Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Petra Nordqvist Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Dr Petra Nordqvist argues that openness about donor conception can cut at the heart of family relationships and is a process that needs to be managed sensitively Donor conception is becoming increasingly common. It is estimated that, to date, 35,000 children have been born through donated egg, sperm and embryos in the UK. Statistics from […]
By Nicolette Butler Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
The proposal of a mechanism for investors to sue foreign governments is one of the more contentious aspects of the on-going EU-US trade talks. But as Dr Nicolette Butler argues, the benefits of neutrality and de-politicisation in dispute resolution should not be hastily discounted. As the latest round of EU-US trade talks rumble into their final day, […]
By Gabriel Siles-Brügge and Ferdi De Ville Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
The European elections have coincided with the latest round of talks on the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Dr Gabriel Siles-Brügge and Dr Ferdi De Ville argue that election campaigns have continued to put advocates of the deal on the defensive, but it has not prompted any fundamental shift in their position. ‘We observe […]
By Alina Rzepnikowska Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
Attacks on Polish families living in the UK are strongly influenced by negative portrayals in the media, argues Alina Rzepnikowska. Polish families in Belfast have suffered a series of attacks in recent week. A row of three Polish families’ homes was spray painted with messages telling the families to leave the city. Elsewhere in Belfast, […]
By Georgios Papanagnou Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
A series of reforms that started roughly around the late 1970s have transformed the European Parliament from an ineffective institution to an assembly with significant powers, writes Dr Georgios Papanagnou. But he argues that there is much still to be done – and this should be an urgent priority for the European political class. There […]
By Ed Cox Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
This year’s European elections and Scottish referendum may signify a more profound change in British politics than the General Election in 2015, writes Ed Cox. Taken together, they present an opportunity for the people of the United Kingdom to send a clear message to the mainstream political parties. Tomorrow’s local and European elections are not […]
By Sally Gee and Elvira Uyarra Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
Public bodies play a unique role in renewing our urban infrastructure to make our cities more sustainable. The transformation of the Greater Manchester waste system illustrates how local government can accomplish this through ambitious procurement projects, argue Dr Sally Gee and Dr Elvira Uyarra. In 1999, local government faced a major problem. European legislation was […]
By Dimitris Papadimitriou Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
David Cameron’s negative approach of demanding a renegotiation of the UK’s EU membership terms and putting this to a referendum is a cloud hanging over this week’s European elections, warns Professor Dimitris Papadimitriou. This is a strategy that could backfire spectacularly. This week’s elections to the European Parliament are overshadowed in Britain by the rise of UKIP and […]
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 […]