Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Ruth Lupton Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
Last week’s topic in the pre-election debate was schools. The Conservative party announced that it would protect spending on schools in cash terms, but not keep pace with inflation. It would also convert more schools to Academies, including those adjudged ‘requiring improvement’ by Ofsted. Labour retaliated by accusing the Coalition of failing to tackle educational […]
By Julia Segar Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
Clinical Commissioning Groups were introduced by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act. The role of GPs within the NHS and their relationships with NHS managers are changing as a result, explains Julia Segar. The NHS is dealing with severe challenges at present, with A&E in crisis and bed blocking preventing the release of some […]
By James Nazroo Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity, Featured Posted:
How and why does policy continue to fail to address inequalities in health? asks Professor James Nazroo. A recent report on inequalities in health, commissioned by the British Academy, brought together responses to the question, “What one policy could make a difference if implemented at a local level?” The context was, of course, local government, […]
By Bala Yusuf Yunusa Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
With Nigeria due to go to the polls later this month Bala Yusuf Yunusa, of the Brooks World Poverty Institute at The University of Manchester, explores the impact the result may have on Nigeria’s international relations and particularly relations with the UK. Trade between the two nations is worth £8b a year. Bala has previously […]
By Iain Brassington Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Science and Technology, Westminster Watch Posted:
The House of Commons voted for a small but significant change in the law when it expressed its approval for the legalisation of mitochondrial transfer. Iain Brassington, Senior Lecturer, in the School of Law at The University of Manchester explores the issues the debate hinged on and whether the right decision was made. Mitochondrial illnesses arise […]
By Stanley Blue Filed Under: Featured Posted:
The Change4Life campaign just launched by NHS England is the latest attempt to persuade people to adopt healthier lifestyles. But, says Dr Stanley Blue, this type of public health campaign is not enough to tackle fast rising rates of ‘lifestyle diseases’. Current public health policy is focussed on getting people to change their eating, drinking […]
By Ruth Lupton Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
Publication of the 2014 GCSE results has highlighted a worrying decline in academic performance by poorer children, say Ruth Lupton and Stephanie Thomson from The University of Manchester. Yesterday’s release of the 2014 GCSE results, showing a fall in overall achievement and a doubling of the number of schools not meeting the government’s floor target, […]
By Mukesh Kapila Filed Under: Featured Posted:
There are positive signs that West Africa is recovering from the Ebola epidemic. But more must be done to create a healthcare system that can withstand the next attack from deadly disease, says Professor Mukesh Kapila. Sierra Leone is at war again, as are Liberia and Guinea. This latest war is against Ebola, a nasty […]
By Dimitris Papadimitriou Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
In the aftermath of the Greek general election, which put SYRIZA, an anti-austerity left wing party, into power in coalition with far-right Independent Greeks, Dimitris Papadimitriou Professor of European politics at The University of Manchester, explores the situation and assess the possible impact. So, there you have it! Greek bailout politics have come full circle. […]
By Francesca Gains and Dave Richards Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted:
In the final part of our special series on the Civil Service, Francesca Gains and Dave Richards sum up the debate and assess the future of the service during a period of great change. The most striking theme to emerge from the Policy@Manchester series of Civil Service ‘stocking-taking’ blogs by Martin Stanley and Colin Talbot […]