Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
Just because wars are justified by reference to religion doesn’t mean they are religious wars – organised religion can also bring people together to resolve conflicts, argues Prof Kate Cooper. As an ancient historian, I am surprised by the easy causality which commentators think they find between ‘religious motives’ and modern social conflict. Take the […]
By Daniel Welch and David Evans Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Eating ‘properly’ and special occasions are more to blame for household food waste than lazy consumers and supermarket BOGOFs, according to Dr David Evans and Dr Daniel Welch. We waste 15 million tonnes of food in the UK every year, according to a recent report from the House of Commons EU Committee. This has serious […]
By Stefania Marino and Miguel Martínez Lucio Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
A recent lecture at the University of Manchester painted a picture of trade union decline across Western Europe. Dr Stefania Marino and Prof Miguel Martinez Lucio reflect on a difficult period for the unions, but argue they are still important players, economically and politically. The power of trade unions across Western Europe has declined – but nowhere else […]
By Kieran Walshe Filed Under: Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted:
Evidence is short that competition leads to improved healthcare performance, says Prof Kieran Walshe. Collaboration and service integration is a better policy goal. For some time – under both this government and its predecessor – there has been a powerful ideological belief that competition leads to improvements in performance in healthcare. It’s a belief unshaken […]
By John Broderick Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Last week a Lords Select Committee report backed “all out” development of a UK shale gas industry, pointing to compatibility with UK climate change commitments. But this conclusion flies in the face of a wealth of evidence to the contrary, writes Dr John Broderick. The message from last week’s House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee […]
By Dimitris Papadimitriou and Sotirios Zartaloudis Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
Analysis of Greece’s financial meltdown has tended to focus on the deficiencies of the Economic and Monetary Union, but the crisis was also the result of failures by the Eurozone’s leadership in terms of co-ordination and communication, explain Prof Dimitris Papadimitriou and Dr Sotirios Zartaloudis. And they argue the results of this European failure of […]
By Mustafa Cirakli Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
Ahead of the EU elections, Liberal candidate for the European Commission Presidency, Guy Verhofstadt, came to Manchester to outline his credentials. Mustafa Cirakli reports that Verhofstadt’s message was clear: we need more Europe. National media across the EU have focused on the rise of Eurosceptics such as UKIP in the UK and France’s National Front. But […]
By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Public health has benefited from four waves of activity. Dr Julia Segar asks what the fifth wave will bring. It is sometimes said that progress comes in waves, with the fifth wave representing a tide of change that cannot be resisted. But it is as yet unclear if this principle will apply in public health, […]
By Christian Goeschel Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
Italy is one of Europe’s great nations, and Mussolini’s rise to power helped shape the first half of the twentieth century. So the significance of Italy’s contemporary political scene should not be overlooked, explains Dr Christian Goeschel. Italy is often ignored today as a serious political force. It is seen as part of the Eurozone’s […]
By James Baker Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
As the government announces further support for the UK’s emerging graphene industry, James Baker from the National Graphene Institute says the emerging concept of a ‘graphene city’ can be a UK model for commercialising new scientific discoveries. Announcing new investments into graphene commercialisation in March’s Budget, Chancellor George Osborne described the material as a “great British discovery […]