Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts Posted:
The sudden collapse of the high-profile (though rather small) Kids Company charity has been getting lots of headlines. Colin Talbot looks at what has gone wrong. A quick look at its history and its published accounts suggests this is a pretty classic example of an entrepreneurial and charismatic ‘Leader’ coming up with a good idea […]
By Carl Death Filed Under: All posts Posted:
In September this year the United Nations will formally adopt a set of targets for global development to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Carl Death examines the proposals to assess their potential. The post-2015 goals – which will be called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – are likely to define the global development landscape for […]
By Rose Broad and Carly Lightowlers Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Changes in the way that offenders are supervised, along with the increased availability of alcohol, are undermining attempts to support offenders with alcohol-related problems, explain Dr Rose Broad and Dr Carly Lightowlers. Alcohol and violence have consistently been linked in studies such as this one and this one, although no causal connection has been conclusively […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Westminster Watch Posted:
The entire Labour Party leadership debate is being framed by the question “how can Labour win again?” But what if it can’t, asks Colin Talbot? There are several reasons for believing it might be impossible for Labour to win an outright majority in the House of Commons again, at least for any foreseeable future. (Let […]
By Mustafa Cirakli Filed Under: All posts, Europe, Featured Posted:
Agreement has been reached over a deal to keep Greece in the Euro, for the time being at least. But, Mustafa Cirakli says, the problems in the country and the whole Eurozone are far from over. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t! Such was the predicament in which the SYRIZA-led Greek government stood in […]
By Jill Rubery Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
Earlier this month David Cameron set out plans to force large firms to reveal data on the gender pay among their staff. Here Jill Rubery explores the possibilities and pitfalls of the policy. The rather surprising conversion of the Cameron government to the need for large organisations to conduct and publish equal pay audits has […]
By Daniel Dresner Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
The scale and vast cost of cyber crime has been made clear in the last few weeks. Daniel Dresner suggests that stronger industrial standards may be the best response. Cyber crime is reportedly costing the UK up to £34bn each year. Within that total, personal identity fraud is rising fast and is now responsible for […]
By Dame Sally Davies Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
Drug resistance and the lack of new antibiotics are creating a potential medical crisis, the government’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies warned in this year’s University of Manchester Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture. We are in danger of losing modern medicine. Growing drug resistance among bacteria, viruses and other microbes poses a catastrophic threat to […]
By Bram Vanhoutte Filed Under: All posts, Featured Posted:
In a paper published this week, and covered in the national media, Bram Vanhoutte explores social mobility in England and US. What are the policy implications of these findings? Social mobility, or the difference between the social position of your upbringing and the one you yourself are in, can yield powerful insight into mechanisms that […]
By Maria Sobolewska Filed Under: Ethnicity, Featured Posted:
Why do Conservatives try so hard to increase their ethnic diversity while Labour takes minorities for granted? It all depends on who their target voter is. Labour’s target voters thought less of the party when they knew about its ethnic diversity, Conservative’s target voters were the opposite, explains Maria Sobolewska. For political parties the question […]