Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
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, […]
By Francesca Gains Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Thursday 5 May is a ‘Super Thursday’ for all kinds of non-Westminster elections, with candidates running for office for London Assembly and Mayor, many local authorities, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies. Polling also takes place for 40 of the 41 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales – but as […]
By Geoff Pearson Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The Hillsborough Inquest concluded that 96 football fans were unlawfully killed as a result of a series of catastrophic failures by the police and ambulance services. Geoff Pearson says now it’s time for a shake-up of the laws and regulations governing football matches to prevent dangerous crowd management strategies. The finding from last week’s inquest was […]
By Nicolette Butler Filed Under: All posts, Europe Posted:
One of the biggest bones of contention in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks centres on the proposed Investment Court System. Critics are concerned that the ‘investor-state dispute settlement’ mechanism could weaken the power of governments to act in the best interests of their people. Whilst the EU Commission has sought to allay critics […]
By Gabriel Siles-Brügge Filed Under: All posts, Europe Posted:
Controversy surrounding the UK’s trading relationship with the US continues, following President Barack Obama’s visit here. Whilst investment protection remains the key issue in the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks, Gabriel Siles-Brügge argues that a key danger is being ignored: the agreement’s cross-cutting regulatory provisions. This week sees the 13th round of […]
By Francis Livens Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Today marks the 30-year anniversary of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. There are important lessons for governments to learn from the nuclear incidents of the past. The implications of their actions have significant and far-reaching consequences, says Francis Livens, as he reflects on his own experiences of the events during spring 1986. I find it […]