Policy@Manchester Articles

Give local authorities more freedom to deliver sustainable cities

By Sally Gee and Elvira Uyarra Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted: May 21, 2014

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 […]

Cameron’s strategy makes federal Europe more likely

By Dimitris Papadimitriou Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted: May 20, 2014

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 […]

Don’t blame religion for political conflicts, Mr Blair

By Kate Cooper Filed Under: Featured Posted: May 15, 2014

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 […]

Dinner parties and healthy eating should share blame for food wastage

By Daniel Welch and David Evans Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted: May 14, 2014

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 […]

Trade unions – in decline or renewal?

By Stefania Marino and Miguel Martínez Lucio Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted: May 13, 2014

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 […]

Challenging the cult of competition in the NHS

By Kieran Walshe Filed Under: Featured, Whitehall Watch Posted: May 13, 2014

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 […]

Evidence ignored amid Lords committee’s bullishness on fracking

By John Broderick Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted: May 12, 2014

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 […]

Failure of Euro leaders will be felt at the polls

By Dimitris Papadimitriou and Sotirios Zartaloudis Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted: May 12, 2014

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 […]

Presidental hopeful Verhofstadt showing courage needed to reinvent the EU

By Mustafa Cirakli Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted: May 9, 2014

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 […]

Will new wave bring a tide of progress for public health?

By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted: May 8, 2014

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, […]

Give local authorities more freedom to deliver sustainable cities

Cameron’s strategy makes federal Europe more likely

Don’t blame religion for political conflicts, Mr Blair

Dinner parties and healthy eating should share blame for food wastage

Trade unions – in decline or renewal?

Challenging the cult of competition in the NHS

Evidence ignored amid Lords committee’s bullishness on fracking

Failure of Euro leaders will be felt at the polls

Presidental hopeful Verhofstadt showing courage needed to reinvent the EU

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