Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Angela Connelly, Iain White, Nigel Lawson and Paul O'Hare Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
For much of the 20th century, faith has rested in bigger and better defences to hold back floodwaters. But repeated flooding has shown that large defences cannot, and should not, be the sole focus. The first, and for most people the only, tools in the box to protect homes have been the thousands of sandbags […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
George Osborne’s fifth Budget as Chancellor delivered few real surprises or big changes. Many of the detailed adjustments were trailed in advance, and only in the pensions arena did he deliver any radical measures, writes Professor Colin Talbot. It is the pensions issue that will grab the headlines – as he intended. This was a […]
By Rob Ford, Will Jennings and Mark Pickup Filed Under: Polling Observatory Posted:
This is the thirty-fourth in a series of posts that report on the state of the parties as measured by opinion polls. By pooling together all the available polling evidence we can reduce the impact of the random variation each individual survey inevitably produces. Most of the short term advances and setbacks in party polling fortunes are […]
By James Evans and Gabriele Schliwa Filed Under: Featured Posted:
For cities such as Manchester to operate a fully sustainable transport system they must make cycling mainstream, say Dr James Evans and Gabriele Schliwa. Their study into how to make the vision reality has policy implications for the whole of the UK. Manchester may be the home of British Cycling, but does the city fully […]
By Kathryn Oliver Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Ignore middle managers at your peril. They may be central to development and implementation of policy, explains Dr Kathryn Oliver Middle managers are more important than people often think – and that is very true when it comes to influencing and implementing public health policy. In fact, middle managers without a professional training in public […]
When Internet freedom contrasts with a lack of wider political freedom, it may be an indicator of likely revolution, explains Professor Richard Heeks. In April last year I wrote a blog revealing that research showed Ukraine to be the country most likely to undergo a revolution. Given recent events, I was fascinated to look back […]
By Jonny Hankins Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
The emerging concept of responsible innovation is already taking hold in science policy and governance, writes Jonny Hankins. He argues for a multi-faced approach that emphasises reflexivity, involves public engagement from the outset and brings on board social scientists. The phrase ‘responsible innovation’ is cropping-up ever more frequently in policy documents in the UK, Europe […]
By Paul Simpson and Kathryn Almack Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Encouraging an LGBT-friendly, or better still, an LGBT-inclusive environment needs to be higher on the agenda in care homes, argue Dr Paul Simpson and Dr Kathryn Almack. If homes were to function more along these lines, they could work more like communities than simply places to live. What if you had lived a life as […]
By Nicola Spurling and Daniel Welch Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:
A focus on ‘techno-fix’ solutions to climate change like electric cars simply perpetuate current unsustainable practices and represent a failure of ambition, argue Nicola Spurling and Dan Welch. In January David Cameron announced that his cabinet might trade in their limousines for electric cars. It was the latest in a stream of initiatives to promote the […]
By Ewan Munro Filed Under: Europe, Featured Posted:
Former Greek Prime Minster George Papandreou delivered the Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence’s Annual Lecture, accompanied by two formidable looking bodyguards. Ewan Munro heard him affirm his commitment to the European Project and decry the lack of visionary leadership at the national level. While the Eurozone crisis may have slipped from the front pages […]