Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
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 […]
By Carl Emery Filed Under: Featured Posted:
Earlier this month the Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, mapped out his vision for the HE sector over the next 5 years. Here Carl Emery looks at the implications. Addressing the Universities UK (UUK) group the Minister set out 3 key manifesto pledges: lifting the cap on student numbers and widening participation “to remove barriers to […]
By Saffron Karlsen Filed Under: Ethnicity, Featured Posted:
While David Cameron has urged British Muslims to assert their British identity, the evidence is that they already do, explains Saffron Karlsen. There is a widely held perception in society that Muslim people living in Britain do not feel British. Comments by David Cameron and others, for example, describe a need to address the lack […]
By Karel Williams Filed Under: Devo, Featured Posted:
The gap in economic performance between London and the regions is large and will not be closed by devolving limited powers to city regions and Celtic nations that will adopt conventional economic policies, argues Professor Karel Williams. “It is time for you to take control of your own affairs….we will hand power from the […]
By Michael Moran Filed Under: Devo, Featured Posted:
Government today is trying to create a ‘system’ of devolution from a legacy formed of a tacit constitution and Thatcherite centralism, explains Professor Michael Moran. Devolution – whether to the Celtic nations or within England – has many faces and raises many issues – of economy, identity and political strategy. But it is worth remembering […]
By Alison Browne Filed Under: Featured, Science and Technology Posted:
The water industry has tried to manage consumption through technological ‘fixes’. But only by understanding how and why water is used can demand be reduced, argues Dr Alison Browne. For many years the mismatch between the demand for water and its available supply was ‘solved’ by the industry through engineering or technological solutions, including mega-projects […]
By Jonathan Spencer Filed Under: Featured Posted:
The horsemeat scandal of two years ago put food fraud into the news headlines. Jonathan Spencer explains this was only the tip of the iceberg. Food fraud – the adulteration of food – is commonly the result of a shortage of supply, or a sudden increase in the cost of raw ingredients. Meanwhile consumer demand […]
By Debbie Smith, Andrew Manley and Dame Tina Lavender Filed Under: Featured Posted:
How can information best be conveyed to influence behaviour? Choosing the right font type is surprisingly important, explain Dr Debbie Smith, Dr Andrew Manley and Professor Dame Tina Lavender. What do you take into account when trying to get your message across? The information to be communicated, of course. How to express it – using […]