Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Nissa Finney Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity Posted:
It’s not how mixed our social networks are that’s the key to reducing poverty, it’s broader issues of social isolation and inequality in education we should focus on, argues Nissa Finney. The people that we know – our social networks – have come to be seen as a resource, for social and economic support and […]
By Joy Furnival Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
Joy Furnival looks at proposed changes to the health watchdog in the UK and asks if the system will work. Last month, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, announced that the healthcare regulatory and scrutiny bodies, Monitor and the Trust Development Authority (TDA) were to merge into one body, named NHS Improvement, with an […]
By Dave Richards, Colin Talbot and Ewan Munro Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted:
Dave Richards, Colin Talbot and Ewan Munro explore target setting in Government. “Everyone has to think of their responsibilities with regard to the dreadful events that happened at the Staffordshire hospital, including the fact that part of the problem was people following a very top-down, target-led agenda which led to patient care being put on […]
Lois Brown is a year 11 student at Priestnall High School in Stockport. She has just undertaken work experience at IPPR North and has written from her perspective about the challenges facing devolution to the region. Simply devolving to local government is not enough to overcome apathy with politics in Manchester – it needs to […]
By Stephen Wearne Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Stephen Wearne explores lessons to be learnt from the similarities and the differences between the start of the nuclear power era in the 1950’s and now. The structure of utilities, suppliers and contractors for engineering and constructing new nuclear power stations in the UK today is very different to the structure at the start of […]
By Andrew Gale and Nawal Prinja Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Many workers in the nuclear industry are poised to retire – just as a major new nuclear building programme gets underway. Professor Andrew Gale and Professor Nawal Prinja consider the implications. The nuclear industry is facing a severe skills and technology management shortfall. Five new stations – Oldbury, Sizewell, Moorside, Wylfa and Hinkley – are […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
Colin Talbot asks if we have reached a tipping point where ‘first past the post’ finally fails to hold together the two big coalitions that have dominated British politics for nearly a century ? Could we be seeing the end of the Conservative and Labour Parties? The Tories are having a great summer: an unexpected […]
By Dimitris Papadimitriou and Kevin Featherstone Filed Under: All posts, Europe, Featured Posted:
Why doesn’t Greece reform? Dimitris Papadimitriou and Kevin Featherstone on why the Greek political system has contributed to the mess the country finds itself in. Over the past few years the inability of successive Greek governments to deliver on the demands of international creditors has been a key feature of Greece’s bailout drama. Frustrated observers […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The sudden collapse of the high-profile (though rather small) Kids Company charity has been getting lots of headlines. Colin Talbot looks at what has gone wrong. A quick look at its history and its published accounts suggests this is a pretty classic example of an entrepreneurial and charismatic ‘Leader’ coming up with a good idea […]
By Carl Death Filed Under: All posts Posted:
In September this year the United Nations will formally adopt a set of targets for global development to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Carl Death examines the proposals to assess their potential. The post-2015 goals – which will be called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – are likely to define the global development landscape for […]