Policy@Manchester Articles

Scrutinising the cost of party policies; a good idea in principle but…

By Robert Chote Filed Under: Westminster Watch, Whitehall Watch Posted: October 22, 2013

Recently in Manchester three key national figures discussed how to improve the scrutiny of how British government spends its money: Margaret Hodge MP (Lab), chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Bernard Jenkin MP (Con), chair of the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC); and Robert Chote, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The session […]

Hangover from US shutdown will last for months

By Perri 6 Filed Under: Featured Posted: October 18, 2013

With a deal having been struck to end the 16-day shutdown in the US, the wheels of government administration are starting to turn once again. But, writes Prof Perri 6, restarting is not a simple case of ‘picking up where we left off’ and the legacy challenges for those involved in public management are significant. […]

What do policymakers want from academics?

By Paul Avey and Michael Desch Filed Under: All posts Posted: October 17, 2013

What is it that the most senior national security policymakers want from international relations scholars? An answer to this question matters, write Paul Avey and Michael Desch, because there has been recurrent interest among policymakers in drawing upon academic social science expertise in support of more effective national security policymaking. Despite this high-level interest, there has […]

Open policy making: don’t tsars count?

By Ruth Levitt and Bill Solesbury Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted: October 17, 2013

The idea of ‘tsars’ in Whitehall is a recent name for an old practice; bringing in outside actors to advise, and sometimes to act, on a specific issue. Although not all tsars hit the headlines, Dr Ruth Levitt and Bill Solesbury argue that these appointments are a bigger phenomenon than is often supposed and incumbents […]

Why it’s time for us to spend big on science

By Brian Cox Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted: October 16, 2013

In his recent party conference speech, Science Minister David Willetts said he was ‘up for’ making Britain the best place in the world to do science. But in order to do that – and reap the economic rewards – politicians need to be prepared to spend big, argues Professor Brian Cox. This blog post is […]

Revisiting debates about the UCAS personal statement

By Steven Jones Filed Under: Featured Posted: October 14, 2013

With the first UCAS deadline of the academic year looming, thousands of University hopefuls are putting the finishing touches to their personal statements. But growing evidence points towards the current process favouring some applicants more than others – and it may be time for a radical overhaul, according to Dr Steve Jones. “The UCAS personal […]

A ‘National’ Health Service? It would be a good idea

By Julian Simpson Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted: October 8, 2013

The NHS is seen as a fundamentally British institution and even a symbol of national identity. But, writes Dr Julian Simpson, it might make more sense to call it an ‘International’ Health Service. And while ‘health tourism’ and migrant doctors’ language skills make headlines, the real issue is whether it should remain dependent on an […]

Females to the fore in reshuffle – but women’s policy input may remain limited

By Francesca Gains and Claire Annesley Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted: October 7, 2013

As expected, David Cameron has boosted the number of women in his Government. But this strategy is problematic, argue Professors Claire Annesley and Francesca Gains, and may not address the lack of women’s policy input in decision making. Earlier this spring Andy Coulson, David Cameron’s former spin doctor, suggested that ‘Sam Cam’ was the Conservatives’ ‘secret […]

Zero-hour contracts: the dark side of flexible labour markets

By Jill Rubery Filed Under: Featured Posted: October 7, 2013

Whether it be young people selling sports shoes, or carers looking after the elderly, workers in the UK are increasingly being forced into zero-hour contract, writes Prof Jill Rubery. But this hasn’t happened by accident: it is a product of many years of moving towards a ‘flexible’ labour market, one that in practice means more […]

Avoiding catastrophe: the role of the state in the water-food-energy nexus

By Danny Fitzpatrick Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted: October 2, 2013

The recurring themes of water, food and energy in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals suggest the policy-making community is waking up to the deep inter-dependencies between these three essential resources. The role of central governments in translating such a ‘nexus thinking’ into meaningful action, in order to avoid a potential catastrophe, will be critical, writes […]