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Policy@Manchester Articles: Whitehall Watch
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In a world sceptical of political promises, I’m trying to keep mine

By John Bercow MP Filed Under: All posts, Devo, Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: November 16, 2016

As part of Parliament Week and after delivering the annual Sammy Finer Lecture at The University of Manchester, John Bercow MP writes on how he has sought to use his time in office as the Speaker of the House of Commons to bring about Parliamentary reform. Reforming the legislature One of the roles of the […]

Tagged With: house of commons, John Bercow, MP, parliament, parliamentary reform, reform, Speaker of the House, UK politics

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Success as a Knowledge Economy? It’s Complicated

By Andy Westwood Filed Under: All posts, Whitehall Watch Posted: May 18, 2016

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 […]

Tagged With: education, education policy, higher education, Universities

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A New Britain, by George

By Andy Westwood Filed Under: All posts, Whitehall Watch Posted: November 26, 2015

Andy Westwood assesses a political transformation in the wake of the Autumn Statement. 2012 really was a big year for Britain. Politically, it was the moment that George Osborne tanked. First with the ‘Omnishambles’ Budget and its ill conceived Granny and Pasty taxes and second with a round booing at the Olympic Park. But it […]

Tagged With: budget, CSR2015, George Osborne

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Lucky Chancellor?

Diane Coyle By Diane Coyle Filed Under: All posts, Whitehall Watch Posted: November 26, 2015

The day after George Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review, Diane Coyle picks out the winners and losers. One of the most important attributes a Chancellor of the Exchequer can have is to be lucky. Lucky, that is, in all the aspects of the economy that are outside the control of the government – which is most […]

Tagged With: austerity, CSR2015, George Osborne

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SR2015: £35bn on debt interest? But what about the £375bn held by the Bank of England?

Colin Talbot By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts, Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: November 25, 2015

More fast reaction from Colin Talbot to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2015. One thing has puzzled me since the introduction of “Quantitative Easing” (QE) in 2009. Between then and 2012 the Bank of England ‘bought’ £375bn of government bonds from their previous private sector owners. This is a pretty sizeable chunk of the total Government […]

Tagged With: austerity, BoE, CSR2015, debt, GDP

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Policy Week: How Much Evidence is ‘Enough’ Prior to Policy Implementation?

By Laura ffrench-Constant Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted: November 6, 2015

The New Researcher Network hosted a breakfast session during Policy Week to investigate how much evidence is ‘enough’ prior to policy implementation and how to strike the balance between ‘ideal evidence’ and pragmatic decision making. The event was chaired by Dr Kieron Flanagan, whilst Dr Julian Simpson of the University of Manchester and Dr Kathryn […]

Tagged With: government, policy

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Government vs House of Lords: George Osborne taxes his own credit

Colin Talbot By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts, Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: October 27, 2015

The Government has only itself to blame for its House of Lords defeat over Tax Credits, which it could easily have avoided says Colin Talbot. Normally, major financial changes introduced in a Budget are put through the normal House of Commons mechanisms for ‘supply’ (spending) and finance (tax). As these measures were about tax (credits) […]

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In defence of trainee doctors

Jill Rubery By Jill Rubery Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: October 14, 2015

Jill Rubery makes a passionate case for retaining unsocial hours compensation for trainee doctors. A recent BBC Newsnight item on the current contract dispute for trainee doctors began by asking why trainee doctors should be compensated for weekend working when Saturday was ‘just another working day’. This immediately took me back to a research project […]

Tagged With: junior doctors, labour market, WEI, working hours

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Targets? More targets! Even less change and more continuity in the performance regime in Whitehall

Dave RichardsColin TalbotEwan Munro By Dave Richards, Colin Talbot and Ewan Munro Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted: August 24, 2015

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 […]

Tagged With: Labour, Liberal Democrats, targets, Tory

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43 and 36 – Locking in the smaller state: George Osborne’s ‘Summer Budget’

Colin Talbot By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts, Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: July 8, 2015

The general consensus is this is a “big” Budget with lots in it. It is, but unfortunately most commentators are missing the really big picture, says Colin Talbot. To be able to grasp what lies behind George Osborne’s ‘Summer Budget’ 2015 you need to remember just two numbers: 43 and 36. 43 Modern advanced economies […]

Tagged With: budget 2015, GDP, George Osborne, HM Treasury, welfare

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