Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By James Rhodes Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity Posted:
When Sadiq Khan was sworn in as the new London mayor last month, the Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, said that the first Muslim mayor of any capital city in the EU could “pave the way for a ‘prime minister of colour’”. James Rhodes says this appointment is a great leap in the right direction […]
By Piers Robinson Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The long-awaited Chilcot Report, due to be published on 6 July, may offer more information on when the UK decided on going to war, as well as why it decided to do so. Piers Robinson, who has researched and published extensively on the 2003 Iraq War, says the stakes are high – and that it […]
By Cathryn Rodway Filed Under: All posts Posted:
A new study has identified numerous, complex factors and a pattern of cumulative risk and final straw stresses that may contribute to suicide risk in children and young people. Cathryn Rodway outlines what the findings tell us and points to issues that policymakers should consider for this tragic cause of death in young people. Along with colleagues […]
By Graham Smith Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The reputation of the British police service is hanging in the balance and the on-going Undercover Policing Inquiry and the recent conclusion of the Hillsborough inquests has added more fuel to the fire. Graham Smith examines the evidence and calls for a broad coalition to reform a police service he says has become toxic. Triggered by […]
By Brenda Gannon Filed Under: All posts Posted:
It’s Dementia Awareness Week, which this year aims to encourage people who are worried about dementia to confront their worries by addressing dementia directly and seeking support. Brenda Gannon explains how new research indicates this may not mean increased costs to the NHS. In the era of health budget Devolution and integrated health and social […]
By Andy Westwood Filed Under: All posts, Whitehall Watch Posted:
The Government announced its higher education reform plans this week, publishing a white paper ‘Success as a Knowledge Economy’. But will it really deliver a better deal for students and is it making an already complex system even more so, asks Andy Westwood? Let’s begin with the title. Every part of it is contested in […]
By Graham Haughton Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Devolving power to our cities and regions has been heralded as a ‘new era’ and an exciting opportunity for positive change. Manchester has led the way in England, becoming the first region to take control of its health and social care budget on April 1st. But, asks Graham Haughton, is there a ‘dark side’ to […]
By Mel Ainscow Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Responding to pupil diversity is a key policy challenge for schools, nationally and locally. But is our education system working in a way that supports this aim? No, say professors Mel Ainscow CBE and Alan Dyson, who have found that national polices are actually preventing primary schools from responding effectively to increased diversity in the […]
By Joe Blakey Filed Under: All posts, Urban Posted:
Our cities are unequal – in wealth, quality of life and our carbon footprints, amongst other factors. In the race to use technology to build so-called ‘smart cities’, Joe Blakey says we run the risk of locking-in, rather than tackling, those inequalities. Definitions and data When it comes to smart cities , Manchester is setting […]
By Matt Sutton and Rachel Meacock Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Extended weekend working is being introduced by the National Health Service in a bid to save lives. But, as Matt Sutton and Rachel Meacock explain, new research casts serious doubt on the premise that more hospital staff on Saturday and Sunday will mean fewer patient deaths. As the raft of recent media coverage has highlighted, […]