Respected scientist Sir Paul Nurse recently expressed his distress that politicians sometimes “ignore” scientific evidence. Here is a slightly different take on the issue from the perspective of a recent senior civil servant. At one level, of course, I agree with Sir Paul. I can’t prove it but I suspect that many if not most […]
Search Results for: nuclear
Evidence ignored amid Lords committee’s bullishness on fracking
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 […]
Does the UK have a future in manufacturing?
Thanks to its world-class science base the UK is very good at developing ideas. But we still don’t invest enough public money into developing early stage technologies, says Dr Kieron Flanagan. Does the UK have a future in manufacturing? Does the North West or the Greater Manchester city region have a future in manufacturing for that matter? These were the questions debated at a panel discussion I took part […]
Why the ‘radical’ post crash economics movement is missing a trick
The creation of a post crash economics society at the University of Manchester is being hailed as a radical new development. But is it really? Professor Georgina Waylen argues that feminist economics is currently being ignored – and yet it offers us new insights and innovative solutions. Despite its plea for a broader range of […]
As BAE cuts jobs, is a strong defence sector really needed?
The announcement that defence company BAE Systems is to cut 1,775 jobs at its naval warship yards in Portsmouth and in Scotland will come as a huge blow to those workers, their families and their local communities. But, writes Andrew James, it also prompts questions about the nature of the defence industry in the United Kingdom, […]
Iran talks end in failure but France is not the only culprit
Frenzied negotiations in Geneva on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme have come to nothing despite early hopes for progress. Fingers are pointing at France for the failure of the talks but that may not be entirely fair, writes Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi. The Geneva meeting began as a preplanned, routine get together for senior diplomats […]
Could Budget 2015 lead to our very own version of the Washington Shut Down?
“The last government defeat over estimates was in 1921 … nowadays any amendment would be tantamount to a vote of no confidence.” (Whener, 2010: p8). Could we see, in March 2015, the first example of a real conflict within Parliament on the Government’s Budget proposals, leading to a Washington-style impasse? There are several reasons to […]
White heat at 50: Harold Wilson and scientific collaboration with Europe
The beginning of the month marked the 50th anniversary of Harold Wilson’s iconic ‘white heat’ speech. Stuart Butler asks what we can learn about participation in European scientific and technological collaboration from decisions made by Wilson’s government. This post originally appeared on the Guardian’s Political Science Blog At the beginning of this year George Osborne […]
Who Killed the Bees? Pesticides, risk and the politics of knowledge
The UK government was one of a minority of states that voted against the EU ban on insecticides said to be responsible for desecrating the honeybee population. Its rejection of a precautionary approach to this issue suggests that deep public anxiety about risks associated with technological and scientific ‘progress’ is justified, writes Dr Richie Nimmo. In […]
The Political Power of the Business Corporation
The Political Power of the Business Corporation, Stephen Wilks. Edward Elgar. March 2013. In The Political Power of the Business Corporation, the author argues that making corporations accountable is one of the most fundamental problems facing 21st century society along with terrorism, nuclear war and epidemics. It provides both an up-to-date analysis of how big […]
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