employment – Conference Briefing , Cumberland Lodge, 2022.
• Klein, M., Sosu, E. & Lillywhite, E. School Absenteeism and Educational Attainment – Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study , University of Strathclyde, 2022.

Comparative Politics

• Carnes, N., Ferrer, J., Golden, M., Lillywhite, E., Lupu N., Nazrullaeva, E. The Global Legislators Database: The Personal Backgrounds of National Legislators in the World’s Democracies , Cambridge University Press, 2025.
  • Featured in the Economist
  • APSA CP Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Best Dataset Award, 2025